Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Staff report
YOUNGSTOWN
Forte on the Fifty, Youngstown State University’s annual music and fireworks celebration in Stambaugh Stadium, has been discontinued and may never return in its present form.
The new Watson and Tressel Training Site on the former outdoor practice field and track just east of the stadium is where the fireworks show has been staged in the past by the BJ Alan Co., said George McCloud, vice president for University Advancement.
“In the interest of the safety of guests and the campus at large, we regret that the event will be discontinued,” he said.
The university would need to find another large, open area to do the fireworks show, said Ron Cole, YSU spokesman. Without that open space, it would be very difficult to do Forte on the Fifty as it has been done in the past, he said.
There is always the possibility the program could come back in a different form, Cole said.
McCloud said he and the university appreciate the support of many individuals and sponsors who made Forte on the Fifty such a success over the years.
“It was always a great night to celebrate with friends,” he said.
In the past, Forte on the Fifty took place in conjunction with the YSU Summer Festival of the Arts. The annual arts festival, featuring the Artists Marketplace, international festival, children’s art tent and dozens of activities sponsored by cultural and arts organizations and YSU departments, will be back for a 12th year July 10 and 11 on the YSU campus core.