River Fest, art sale at B&O

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The fourth annual River Fest will be Saturday beginning at noon on the grounds of B&O Station, on Mahoning Avenue, just across the river from downtown.

Running alongside the festival at B&O Station this weekend will be the Artists of the Rust Belt Summer Market, which will be Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

River Fest, sponsored by The Friends of Mahoning River, is a free family-oriented event that celebrates the waterway that runs through the heart of the city.

This year’s event includes Party in the Park from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring live music by the PickUps at the B&O pavilion.

To see the beauty of the river up close, festival-goers can walk the riverside nature trail and take a canoe or kayak ride under the direction of Trumbull Canoe Trails.

There also will be environmental, educational and historical presentations on the grounds by several groups. These include the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Mill Creek Park the Green Team and the Mahoning Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Mahoning Valley Historic Society, the Sutliff Museum, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Friends of the Mahoning River and Youngstown State University.

Special guests this year include Birds in Flight Sanctuary and Searching Out Scents rescue dogs.

Children can enjoy a 22-foot inflated slide, a bounce-a-round, clowns, face painting, a treasure hunt and a craft table.

Artists of the Rust Belt’s Summer Market, now in its seventh year, will feature works by 35 regional artists inside the building, including original and handmade pottery, photography, prints, paintings, jewelry, clothing and sculpture. Admission to the summer market is $1.