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The 2019 Annual Spring Quilt Show presented by Historic Fort Steuben is now underway at the Fort Steuben Visitor Center.

This year the show has approximately 40 quilts on display.  There are large quilts and small quilts, old quilts and new quilts, hand stitched quilts and machine stitched quilts; and large variety of patterns, styles and colors.  Surely, something for everyone!

There is also an opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for a lovely ‘Quilter’s Basket’ filled with all sorts of items for quilters valued at over $100.  Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5.00.

The show will run until April 13^th and hours are 10am to 4pm daily.   So if you haven’t already, be sure to stop by this week so you don’t miss this spectacular display of quilts.

This year marks the 100^th year anniversary of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extending voting rights to American women.  To commemorate this achievement, the Women’s History Month exhibit at Historic Fort Steuben will feature information on the struggles and successes of those who worked for women’s suffrage.

Something we take for granted today was not a fact when our national government was first formed.  When the outspoken Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John at the Constitutional Convention to ‘remember the ladies’, he countered that the Declaration of Independence stated that ‘all men were created equal’.  Abigail was not the only one to receive such a response and the efforts to obtain equal voting rights continued for over 130 years!

Many of the suffragettes, as they were called, were also active in the movement to end slavery which was finally achieved with the 13^th Amendment in 1865.  Many of the methods used to promote abolition were then applied to the equal voting rights efforts.

These women and their male supporters wrote letters, articles and pamphlets, published magazines, organized parades and protests, and traveled all over the country giving lectures and meeting with influential leaders.  Remember, this was in the days before automobiles, airplanes, telephones and computers.  Their dedication to the cause was remarkable.

Voting was only part of the issue.  Women could not own property in their own name if they were married.  They could not leave an abusive husband who had all the property in his name.  As a result, many of the suffragettes remained single so they could devote all their resources to the movement.

The Nineteenth Amendment was passed by Congress in 1919 and ratified in 1920.

The Women’s History Month Exhibit will also feature and recognize local and state women and will have a display of First Lady Dolls.

Visitors are invited to view the exhibit at Fort Steuben Visitor Center, 120 South 3^rd Street, Steubenville. The exhibit runs from March 11^th to the 22^nd, Monday-Friday from 10am to 4pm or by appointment.

For more information please call 740.283.1787.

The Valentine’s Day Walk was so successful and everyone had so much fun, and now it is time to celebrate another fun day…. St Patrick’s Day.

The Steubenville Shamrock Walk will take place on Saturday, March 9^th from Noon to 4:00pm.

Businesses participating in the Shamrock Walk are the Antique Warehouse, Ashley’s Home Décor, Grand Theater, Yorgo’s, Mike’s Sweeper Center, Drosselmeyer’s Nutcracker Shoppe, Steubenville Popcorn Co., Leonardo’s Coffeehouse, Bookmarx Bookstore, The Prodigal Daughter, and the Fort Steuben Visitor Center .

Along the walk each business will be handing out a green treat or gift and will stamp your ticket, which you will use to enter the drawing at the Visitor Center for a gift card to Bennigan’s!

Tickets are $20 and may be purchased at the Fort Steuben Visitor Center. Hours at the Visitor Center are 10am to 4pm daily. You will be supplied a map of the participating businesses when you purchase your ticket(s).  Only 30 tickets will be sold so your odds of winning are very good!

A portion of the proceeds will go to support the educational programs at Historic Fort Steuben.

For more information please call: 740.283.1787.

The Labelle Neighbors Who Care (LNWC) will accompany high school students to Maryland on April 15^th to tour nine Historical Black College and University (HBCU) campuses throughout the southern United State for five days.  The goal is to assist students with looking towards setting their sights on a college education.  All high school students are welcome.

During the tour, students will speak with faculty, financial advisers and college students.  They will experience some of the activities of campus life.

Students will be closely chaperoned by caring, loving, no-nonsense parents.

Main Event Youth Organization (MEYO) has reduced the cost of the trip for students from this area to $420.00 which includes transportation, hotel accommodations, two meals a day, admission to Carowinds Amusement Park and other amenities.

LNWC is providing transportation to and from Maryland where the bus trip originates.  They will also try to assist financially in order to make this trip more affordable. The goal is to encourage students and their parents to take advantage of this reasonably priced opportunity for high school students to see that a higher education may be a possibility. This trip has turned lives around, helping students who had not considered college and who have not decided what they want to do after graduation, by offering them a choice.

The LNWC are available to speak to groups, students and parents.  If you need more information or for ways you can support students to go, please contact Asantewa Anyabwile @ 740.346.9925.

