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The annual Spring Quilt Show at Fort Steuben Visitor Center is just around the corner.  Each year 30 some quilts submitted by local residents are on display at the Visitor Center for the enjoyment of the public.   There is no fee for participating in or visiting the show.  A free will donation, however, is welcomed from visitors.   This event has been quite popular over the years and draws an impressive crowd.

This year the Spring Quilt Show will run from April 4th through the 16th, Monday – Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00pm.

If you would like to ‘show off’ a quilt made by you; or if you have a family heirloom or a quilt made by someone else you would like to have in the show, you can acquire an application form at the Fort Visitor Center, 120 South 3rd Street, Steubenville; by calling 740.283.1787; or online at www.oldfortsteuben.com.

Old, new, modern, traditional, small, large, pristine or worn, all are welcome!

Your application must be submitted by March 23rd, 2016 to Historic Fort Steuben, 120 S. 3rd Street, Steubenville, OH.  Quilts must be delivered to the Fort Visitor Center no later than Wednesday, March 30th.

Questions?  Call 740.283.1787.

Accounting students at Franciscan University will offer free e-filing assistance to Ohio Valley residents through the Internal Revenue Service Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA).  From February 16 through April 13, 2016.  The students will be available four days a week near Center Court in the Fort Steuben Mall, just to the left of the entrance to Macy’s.

Hours of operation are Mondays and Fridays: 10:00am – 12:00pm and 3:00pm – 5:00pm; and Tuesdays and Thursdays: 2:30pm – 5:00pm.  Due to spring and Easter breaks, the site will be closed from March 4th to March 12th and from March 25th to March 28th.

All participating students have completed an income tax course and have passed a series of IRS training courses and exams through VITA.

Franciscan University students have provided free tax service for nearly 30 years.

For additional information call the Fort Steuben Mall customer service desk at 740.264.7781.

The Steubenville/Jefferson County Visitor Center will have a station at the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce 2016 Business Expo at the Fort Steuben Mall on Thursday, February 18th from 8:30am until 6pm.

The Visitor Center will be offering various visitor guides, brochures, maps, and information on local events and attractions, including Steubenville City of Murals, The Nutcracker Village, Historic Fort Steuben, Hometown Celebration, Ohio Valley Frontier Days, the Annual Fort Steuben Quilt Show, and more.

A four foot lighted Nutcracker yard decoration will be raffled off at $1 per ticket.   All proceeds will go to support The Nutcracker Village.

So mark your calendars and come by for some information, a chance to win the Nutcracker or just to say “HI”.

Same day as  Trinity Heartland, so you can take advantage of two great events with one trip.

It isn’t too early to schedule a Steubenville ‘City of Murals’ tour for 2016.  A step on guide is  available to join your group and discuss and share the history of each mural as well as different points of interest throughout town as you drive the mural route. You may decide to combine the Mural Tour with a tour of Historic Fort Steuben, with the very knowledgeable, informative tour guides who will ‘take you back in time’ to the days of the fort discussing the history, explaining what the many exhibits on display were used for, sharing human interest stories, and more.  Or you may wish to include a visit to Historic Mount Pleasant and the Quaker Meeting House.  Mt. Pleasant is home to Benjamin Lundy, considered to be the “father of American abolitionism”, and has five documented Underground Railroad stations still standing within the village.

Whether you want to have a stand alone Mural Tour, or one of numerous combination tours (and don’t forget lunch or dinner, at one of Steubenville’s fine restaurants), the Steubenville/Jefferson County Visitor Center will work with you to plan the perfect day (or days) for your group.  Just call us at 740.283.4935 or email: info@visitsteubenville.com

The Ohio River Scenic Byway spans 14 diverse Appalachian Counties in eastern and southern Ohio.  Along its 452 mile stretch you will find famous people and places, history and folklore, culture and entertainment, and the great outdoors.

From East Liverpool to Cincinnati, the byway offers travelers a variety of scenic views ranging from charming riverboat towns to provocative industrial sites.

The Ohio River Scenic Byway is also in Indiana and Illinois and is designated as a national scenic byway.

