AREA HAPPENINGS: Loudonville Car Show, Ashland Chautauqua, John Mellencamp art exhibition
Loudonville Car Show
The Loudonville Car Show, now in its 21st year, is rated No. 1 in Top Ten Destination Car Shows by Crusin’ Times Magazine, the journal of Ohio Car Shows. Typically, 500 or more cars participate in the show, parked on Main Street and the side Water, Brentwood, Market and Wood streets.
The event, which will be complimented by downtown shopping and dining available at local restaurants and shops, as well as food trucks and other vendors set up in Central Park, will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 2.
Loudonville Antiques Festival
The annual Loudonville Antiques Festival will take place Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2 with vendors selling their antique wares in Central Park.
Ashland and Loudonville fireworks shows
Both Ashland and Loudonville will present fireworks shows at around 9:30 p.m. Monday, July 4.
The Rotary Club of Ashland sponsors the fireworks show in Ashland. Rain date is Tuesday, July 5. While Community Stadium, where the fireworks are launched will be closed this year to spectators, there’s plenty of space around it and in surrounding neighborhoods to enjoy this year's show, according to Rotary's website, which noted the fireworks will be higher than usual, expanding the viewing area.
The sponsoring Loudonville Chamber of Commerce decided to hold the traditional Loudonville Fireworks Show on the Fourth of July, regardless of what day of the week in which that falls. The fireworks are funded by local donations and a couple of sustaining revenue sources. From the central Riverside Park launching site, the fireworks can be seen in all parts of the village and, in some directions where hills don’t eclipse them, for miles out of town. In fact, residents of hilltop homes in Loudonville report the ability to see fireworks shows in Ashland, Wooster and Charles Mill Lake simultaneously.
Push 'em Pull 'em parade
Ashland Main Street and Substance Church invite kids and families to grab their scooters, bikes, wagons, strollers — anything on wheels (non-motorized, electric or gas-powered) — and enjoy the fun of the Push 'em Pull 'em parade on Monday, July 4. Children 6 years old and younger must be accompanied by an adult; helmets and safety gear are recommended for children riding bicycles, skateboards and scooters. There will be prizes for the top entries. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at Substance Church, 101 South St., and the parade starts at 10 a.m., where participants will head up Center Street in a sea of red, white and blue.
United Way of Ashland County Fun Friday
Musician and storyteller Joanie Calem will perform at the Fun Friday on July 8. Fun Fridays take place once a month in the summer from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Foundation Plaza, 78 E. Main St., Ashland.
Ashland Downtown Dream Cruise and Car Show
Last year, a record 687 cars were on display during the Ashland Downtown Dream Cruise and Car Show. Proceeds from the event put on by Ashland Main Street go to the Ashland Police Division's Shop with a Cop program. This year's Ashland Downtown Dream Cruise and Car Show starts at 8 a.m. with registration, which runs through noon. Awards will be presented throughout the show. The dream cruise will take place at 3 p.m. The event includes 400 dash plaques; door prizes; 50/50; disc jockey and food court. Registration is by donation.Vehicles must be registered to qualify for awards. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/Ashland-Downtown-Dream-Cruise-and-Car-Show-250546371661184
July Music on Main
Nashville-bound Patrick Jaeckin Loose Strings will perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 9, opening for Departure, a Journey tribute band, which will play from 7 to 9 p.m., during Ashland Main Street's free Music on Main event at Foundation Plaza in downtown Ashland.
June Ashland Bandshell Summer Concert Series performances
On Sunday and Thursday nights from 8 to 9:15 p.m., concerts take place on the stage of Guy C. Myers Memorial Bandshell. The remaining ones in June are: Nessa, which incorporates sounds and rhythms from the Caribbean, Africa and India, with Celtic and folk genres (June 23); John Denver tribute band John Adams Band (June 26); and Faithfully, a Journey/Eagles tribute band (June 30).
Ashland Symphony Orchestra's Pops in the Park
Ashland Symphony Orchestra will give its free, annual prelude to Independence Day, Pops in the Park concert at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 3 at Guy C. Myers Memorial Band Shell at Brookside Park.
July Ashland Bandshell Summer Concert Series performances
On Sunday and Thursday nights from 8 to 9:15 p.m., concerts take place on the stage of Guy C. Myers Memorial Bandshell. After Ashland Symphony Orchestra's Pops in the Park concert on July 3, performances are: The Oolong Gurus performing a mix of rock, country, bluegrass and blues (July 7); high energy rock and pop cover band Escape the Circus (July 10); Rare Vintage-10, a 10-piece cover band from Ashland that performs a wide variety of musical styles, including artists such as Jimmy Buffet, Lionel Ritchie and Chris Stapleton (July 17); Creole Stomp playing a mix of contemporary blues, swamp pop, traditional creole and zydeco tunes (July 21); Country music band Raquel & The Wildflowers (July 24); Eight-piece band Brass Tracks featuring the iconic horn band hits of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s (July 28); and Alla Boara bringing to life to Italian folk songs in modern arrangements (July 31)
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.
Kingwood Center Live on Lawn
Kingwood Center Gardens announces the return of their annual summer concert series, Live on the Lawn. Live on the Lawn features free concerts on Thursday evenings in July.
The 2022 concert line-up is: July 7 – Tom’s Kitchen Table, July 14 – Oolong Gurus, July 21 – Jody Odom Jr., July 28 – Paradigm.
Free admission will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the concerts beginning around 7 p.m. in a great new location. Visitors should bring their own lawn chairs or blankets. Seating will not be provided.
Buehler’s Food Truck, Ferris, and their Snacks & Sips will offer a variety of food and beverage options available for purchase. The Gateway Café and Kingwood’s Garden & Gift Shop will be open until the concerts begin.
The 2022 Live on the Lawn is presented by Modern Woodmen of America and sponsored by the North Central Ohio Media group.
As a reminder, you must be 21 or older to consume alcohol and all alcohol must be purchased and consumed on the grounds. For additional information, including inclement weather location, please visit www.KingwoodCenter.org.
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 to 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.
John Mellencamp exhibition at Mansfield Art Center
The Mansfield Art Center is exhibiting John Mellencamp's work in a mixed-media exhibition called "Paintings & Assemblages" through Aug. 7 at 700 Marion Ave.
More than 55 of Mellencamp's pieces are on display, including some that have never been seen before.
One of Mellencamp's most recent pieces is a self-portrait of him smoking a cigarette. He finished the painting less than a week before his work was shipped to Mansfield.
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 to 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.
United Way of Ashland County Fun Friday
United Way of Ashland County's Fun Friday will take place 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 5. at Foundation Plaza, 78 E. Main St., Ashland.
August Music on Main
Falcon Punch will perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, followed by Low-E from 7 to 9 p.m., for Ashland Main Street's free Music On Main offering at Foundation Plaza in downtown Ashland.
August Ashland Bandshell Summer Concert Series performances
On Sunday and Thursday nights from 8 to 9:15 p.m., concerts take place on the stage of Guy C. Myers Memorial Bandshell. August performances are: Falcon Punch playing an eclectic mix of classical jazz and video game music (Aug. 4); South Street Jazz Co. (Aug. 7); Northcoast Americana band Hey Mavis (Aug. 11); and Ashland Regional Ballet wrapping up the concert series on Aug. 14 with performances in a wide range of styles, including ballet, modern, jazz and tap.
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 Chautauqua, John Mellencamp art exhibition