Historic Fort Steuben will be offering a new tasty event, the Sweetheart Chocolate Walk, on Saturday, February 16 from noon to 4pm in downtown Steubenville.

This is a popular activity in many communities that is both a fundraiser and a fun way to break up the winter doldrums.

Here’s how it works:  A person purchases a $20 ticket which will entitle the holder to a chocolate treat at each of the participating businesses. Their ticket will be stamped at each site, then participants will drop off their stamped tickets at the Fort Steuben Visitor Center to be eligible for a drawing for a $100 gift card for dinner at JC Wine Cellars in East Springfield.

Each business chooses the kind of chocolate treat it will offer so there should be a nice variety to take home. Although there is one treat per ticket offered at each site, a couple or family can participate by sharing the goodies.

The businesses that will be in the Walk located on or near 4^th Street are:

BookMarx Bookstore, Leonardo’s Coffeehouse, Steubenville Popcorn Company, Drosselmeyer’s Nutcracker Shoppe, the Prodigal Daughter, Mike’s Sweeper Center, Yorgo’s, Malta’s Pizza, the Grand Theater, Ashley’s Home Décor & More, the Antique Warehouse and the Visitor Center.

Half the proceeds from the event will go towards the educational programs at Historic Fort Steuben.

Only 50 tickets will be sold and are available at the Fort Steuben Visitor Center or by calling 740-283-1787.

With all the Christmas festivities ending, the Nutcrackers tucked away in their summer retreat, and facing the bleak weather outside it is easy to feel a sort of ‘let down’.  Instead, remember that a New Year has just begun with both long standing and new events and activities to entertain and uplift us.

As the year starts off, in the month of January we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a number of memorials and programs.

We have many popular yearly events like the Tri State Home and Garden Show, Toronto’s Annual Campbells-Dickinson St. Patrick Bike/Run/Walk & St. Baldwick’s Shave-Off, and Historic Fort Steuben’s “Women’s History Month” all taking place in March.

April brings the Annual Spring Quilt Show at Fort Steuben Visitor Center, The Steubenville Art Association’s Annual Spring Art Show, and Great Steubenville Eggsibition Art Display.  In addition, beginning in April, the once a month street fair ‘First Fridays on Fourth’ begins and runs through November.  

Historic Fort Steuben opens for tours in May, and also kicks-off of their Berkman Summer Concert Series.  A big event for golfers in May also takes place with the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Golf Classic.

June is an especially busy month  beginning with Ohio Valley Frontier Days, then followed in a couple weeks with the Greek Food Festival, the Dean Martin Hometown Celebration,  and Dean Martin Festival. The Downtown Steubenville Farmers’ Market and Gateway Farmers’ Market also open in June as well as golfers having another big event with the United Way’s yearly golf outing.

In July numerous local communities have their Fourth of July celebrations and the Pleasant Hill School House Historical Museum teases us with Christmas in July and offers an Open House of their charming historical site.  

August brings back several very long standing events such as the ‘historical’ Mt. Pleasant Annual Home & Garden Tour and the Jefferson County Fair.

Each Labor Day weekend brings the Annual Toronto Festival of the Arts and dog lovers also ‘have their day(s)’ with the annual Friendship Cluster Dog Show.

In September we are invited to “Celebrate the Constitution” with an Exhibit at Historic Fort Steuben, and in October an Exhibit at the Fort expounds on “Riverboats on the Ohio”.     Also in October there are yearly fall festivals like the Apple Stirrin’ Festival and the Pleasant Hill School House Historical Museum Annual Octoberfest.

And before you know it, that brings us to November and the return of the Magic with the Nutcrackers and Advent Market, Christmas Wonderland and Gift Shop, the Nutcracker Play and the ever-growing Steubenville Nutcracker Christmas Parade!  

In addition to all these fun things there are so many more coming up yet to be scheduled and announced. So no need to be blue…. in Steubenville & Jefferson County there are always plenty of fun things to do!

This website updates the Events Calendar regularly so keep checking it so you don’t miss anything.

Happy New Year everyone!

The 2018 Steubenville Nutcracker Village and Advent Market is up and running!

“Steubenville Lights Up 2018” on Tuesday had thousands attending and enjoying the lighting of the trees, Nutcracker Display, Advent Market with great food and crafts vendors, and a spectacular fireworks display!

The Nutcrackers arrived at the Village and surrounding areas on Tuesday and will be settling in until January 5^th, 2019.  The Village is open 24/7 and is free.

This weekend is the first of six weekends for the Advent Market.   The Market offers craft and gift vendors and lots of good food as well as so much more.

