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Handel's returns to Canfield Fair
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CANFIELD
Visitors to the 169th Canfield Fair, which opens today, will find a Mahoning Valley staple that hasn’t been at the fair since its 141st iteration: Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt.
“The last time we were at the fair was 1987, so it’s definitely been a long time,” said Jody Nerone, marketing and franchise liaison for Handel’s. “Handel’s is a big part of the community in the Youngstown area, so it’s great that we can extend that involvement into the Canfield Fair.”
The popular ice cream franchise, which originated in Youngstown in 1945, has operated at the fair only once or twice, president Lenny Fisher says. He describes the experience as a bit of a nightmare.
“We were working day and night. We had a full staff out there, and we didn’t make any money. ... ’87 was just a pain,” he said.
The company returns to the fair this year partly because setup is no longer an issue, thanks to the new truck Handel’s debuted earlier this year.
The Handel’s truck is set up at the fairgrounds on the corner of Austintown and Beaver drives. It’s stocked with eight flavors, plus popsicles.
“I think everybody is kind of excited that it’s another Youngstown staple that’s going to be at the fair,” Nerone said.
Fair officials also are excited about the return of Handel’s.
“We’re glad to have them. I love Handel’s!” said David Dickey, who runs the concessions department.
Another Youngstown favorite that will return to the fair – for its 51st year – is DiRusso’s Sausage Inc.
The company operates seven stands, all of which offer Italian pork sausage sandwiches. Two of the stands – on Boardman and Wetmore drives – also offer turkey sausage, but that’s where the menu ends.
“We just do what we know best. We stick with our forte and roll with it,” said Amanda Sciola, sales and marketing manager for DiRusso’s.
Operating that number of stands requires a lot of work, DiRusso’s representatives say. The fair opened its gates today, but DiRusso’s has been at the fairgrounds since Thursday to get everything ready.
“Each of our managers from all of the trailers are there from open to close, which means 9 a.m. to midnight,” Sciola said. “We’re pretty meticulous about the way we serve our sausages, so our managers are held to a high standard.”
For many Valley residents, the name DiRusso’s goes hand-in-hand with the Canfield Fair. Sciola says the company sees it the same way.
“Concessions are what brought us to life,” she said. “They took the sausages to mini-fairs and festivals in a three-hour radius around Youngstown, but the Canfield Fair is really our home turf. It’s where we really have grown, and the community has supported us very well over the years.”
Owner Robert DiRusso couldn’t provide an exact figure, but says the company sells thousands of sandwiches at the fair each year. He thinks DiRusso’s provides customers with a good value; sandwiches without cheese are $5, and that price hasn’t changed in years, he says.
The other DiRusso’s stands are at the corner of Bishop and Smith drives; the corner of Miller and Smith drives; and on Berlin, Coitsville, Boardman and Canfield drives.
DiRusso’s and Handel’s are among approximately 900 food and other types of vendors, fair officials say.
“We’re at 100 percent occupancy,” Dickey said.