Crowds pack First Night venues; party extends to B&O

By PETER H. MILLIKEN | milliken@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

First Night Youngstown

Gallery

The 15th annual First Night Youngstown offered something of interest to almost everyone in an affordable, family-oriented observance in and near downtown Youngstown.

“It’s family-oriented. It’s a place where you can bring your kids” in a nonalcoholic atmosphere, said Kelly A. Elko, secretary of the event’s board of directors. “We also have really good quality entertainers” performing at the event, year after year, she added.

The New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts and entertainment featured events in 11 buildings, with the Western Reserve Transit Authority providing free shuttle bus service between venues.

Admission buttons providing entrance to all locations were $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens, students and military personnel. Admission was free to children 12 and under.

“There’s a wide variety of things to do” for those who want active recreation, including swimming and ice skating, Elko noted.

The downtown YMCA offered 41⁄2 hours of open swimming, and the Covelli Centre offered 31⁄2 hours of free family ice skating, with a one-hour opportunity to skate with members of the Phantoms hockey team.

Shannon Patrick and her 6-year-old daughter Danika of Austintown came to the event to enjoy ice skating, swimming and fireworks.

“It’s just something fun for the kids. They really have a good time,” Patrick said as her daughter laced up her skates, with dozens of children and adults already on the ice.

Also inside the Covelli Centre was caricaturist Ed O’Malley of Liberty, who has been at all 15 First Night Youngstown events, making free five-minute pencil portraits.

O’Malley drew a side-by-side portrait of Josh Foor of Lowellville and his friend Dyanna Khalil of Pittsburgh.

“We just thought it would be cute. It’s a fun thing to do,” Khalil said, adding that the portrait was an accurate portrayal of them.

The event featured poetry, storytellers, face painting, cookie decorating, jugglers, clowns, bands, soloists, puppetry, magic, mascots, comedians, psychic readings, crafts, street performers, impersonators, mimes and dancers.

With the frigid outdoor temperatures conducive to the preservation of his work, ice sculptor Jeff Kaiser gave a two-hour carving demonstration outside 20 Federal Place.

At the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor (the steel industry museum), 151 W. Wood St., museum-goers enjoyed Irish music by County Mayo and Latino music by Conjunto Requeno while visiting the galleries and exhibits.

First Night entertainment also included Slovak music by Libby’s Tamburitzans; Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley and Patsy Cline tribute artists; the Harambee African dancing and drumming group; and a variety of dance music from swing to polka performed by the Jim Frank Combo.

The event featured fireworks displays at 9 p.m. and midnight and concluded with the traditional midnight ball drop.

Not everyone celebrating the start of the new year was at an official First Night venue.

Seated at a table in the V2 Wine Bar, 100 Federal Plaza West, were outgoing state Rep. Robert Hagan of Youngstown; his wife, Michelle Lepore-Hagan, a newly elected state representative; attorney Edwin Romero, whose office is in downtown Youngstown; and his wife, Judge Cheryl Waite of the 7th District Court of Appeals, who was re-elected to her fourth term in the judgeship this year.

“Bob and I thought it would be a great finish to the year” to celebrate New Year’s Eve downtown, Romero said. “There’s no better place to be,” Romero added.

V2 occupies the same space as Robert Hagan’s first campaign headquarters in 1986, and V2 was the venue for his wife’s 2014 election victory celebration.

“The suburbs have an idea that they are their own entities, but the suburbs only exist because the downtown exists. If the downtown does not thrive, the suburbs will not thrive,” Judge Waite said.

Those wishing to extend their New Year’s Eve celebrations beyond First Night activities could remain downtown and attend the Red Wanting Blue New Year’s Eve party for $25 beginning at 10 p.m. at the B&O Station Banquet Hall, 530 Mahoning Ave.

The Columbus-based band hadn’t appeared in Youngstown for nearly three years since its Jan. 28, 2012, performance at Cedar’s Lounge, when that lounge was downtown.