There will be live entertainment each weekend and on Saturdays and Sundays the Holly Trolley will be touring around the town from 1:00pm-4:00pm.    Hayrides will be offered on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5:00pm – 8:00pm.

There are tours of the Jefferson County Historical Museum during the Trolley hours and also a large Model Train Village located at 248 N. 4^th Street to visit on Saturdays from Noon to 6:00pm.

Inside Fort Steuben Visitor Center, the Christmas Wonderland and Gift Shop is open Monday – Thursday – 10:00am to 6:00pm, Friday & Saturday – 10:00am to 8:00pm, and Sunday – Noon to 6:00pm.  The Christmas Wonderland has a Santa Display; Snowman Display; several large villages, one with a great train;  Coca Cola Display; Nativity; a large revolving Nutcracker Tree, and so much more.   There is also a Christmas Tree Silent Auction taking place at Christmas Wonderland from November 23^rd to December 30^th.

“Wooden Heart Follies Part 2: The Wooden Boy”, an original Nutcracker Village Musical by Prof. & Mrs. John and Von Holmes will be presented at 4:00pm on December 1st and 2^nd and December 8^th & 9^th.     Tickets for adults- $10; students -$5; children under 6 are free.   Groups of 12 or more with reservations are $8 per person.  The performances will be at the Sycamore Youth Center, 301 N. 4^th Street, Steubenville.

In addition, the Blessing of Advent Wreaths and Nativity will take place on December 2^nd, there will be a children’s Lantern Parade on December 7^th at 7:00pm and the Sights & Sounds of Christmas: Nutcracker Magic 2018 Christmas Parade will take place Saturday, December 8^th, along Fourth Street at Noon.

Just one visit will not be enough to enjoy it all, so make your plans ‘to come and come again’!

For more information visit:    http://www.steubenvillenutcrackervillage.com/   or call 740.283.1787.

When introduced earlier this year, First Friday on Fourth became a huge success right out of the gate.  This popular street festival occurs, as its name would suggest, on the first Friday of each month with a different theme each time.

November 2^nd will be the final First Friday on Fourth of the year and the intention is to go out with a bang!

The theme this month (what else?) is Halloween.

On the main stage the entertainment will include Label Me Lecter and Daniel in Stereo, all the way from Cincinnati.

All the vendors and downtown shops will be participating in trick-or-treating from 6:00-8:00pm.

Everyone is invited to come in costume, there will be a costume competition held throughout the night, with winners announced at 8:30pm.  (Separate adult and child categories).

There will also be a carved pumpkin competition, so bring the most intense pumpkin you’ve carved this season for display and a chance at a great prize!

Weather permitting, additional activities could include a hayride, day of the dead face painting, a haunted maze, and ghosts of Steubenville’s past. There will also be a memorial space to honor our loved ones who have gone before us, so feel free to bring a picture or a candle to light in their memory.

As usual, local craft breweries Hightower Brewing Company and Dungeon Hollow Brewing will keep all well supplied with unique brews throughout the night.

All of your favorite food vendors, like Desperado Dogs, Rubbin butts bbq and Tacos Juarez will be present with their favorite fall dishes!

Once again, many of the downtown shops will be open for late night shopping and the streets will be lined with artisan and craft vendors, so make sure you take some time to check out what our local entrepreneurs have to offer!

The KidZone will be well stocked with chalk, window markers, and other weapons for creative masterpieces!

So, if you have been attending the First Fridays all along you sure won’t want to miss this one; and if you have not gone to any before, this would be the perfect time to check it out!

Admission is free!

The Chicken Runs at Midnight written by Tom Friend is one of the most inspirational stories of sports and faith ever told. It introduces the reader to a major league baseball coach, Rich Donnelly, whose daughter’s message from Heaven changed his heart and won a World Series.

This nearly unbelievable but totally true story reminds us that God can work in our lives, even when we think it’s too late to change – and sometime He sends us signs from Heaven, if we only have eyes to see.

Rich Donnelly will again be signing the “The Chicken Runs at Midnight”, at Fort Steuben Visitor Center this Thursday, October 18^th from 4:00-7:00pm.  The book signing event on October 10^th proved to be more successful than anyone anticipated.  So much in fact, that books ran out very early and many more had to be ordered.

There is now a new supply of books for sale. Anyone wishing to purchase a book and have it signed, or if you have a prepaid book from the last event and wish to meet Rich, come to the Visitor Center this Thursday between 4:00pm and 7:00pm.

The book is also available for purchase at Fort Steuben Museum Shop anytime.