By MARK TODD
Staff Writer
mtodd@starbeacon.com
CONNEAUT — America’s birthday will be celebrated with food, fun and — of course — fireworks at the annual Fourth of July Festival at Conneaut’s Lakeview Park.
The four-day event kicks off Thursday afternoon and concludes with a waterfront fireworks show late Sunday night. “We’re ready to go,” said Tom Udell, festival committee chairman.
Rides and food booths have already begun to sprout at the park. Many of the same amusements and vendors are returning from last year, Udell said.
The festival starts at 4:30 p.m. Thursday with opening ceremonies and a flag-raising. A 10:15 p.m. fireworks display caps the schedule.
Pageants for kids and pets, a big Saturday afternoon parade, three bands and the popular “Conneaut Idol” competition are among the weekend’s highlights. Several people have already signed up to compete in the singing contest.
The festival parade begins in the Conneaut High School parking lot. Units will begin lining up at 3 p.m. and will begin at 4 p.m. Units will head to the festival midway via Jackson, Broad and Erie streets.
Udell is at the helm of the festival for the third straight year. Udell stepped forward in 2006 when the event was in jeopardy.
The job gets easier each year, Udell said.
“I’ve got a good feeling about it,” he said. “I will admit it was nerve-wracking the first year.”
The city’s fireworks display traditionally draws thousands to the lakefront. The committee ordered a $10,000 show, and has nearly enough money collected to pay the bill, Udell said.
“We’re almost there,” he said. “We’re about $1,000 short of our goal.”
Udell is confident the balance of the cost will be raised. “People have really come through for us,” he said.
Local News
Related Photos
Discussion
Conneaut festival ready or a star-spangled 4th
- Local News
-
-
Murder suspect kills self at mother’s grave
Madison Township police officers found the body of a murder suspect in the Alexander Harper Cemetery on Thursday afternoon, ending a day-long, multi-county manhunt.
-
Presses stopped
It was June 23, 1969.
-
Airport takes off with a new name
A new name for the Ashtabula County Airport is winding its way through the regulatory channels.
-
Property owners must pay for meth labs in Jefferson
An ordinance requiring landowners to pay for the clean-up costs of clandestine drug labs was unanimously adopted by Village Council.
-
Elections board gets help with time-consuming tasks
A Xenia company specializing in election services will take on some time-consuming tasks that should help contain the Ashtabula County Board of Elections’ labor costs, members said.
-
Commissioners pay to get the business
Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $15,000 contract with Growth Partnership for Ashtabula County to provide business service representation on behalf of the county’s One-Stop job training center.
-
Grand Valley sixth grader wins Ashtabula County Spelling Bee
James Elliott, a sixth grader at Grand Valley Middle School, clinched his win of the 29th annual Ashtabula County Area V Spelling Bee by successfully spelling the words “physique” and “daffodil.”
-
Sports, academics to come together
SPIRE Institute will expand its educational base and accept international students into its sports performance programs through a partnership with the Andrews Osborne Academy, Ted Meekma, SPIRE management team member, announced Wednesday.
-
Conneaut Chamber lauds top citizen, ‘Champions’
Nicholas Iarocci, Conneaut’s 2011 Citizen of the Year, needed plenty of gulps of water to complete his acceptance speech Tuesday night.
-
Felony charge filed in robbery
An Ashtabula woman who police said grabbed a woman’s purse inside a Conneaut supermarket late Monday afternoon faces a felony charge in Conneaut Municipal Court, according to reports.
- More Local News Headlines
-
