New downtown director aims to keep the party going

As the entertainment district of the Mahoning Valley, downtown Youngstown has a lot going on.

The crowds ebb and flow through the bar crawls, concerts, theatrical productions, festivals and general weekend revelry all year long.

When Michael McGiffin takes over as the city’s director of downtown events Nov. 17, he’ll be stepping aboard a moving train.

The position is part logistics coordinator and part event planner, and a few other things as well. It’s a job McGiffin, 27, knows well. He has been the operations manager of the student union at Youngstown State University for the past three years.

McGiffin doesn’t have any concrete plans for downtown at this point, or at least none that he can divulge. Job one, he said, is to get together with city hall and the downtown business owners and promoters to identify goals and target audiences — to find out what works and what doesn’t.

That’s a group that can be contentious at times because there is stiff competition for entertainment dollars.

But McGiffin said competitiveness can benefit everyone, as long as they are ultimately on the same team.

“Competition creates a better product and lifts the standard,” he said. “Everyone who owns a business downtown looks to be friendly, and they can pull together for a better arts and entertainment district.”

LAMARCA TO APPEAR ON ‘CONAN’ WITH BAND THE WAR ON DRUGS

The War on Drugs, featuring Boardman High product Anthony LaMarca on guitar, will perform on “Conan” tonight. The show airs at 11 p.m. on TBS. The band already appeared on “The Late Show With David Letterman” on July 14.

The War on Drugs has become a critical darling this year. Its new album, “Lost In the Dream,” likely will find its way on a lot of year-end best-of lists.

LaMarca has quite a track record with the genre; he formerly played with indie rockers Dean and Britta and St. Vincent.

‘THE PROFIT’ STAR HAS TIES TO THE MAHONING VALLEY

Marcus Lemonis, who is the star of the CNBC reality show “The Profit,” has ties to the Youngstown area.

Chrissy Cherol of Campbell and Lemonis are cousins. “His father and my father were brothers,” said Cherol. “His father grew up on the East Side and moved to Florida in the ’60s. He got married, and he and his wife adopted Marcus. He used to spend part of the summer with us when he was little.”

Lemonis last visited the city last year for his mother’s funeral, said Cherol.

The charismatic Lemonis is a greatly successful businessman and entrepreneur. As the chairman and CEO of Camping World and Good Sam Enterprises, he leads close to 6,000 employees in the recreational-vehicle industry.

In “The Profit” (new episodes air at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays), Lemonis helps struggling business owners while investing his own money in their future.

BOARDMAN PARK SETS RECORD FOR WAGON-RIDE ATTENDANCE

Boardman Park set an attendance record for its annual Halloween family-friendly haunted wagon rides last Saturday, when 1,430 visitors climbed aboard. The previous record was 1,365, set Oct. 12, 2013, according to a press release from the park.

The overall attendance for last weekend also set a record, with 2,435 visitors enjoying the wagon rides, the lighted pumpkin display and other activities.

DO THE ‘TIME WARP’ AGAIN AT TWO LOCATIONS FRIDAY

The Oakland Center for the Arts will show “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” on its big screen Friday — Halloween night — at 8 and 11 p.m.

The cult classic is known for the audience participation it inspires, and the Oakland encourages it. A selection of classic cartoons, movie trailers and short films for the Halloween season will be shown before the movie.

A Halloween Carnival in the Oakland’s Star Gallery, with games, prizes, concessions, tarot readings and more, will be part of the evening. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Costumes are encouraged. Bags full of props for the movie will be sold.

The film is rated R, and no one under 18 will be admitted without an adult. The Oakland is at 220 W. Boardman St., downtown Youngstown.

The film also will be shown in all its interactive glory at midnight Friday at the Winner Arts and Culture Center, 98 E. State St., in downtown Sharon, Pa.

Tickets are $10 for the BYOB event. Go to accsharon.org.