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In Steubenville the official Fourth of July events in the city will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, with a “Run to Remember” starting in front of the City Hall on South Third Street.
The inaugural “Run to Remember” is sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The annual senior citizens luncheon will be held at noon at the PrimeTime Center on Lovers Lane. There will be door prizes and bingo games during the luncheon.
From noon until 5 p.m. the City Recreation Department will host a free swim at Belleview Park.
Several activities will be held at the Belleview Park lower field area on Saturday, including food vendors starting at 4 p.m. and music set to begin at 5 p.m.
There is a Family Fun Free Zone at Belleview Park from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the fireworks extravaganza at 9:45 p.m. at Belleview Park.

In Toronto there is the 15TH ANNUAL GEM CITY DAY on Saturday, July 4th opening at 9:45AM at The Gazebo Commons.
ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
Patriotic Parade – Anything On Wheels – Kids/Pets
(Register at 9:30AM)
Carnival Games
Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest
Inflatables
Mayor John Geddis Memorial Service – Toronto City Building
Charlie Vantilburg Memorial Corn Hole Tournament
Watermelon Eating Contest
Seed Spitting Contest
Patriotic Canvas Painting
Wing Eating Contest– Fire Dept. Vs. Police Dept.
8th Annual T-Town Teeny-Tiny Turtle Race

FIREWORKS – Clarke Hinkley Stadium

VENDORS-PRIZES-CONTESTS-RAFFLES

For more information: www.FocusInToronto.com

Other Firework Displays in the area include:

Bloomingdale: 10 p.m. Saturday.
Cadiz: 10 p.m. Friday, Sally Buffalo Park.
Chester, 10 p.m., Saturday.
Follansbee: 10 p.m. July 12 during Community Days.
Hopedale: Dusk Saturday, the American Legion Post home grounds.
McDonald, Pa.: Dusk Friday, Heritage Park on West Lincoln Avenue.
Steubenville: 9:45 p.m. Saturday, Belleview Park.
Toronto: Dusk Saturday, Toronto High School Stadium.
Weirton: Dusk Saturday, near Municipal Plaza
Wellsburg: 9 p.m. Saturday, Betty Carr Recreation Site.
Wells Township: Dusk Saturday, Buckeye North stadium.

Tonight’s Concert at the Berkman Amphitheater featuring Butch & Sundance and 1170 Band has been canceled due to the weather.

It is expected to be re-scheduled in August.

This year’s Greek Festival is already underway, having opened on Tuesday, June 16th and running through Friday, June 19th. The hours are 11am to 9pm.  Located at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church,  300 South Fourth Street,  Steubenville.

There is a huge (and delicious) selection of Greek Food and Pastry, Live Greek Music & Dance, Guided Church Tours daily at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm, an Outdoor Taverna, and Carry-Out Service.

Nightly Entertainment includes Greek Dancers at 6pm and The Greek Company Orchestra at 8pm.

Indoor Gourmet Food Lines offer roasted chicken, lamb, fish, pastisio, mousaka and much more in air-conditioned comfort.

Outdoor Taverna offers Gyros, Calamari, Draft Beer and more, available for you under a covered tent.

Carry out orders for lunch are accepted via email, phone and fax.  Phone: 740.282.7770.

Free Admission and Parking.

For more information go to:  holytrinitygreekfest.com

The 2015 Hometown Celebration is fast approaching.

The event this year will include activities at Fort Steuben Park: Trolley rides on Historic Fourth Street, mini train rides, Amazing Nick’s Balloon Art, Kurt James’ Fun n’ Games and KidZone for the kids,  a Fun Photo Booth,  an Ohio Valley Talent Show at the Berkman Amphitheater from 11am to 3:30pm featuring many performers including Leah Bowman and The Allegheny Angels, and live entertainment around the Veterans’ Memorial Fountain.  There will also be a Safety Rodeo on Market Street and the Dean Martin Classic Car Cruise In on South 4^th Street along with a craft/vendor  street fair.  A Steubenville Murals Scavenger Hunt with a Hometown Celebration Basket as a prize will add to the fun.

The day will begin with a Dino Dash & Martin Meander 5K run/walk  – and a Pancake Breakfast at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, famed for its Tiffany stained glass windows. Details and Registration Forms for the Dino Dash/Martin Meander are available at the Visitor Center and Nelson Fine Arts & Gifts.  More information on the Pancake Breakfast is available by contacting  St. Paul’s Church.

Visitors can also enjoy Dean Martin Karaoke and entertainers at the Spot Bar, including a Rat Pack Show in the evening.

The Grand Theater – still in the process of restoration – will have entertainment.  The Jefferson County Historical Museum on Franklin Avenue will be open as well as the recently renovated Means House on North Street.  Historic Fort Steuben will have reenactors demonstrating 18^th century military drill and weaponry.  Various restaurants  will feature Hometown Celebration Specials.   There will also be a variety of food vendors at Fort Steuben Park to satisfy everyone’s “taste” !

“Music, comedy and crazy antics” are the specialty of oldies rock n roll band The Avalons who will be performing in the Berkman Amphitheater that evening at 6:30 pm. Tickets for that performance will be available at the door or in advance at the Visitor Center for $10 (adults) and $5 (6-12 yr. old) and a portion of the proceeds will go towards supporting the educational programs at Historic Fort Steuben.

