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Weather, wares attract thousands to Oktoberfestival
Oktober Fest
Gallery
BOARDMAN
Thousands of people descended on Boardman Park Sunday to enjoy the entertainment, food, and arts and crafts vendors offered up by the Boardman Rotary Club’s 41st annual Oktoberfestival.
The sunshine and moderate temperature were a large part of the draw.
“We’re weather-driven,” said Terrence Daprile, co-chairman of the event with Celeste Lisko.
Among the highlights were the Boardman High School Marching Band marching through the vendor areas and performing a concert; the Kidz Zone, sponsored by the YMCA; and new this year, a drone demonstration by Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office personnel.
People from seniors to little girls who got their faces painted – to every age in between – strolled past about nearly 200 vendors and nonprofit groups’ information booths looking for something to grab their attention.
“We enjoy this immensely. We look forward to this every year,” said Cathy Campana of Liberty, formerly of Boardman, and Deborah Carissimi of Boardman.
“I love to look at the crafts,” said Campana, who is an Angel for Easter Seals.
Carissimi, an interior decorator, said she got her start by selling clothing and jewelry at the Oktoberfestival.
“We enjoy this immensely,” the friends agreed.
The Peluso Family, Nick and Barb, and their daughters, Jeanna, a freshman at Eastern Gateway Community College, and Jamie, a junior at Youngstown State University, operate Western Reserve Flag & Sports LTC, which offers logos for teams and other groups and installs residential and commercial flagpoles.
Barb is the store manager, Jeanna helps her father install flagpoles, and Jamie handles the computer and Facebook work.
The business’s motto is “Fly American – Buy American. “All of our flags are made in the United States,” said Nick.
Daprile of the Boardman Rotary said all the Oktobertfestival’s net profits, which were about $40,000 in 2016, go to support local organizations and Rotary International projects.
Among the local organizations that benefit from the Oktoberfestival are the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley, Salvation Army and Easter Seals Youngstown, Daprile said.
The Boardman Rotary also supports Rotary International’s top project, the eradication of polio, and is supporting hurricane relief efforts in Dominica, Puerto Rico and Houston. Daprile said the local Rotary works through its International Rotary to get aid to Rotary Clubs in the affected areas.