AREA HAPPENINGS: Ashland BalloonFest, Ohio Women's State Amateur, Shrek the Musical
Ashland BalloonFest
Ashland BalloonFest returns Thursday-Saturday with not only hot air balloons, but also food, merchant vendors, live entertainment, activities for kids and balloon glows at Freer Field in Ashland. For 32 years Ashland BalloonFest has been made possible by support of area sponsors. Visit http://ashlandohioballoonfest.com/ for more information.
Ashland County Fair Flea
Market and Crafts
Ashland County Fair Flea Market and Crafts will be held 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at Mozelle Hall. Spaces are $2 a foot frontage and 10-feet deep. Outside spots will be available. Call the office if you would like to reserve a spot, 419-289-0466.
Ohio Women’s State Amateur
Ashland Golf Club has been selected to host the 99th Ohio Women’s State Amateur tournament June 27-30. This prestigious event will bring the top amateurs from all over Ohio to the Ashland community. A special “Part on the Patio” welcome evening is planned on Monday, June 27 from 5:30 – 8 p.m. not only for the golfers but for the Ashland area community. The entertainment will be highlighted by the voice and keyboard talents of Kelly Knowlton and Mr. Bill’s Wood Fired Pizza. Shank’s Bar will be open throughout the evening so arrive early for a great evening of sounds, food and fun.
Coburn Gallery national juried exhibition
A national juried exhibition, “Time Will Tell: A Show of Artistic Wisdom and Experience,” is on display at the Coburn Gallery at Ashland University now through Sunday, July 24. The exhibition features a collection of 34 artworks that embody the creativity and innovation of artists 50 years and older spanning all levels of artistic endeavor. A closing reception is scheduled July 24 from 2-4 p.m.
Artists in the exhibition include Robin Roberts of Ashland, Keith Dull of Ashland, Amanda Kiplinger of Polk, Marty Bossler Lee of Ashland, Irene Maginniss of Mansfield, Barbara D. Morejon of Ashland and M.P. Freed of Wooster.
The jurors for the exhibition were Judy Takács and Robert Villamagna.
Shrek the Musical
The Loudonville Theatre and Arts Co and Committee (LTAC) will perform Shrek the Musical at the Ohio Theatre in downtown Loudonville on Friday, June 24 at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 25 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $10 for students and free for children 4 years old and younger (as long as space is available).
All seats are reserved seating only. Presale tickets are available online at http://www.theohiotheatre.com and at the Ohio Theatre Box Office at 419-994-3750. Remaining tickets will be available at the door beginning an hour before each performance on a first come basis.
Historical Society Ice Cream Social
Free ice cream, museum tours, a silent auction, music and games will be the highlights at the 2022 Ashland County Historical Society’s Ice Cream Social. This family-friendly event is on Sunday, June 26, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the Main Campus located at 420 Center St., Ashland, Ohio 44805.
Whit’s Frozen Custard will provide free ice cream. Free admission to historic Manor House, Carriage House, Noonan Museum and Barn will all be part of the fun that day. Be a part of history and learn about life from 1860 to 1950. David Berry, an Ashland High School graduate, will provide live country music along with Robert Gregory’s traveling band organ, a calliopestyle exhibit. Also on display will be an antique farm tool collection featuring plows, corn shuckers, seeder and F.E. Myer’s farm implements and pumps. Lawn games and bingo will round out the activities for the day. A silent auction, featuring items sponsored by local businesses will take place as a fundraiser for the society.
Admission to this event is free. For more information, visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AshlandCountyHistoricalSociety or on our website at www.ashlandhistory.org, or call us at (419) 289-3111 with any questions about this great family-friendly event.
Ashland Chautauqua
Ashland Chautauqua’s traditional five-day event, with its evening first-person performances and daytime workshops, features a variety of memorable characters this year in keeping with its theme of “The Famous and Infamous.” The evening performances will be held July 12-16 at the Myers Band Shell in Ashland’s Brookside Park.
Ashland Chautauqua’s 23rd year features scholars portraying five historic individuals who are noteworthy and memorable for special reasons. The scholars include Leslie Goddard portraying Lizzie Borden, accused of the brutal axe murders of her father and stepmother; Darrick Johnson portraying Malcolm X, the convert to Islam whose fiery speaking skills inspired many and alarmed many others during the 1960s civil rights era; Dianne Moran portraying Mary Surratt, keeper of the boardinghouse where the assassination of Abraham Lincoln was planned; Susan Marie Frontczak portraying Madame Marie Curie, the scientist who discovered radioactivity and won two Nobel Prizes for her scientific research; and Elsa Wolff portraying Annie Oakley, the sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and became a superstar.
This year both the adult and youth workshops will be held in person. The schedule of workshops appears on the www.ashlandchautauqua.org website. Each workshop is led by a Chautauqua scholar. The topics all relate either to a character or more generally to the context of the time in which the character lived.
The popular feature, Coffee with the Scholars, will be back on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m. The location is in the community room at the Board of Realtors at 107 East Main Street in downtown Ashland. Everyone is welcome to participate in these informal conversations with the scholars for a behind the scenes glimpse of Chautauqua.
All Ashland Chautauqua events are free and open to the public. The evening performances and workshops are held at accessible locations.
Elvis in the Pavilion
Talented Elvis impersonator Lonnie Freeman will bring two hours of Elvis songs to Ashland Golf Club on Sunday, July 31 from 6-8 p.m.
Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at Ashland Golf Club, 1333 Center St. Each ticket provides a beer, glass of wine or soft drink and a guaranteed seat in the pavilion. Reserved tables of eight are encouraged, but not required.
Only 175 tickets are on sale for this fun evening so buy your tickets now to be sure you are singing along with Elvis. Call the golf pro shop at 419-289-3767 for further details.
Ashland Pride
The first Ashland Ohio's Pride in the Park will be Aug. 20 at Brookside Park from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
This day boasts a bandshell show at the Guy C. Meyers Memorial Bandshell, featuring DJ Jay Fox from Mansfield Mix 106.1 FM, local bands and live entertainment hosted by Jasmyn La Basha.
There will be a variety of food trucks around the park throughout the day, and vendors at both pavilions.
At 7:30 p.m., head to Riley's (155 W. Main St. in Ashland) for the after-party. music, games, and fun, and a drag show at 11 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: AREA HAPPENINGS: Ashland BalloonFest, Shrek the Musical