Stop in at the Steubenville/Jefferson County Visitor Center for more information and pamphlets/maps on the Byway.

Even though the Nutcracker Village has gone back to Fantasy Land until November, and all the holiday ‘flurry’ of activity has subsided, the Steubenville/Jefferson County Visitor Center is still open Monday through Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm to travelers and locals alike.  As always, there is free admission to the Exhibit Hall which is located inside the center, and the Museum Gift Shop is open for business.  You may also stop in for the new publications and travel pamphlets which are arriving daily, among which is the 2016 Official Ohio Travel Guide and 2016 Ohio Campers Campground & Travel Guide.  As always, there is no charge for the travel guides or pamphlets.

The first Annual Nutcracker Village at Fort Steuben Park is drawing near to a close for this season.  The last day to see the Nutcrackers is Sunday, January 10th.

The success and popularity of this event far exceeded expectations and, of course, planning for next year is already underway. Plans include many additional Nutcrackers (hoping to exceed 100), a bigger, expanded Christmas Wonderland and Christmas Gift Shop, other new and unique Nutcracker events, more Advent Market vendors, and days the Market will be open expanded from five to thirteen, beginning with Light-up Night which will be November 22, 2016.  The Nutcracker Village itself this coming year will be open from November 22nd through January 8th, along with Christmas Wonderland & Gift Shop inside Fort Steuben Visitor Center.

So if you haven’t seen what everyone is talking about yet, you have just a few days left. If you have visited and experienced the ‘magic’ and are anxiously wanting ‘more’ –  “Stay tuned, ‘more’ is on the way and from all indications, it will be BIG”

After all, the Nutcrackers “Rule”!

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The weather was beautiful, the crowd was the largest since the 1950’s, and the Nutcrackers stole the show!  The 2015 Christmas Parade has come and gone for another year, but will be remembered well by many.   As with everything else this year the parade was a huge success, entertaining thousands!

The entries were all top notch and well done and trophies for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place in two Nutcracker categories, and of course the Grand Prize of a 6′ Nutcracker were awarded.

If you missed it, or would like to see it again, the parade will be rebroadcast on WTOV9 from 1:00-2:30am on December 24th; and on Fox9 from 4:00-5:30pm on December 25th.  You may also purchase a DVD of the Parade at Fort Steuben Gift Shop, 120 S. 3rd Street, Steubenville.

We knew they were coming, we thought they would be awesome, but we never dreamed they would be this!

There have been thousands of people visiting the Nutcracker Village, Advent Market, Fort Christmas Wonderland and Gift Shop since December 4th when the Nutcrackers first stepped foot into Fort Steuben Park.   The excitement and awe have been at ‘fever- pitch’!  We are hearing over and over words like “awesome” , “magical”, “unbelievable”, “wonderful” and on and on.   People are coming back again and again, and sending or bringing friends and relatives to visit.

The Advent Market is over for this year, but the Nutcracker Village will remain open through January 10th, 2016, as well as the Christmas Wonderland and Gift Shop inside of the Fort Visitor Center.    The Nutcrackers may be visited anytime, but hours for the Visitor Center are 10:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday.  The Visitor Center will be closed for Christmas from December 24th through January 3rd, reopening on Monday, January 4th.   The Christmas Wonderland and Gift Shop may be visited however, by appointment, during that time.

If you haven’t been to visit, you really don’t want to miss out, so stop in and “experience the magic” for yourself!

This year will mark the First Annual Advent Market featuring Food, Local Artisans, Christmas Gifts, Live Entertainment, Hayrides, Music, and so much more!

The Market will be open on the following dates:

December 4th (4-9 P.M.);  December 5th (3-9 P.M.);  Light-up Night on December 8th (4-8 P.M.); December 11th (4-9 P.M.); and December 12th, Christmas Parade Day, (Noon – 9 P.M.)

The Market will be located at Fort Steuben Park, 120 South Third Street, Steubenville.

This will be a truly fun time for the entire family!

For more information contact:  Nelson Fine Art and Gifts at 740.282.7101 or Steubenville Visitor Center at 740.283.4935.