Festival ends 5-night run

By jeanne starmack

starmack@vindy.com

STRUTHERS

Gary Sturgil had game.

More specifically, the Balloon Bust game at the St. Nicholas Church Festival, which was wrapping up its five-night run Sunday.

With his game face on, he called out to passers-by as they sometimes glanced his way but mostly ignored him as he tried to entice them into throwing some darts at a board full of balloons. A tempting array of stuffed animals, from small to midsize to enormous, crowded his booth.

It was one of many typical carnival-style booths and attractions, where you could win prizes or buy food such as funnel cakes, cotton candy, french fries, ice cream, cavatelli, pizza or milkshakes.

There was a Chuck-A-Luck wheel, table games, a bouncy castle, pony rides and even some carnival rides such as the Pirate Boat and the Zipper, a Ferris-wheel-type contraption with cage cars that turn riders upside down.

There were kiddie rides such as tea cups and some cheerful worms that connected to a giant apple that spun them slowly around a track.

What there hadn’t been much of, since the festival started Wednesday, was people.

That’s because what there had been a lot of instead was rain.

“It rained all day yesterday,” said Sturgil, adding that he usually gives away about six of his giant stuffed animals per carnival.

He’d given away four at the St. Nicholas festival by the start of Sunday – out of about 50 people he’d had so far all week at his booth.

“That’s pretty low,” he said.

“I’d like to give them all away,” he added, saying he wouldn’t like to lug them all back to Massillon, where he’s from.

One free throw, he promised, and you’ll see how easy it is.

Sure enough, one dart broke one balloon. But no one was getting any free prizes.

“Come back with five bucks and you can have three throws,” he said.

The St. Nicholas festival is still pretty much the same as it was when Susan Pruden began coming to it as a 2-year-old.

Pruden, who lived in Struthers but now lives with her husband, Rob, and son, Zac, 2, in Boardman, was at the festival Sunday with her family; her father, John Panamarczuk of Stuthers; and her in-laws, Jayne and Ed Pruden of East Liverpool.

“It’s about the same,” she agreed. “I’m getting to see it a second time through a child’s eyes,” she continued, adding that Zac “loves it.”

The best food to get there, they all agreed, is pirogies, but hot apple dumplings rated a close second.

The church also makes a great fried dough, Jayne said.

The festival is the church’s biggest fundraiser, said John Terranova, a deacon there.

He believes the turnout was good, considering the weather.

“As soon as the weather cleared, people flocked in,” he said.

“On Thursday, it rained and we had to close early,” he continued. “On Friday, it was good after the rain stopped.”

On Saturday, it was dismal, but the weather report was looking good for Sunday.

Back at the Balloon Bust booth, a crowd was gathering. Celeste Swiger, 13, who is in town from West Virginia visiting relatives, had won a dolphin. Not a big one, but it was easy to get, she said – “the balloons are close together.”

Business was getting better. Sturgil gave a thumbs-up.