Canfield starts weekend with a bang

July 2, 2017 at 12:07a.m.

CANFIELD

Canfield Rotary Fireworks Fest

Ashley Blose enjoys stretching her talents at many outdoor events, so perhaps it wasn’t surprising that she popped into a popular family-friendly gathering.

“I usually wear wings, but it was so windy today that I went without them,” said Blose, who refers to herself as “the traveling bubble fairy,” and was among the attractions of Saturday evening’s annual Canfield Rotary Fireworks Fest at Canfield Fairgrounds.

The family-oriented community Fourth of July-themed event included more than 20 vendors, along with photo ops for attendees and eight or nine inflatable bounce houses. Also pleasing for many were appearances by popular Disney characters Princess Jasmine, Belle and the Beast from the film “Beauty and the Beast,” and Aladdin, said Don Dragish, Canfield Rotary’s public-relations chairman.

Blose attaches strings through loops at the ends of two sticks to make then sell giant bubble wands. When pushed toward each other, the sticks, which resemble large chopsticks, cause the string to form a triangle through which large bubbles from a special soap are created, stretched and expanded. The creation allows for several bubbles of all sizes to form simultaneously.

“I travel all over the U.S.,” and appear at music festivals, concerts, fairs and other events, said Blose, who’s staying with a friend in Canfield and was selling the wands for $10 and $15.

One of the youngsters intrigued by the huge bubbles was Luke Roberts, 9, of Canfield, who, along with his 12-year-old cousin, Kaden Lippert of Warren, inquired about Blose’s techniques.

Another fun attraction for many children and adults was the pony rides, which were $4 per person. Helping to lead a few youngsters around the small corral were Maddisen Burke, 11, of Boardman, and 13-year-old Rachel Clay of Columbiana, who came with their mothers, Kelly Burke and Christy Clay.

Both girls belong to Pony Tails, a farm that offers pony-ride lessons and showings, as well as petting zoos for various events. Rachel and Maddisen also enter each year in competitive showings during the Canfield Fair, their mothers said.

Appearing in the Canfield parade Tuesday morning and attending family picnics are on the top of the Fourth of July to-do list for both families, Kelly added.

The fest also had the usual array of Canfield Fair favorites such as lemon shakes, steak and sausage sandwiches, corn dogs, elephant ears, ice cream, french fries and a variety of Italian dishes.

Dragish explained that in addition to providing enjoyable gatherings such as Saturday’s festival, Canfield Rotary is dedicated to bettering the community. For example, the organization donated about $15,000 to the Canfield Police Department for a new police dog to replace Thor, the animal that retired earlier this year after having joined the department in 2010, Dragish noted.

In addition, Rotary also gave $50,000 to the new Canfield branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. More recently, members provided scholarships to several Canfield High School students to attend college, Dragish noted.

The organization also performs projects beyond Canfield, “but we want to help every way possible in our community,” he said.

The festival also featured entertainment, courtesy of J.D. Eicher & The Goodnights and science demonstrations from OH WOW! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science and Technology before capping off with a fireworks display.