Parade kicks off Mount Carmel Festival activities

LOWELLVILLE — A crowd of men in white shirts and black pants led a procession of more than 100 of their peers and neighbors over the Mahoning River and up a hill toward Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church in the village.

Occasional fireworks exploded this morning above the village as the group traveled from the Mount Carmel Society through downtown, accompanying a pickup truck with a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – the Virgin Mary – in the bed.

This yearly parade serves as a kickoff to a week of celebration in the village, concluding with the four-day Mount Carmel Festival from Wednesday through Saturday.