A FESTIVE FOURTH

By Sean Barron

Celebrants flock to Canfield extravaganza

The event’s menu included ribs, as well as plenty of fun, music and concessions.

CANFIELD — Seven-year-old Katie Bowman was excited about seeing fireworks, but there were plenty of other fun activities to keep her occupied until the grand finale.

Giving a high-five to and posing for a picture with a 9-foot-tall Uncle Sam was right up there.

“I like to see them go up, like a little ball that goes ‘poof,’” Katie said, referring to the fireworks that capped off Sunday’s free Fourth of July celebration at the Canfield Fairgrounds.

Katie, a student at C.H. Campbell Elementary School in Canfield, came with her parents, Paul and Donna Bowman, as well as several other relatives and friends.

“We come early and stay late,” Donna Bowman added.

An estimated 30,000 people were expected at the celebration, sponsored by Canfield Rotary Club. Features included games for children, face-painting, karaoke, live music, concessions and plenty of food. New this year was a Firecracker Poker Run that featured about 50 motorcyclists.

It didn’t take a lot of music, though, to get William and Cheryl Smith of Canfield to their feet.

“It’s a relaxing event. There’s no hassles or pressures,” Cheryl Smith said after she and her husband set up chairs next to their GMC truck.

The Smiths also arrived early and, before the karaoke, enjoyed unwinding and listening to classical music from an MP3 player in their vehicle. The couple also enjoys a weekly ritual of ballroom dancing every Friday evening at Avon Oaks Ballroom in Girard, Cheryl Smith added.

For those who worked up an appetite dancing or engaging in the numerous other festivities, plenty of ribs prepared by David Cayten and his brother, Mike, of South Bend, Ind., were not far away.

David Cayten owns Holy Smoke BBQ in Salem, which is a catering business for mainly special events. For the celebration, the business worked in conjunction with the Rotary Club, he noted.

David Cayten, who brought his smoker device to store the food, said he hoped to sell 100 slabs of smoked ribs, each of which was $20, at the event.

Some people bought tickets as part of a two-minute grocery-shopping spree raffle, the winner of which was able to buy up to four items at any area Nemenz IGA Super Center or Save-a-Lot store.

Live entertainment was by The House Band and Canfield-based JD Eicher & The Goodnights, which played indie and acoustic soft rock.

A main purpose of the celebration was to give back to the community, noted Sam Boak, a Rotary member.

A goal of the Rotary Club is to build on the success of this year’s event, in part by adding live entertainment and various competitions in the future, said Boak, who thanked sponsors for their donations that allowed the celebration to be free.

Boak added that last year’s attendance was around 14,000.