Later in the evening there will be a 50’s Dance and Dean Martin Movie Night at Froehlich’s Classic Corner. This event is a Grand Theater Fundraiser and admission cost will be $5, which includes pizza and soft drinks.

For more events and times,  please click below for a complete PROGRAM:

Hometown Celebration Program

A ceremony to dedicate the eight flagpoles set around the Veterans’ Memorial in Fort Steuben Park will be held at noon on Saturday, May 23^rd.  Each pole will fly a flag for the American military: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, Merchant Marines and POW/MIA.

The project has been a dream of Historic Fort Steuben’s President Jerry Barilla who has wanted to honor those men and women who have served the nation over the years.

“There are over 500 bricks around the fountain that were purchased in memory of veterans,” explained Barilla. “I see this site as a place to remember these service people, a place of reverence and dignity. I believe the flagpoles will add to that.”

The ceremony will begin at noon with music by the Tri-State Community Band and a welcome by Barilla, followed by short presentations by Cong. Bill Johnson, National Guard representative Lt. Jonathan Bratten, AmVets Post 275 officer Dan Wilson and veteran and pastor Jack Ernst.  Acknowledgement of the many donors to the project will be made before the actual flags are raised.

“We are grateful to the JC Williams Charitable Trust and AmVets Post 275 for their support of this project,” said Judy Bratten, Executive Director of Historic Fort Steuben. “From the men who served at Fort Steuben in the early years of our republic to those who are stationed in hot spots around the world today, they have earned our great respect and admiration. This ceremony will allow us another opportunity to express our thanks.”

The public is invited to the event at Fort Steuben Park, 120 S. 3^rd Street in Steubenville and it is recommended to bring lawn chairs for seating.

The past becomes more meaningful as you journey along the historic trails of Jefferson County in eastern Ohio. Begin with one of the earliest settlements, in Steubenville: Historic Fort Steuben. A visit takes you back over 200 years to a time when hot showers and microwaves were never imagined. One of only two fully reconstructed forts in the state, Historic Fort Steuben recreates life on the early Ohio frontier in the ten wooden buildings within its picket walls, in the adjacent First Federal Land Office (an original log structure from 1801), and in the exhibits and programs in the Visitor Center.

Built on its original site overlooking the Ohio River, the Fort has an active archaeology dig and displays depicting the process of excavating, uncovering and recording the artifacts. A visitor can learn about early military drill and discipline, the skills and tools used by the frontiersmen, the hardships of camp life, and the methods of surveying that were critical in the first great mapping of land for sale and settlement. A more domestic picture is captured in the Land Office where early land owners registered their deeds. Besides the Exhibit Hall and the Museum Shop, the Fort Steuben Visitor Center is also home to the Steubenville/Jefferson County Visitor Center and is a resource for information on the attractions, dining, shopping and events in the area. On Thursday evenings from May 21 to July 30, free concerts are held in the Berkman Amphitheater in Fort Steuben Park, drawing hundreds to hear live entertainment.  Be sure to plan a trip around the annual festival, Ohio Valley Frontier Days June 6-7, 2015 when the Fort swarms with soldier, settler, surveyor and Native American reenactors who vividly bring the period to life. Music, games, dance, crafts and food add to the fun. Get more details at www.oldfortsteuben.com.

The past is also depicted in the larger than life Murals of Steubenville, 23 artful presentations of important as well as everyday events and people of the city’s history that are painted on buildings throughout the downtown. A self-guided tour can be obtained at the Visitor Center. One of the most photographed is an enormous mural of Steubenville’s native son, entertainer Dean Martin along with some of his Rat Pack buddies. Dean’s memory lives on in the annual Dean Martin Festival (June 18-20, 2015) through musical tributes and entertainment. It culminates on June 20^th with the Steubenville Hometown Celebration in the downtown with a classic car show, fun and games for the kids, balloons, mini-train rides, Trolley rides down Historic North Fourth Street, tours of historic mansions and churches and an Oldies Concert in the Berkman Amphitheater.

Downtown Steubenville is a busy place but you can find green space and a walking trail in Beatty Park or sit along the Ohio River and watch the barges and boats float by. Information on other recreational opportunities can be found at the Visitor Center.

Want to take a ride in the country? It’s only a few minutes away down St. Rt. 7 along the Ohio River before you find rolling green hills and rural back roads. The Jefferson County Scenic Byway begins at Rayland and is a combination of a greenway, a recreation trail and an area of historic interest. The 15-mile route follows Ohio 150 from Rayland on the east to US 250 on the west. Of particular historic interest is the village of Mount Pleasant, heavily involved with the Underground Railroad and the anti-slavery activities in the 19th century. The village contains a National Historic District which includes the Friends (Quakers) Yearly Meeting House, built in 1814, and the Free Labor Store, which refused to sell products made by slave labor. An annual open house and garden tour is held there the first weekend in August.

After strolling the quaint streets of Mount Pleasant, you should be ready for a hearty meal at the nearby Farm Restaurant in Adena which features delicious food as well as charming décor. Or maybe you would like to stop by Black Sheep Vineyard to enjoy a glass of their hand-crafted wine in a cozy country setting.