Ellwood City Arts, Crafts & Food Festival to draw tens of thousands of visitors
ELLWOOD CITY ― Ewing Park is the place to be June 30 through July 2, for those who enjoy food, crafts, live music and everything else that makes community festivals fun.
So, get ready for the 41st Ellwood City Arts, Crafts & Food Festival featuring up to 150 craft vendors with 26 additional food vendors.
Gyros, funnel cakes, wings, sausage sandwiches, fries, deep-fried Oreos, barbecue, apple dumplings, hot dogs, ice cream, pasta, Vinny's Pizza and Crystal's Cupcakes all will beckon to anyone with a hunger to satisfy.
Though the festival's two biggest food institutions remain the pepperoni puffs from Divine Grace Parish, and the fish and lamb dinners from the Ellwood City Wolves Club.
"The line for those pepperoni puffs is legendary," Raylene Boots, the festival's general chairperson, said. "People stock up, buying them to put in their freezer."
More than 20,000 people attended last year's festival.
The all-volunteer event becomes a huge homecoming for Ellwood City area folks who've moved away and now schedule their vacations around a return home to see friends and family.
Boots' video production company, Dinosaur Studios, filmed documentaries on the Ellwood City festival in 1994 and 2019, and in both those years, people who were interviewed highlighted the same two reasons why they enjoy the event so much.
"Of course, they said the food, the entertainment and the crafts," Boots said. "But they also consistently said they love to see all the people, some of whom they haven't seen since the year before, or maybe former classmates or students."
Many visitors forge friendships with craft vendors, looking forward to seeing the same ones the following year. Festival organizers strive to put returning vendors in their same previous location to make it easier for loyal customers to find them, Boots said.
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For those who appreciate art, the juried art show spotlighting five local artists takes place from noon to 6 p.m. throughout the festival at Trefoil Lodge.
The three full days of entertainment commences with 11 young ladies competing for the title of Little Miss Firecracker.
“We have an enthusiastic group of girls who are eager to rock the stage and showcase their personalities," the pageant's new chairwoman, Jenn Greco, said. "It’s exciting to be bringing back one of our hometown traditions."
Some of the valley's most popular cover bands, such as Elmoz Fire, Hat Trick, Tony Barge's Honky Tonk Heroes, and The Dorals from New Castle, will entertain.
Joey Lynn's Hoops-N-Stuff, on July 1-2, is a hoops dance show with fire.
For more photo ops, strike a pose with L. Woody, the event's strolling Eagle mascot festively attired in red, white and blue.
Entertainment Lineup
June 30
11 a.m. Raising of The Flag
11:15 a.m. Little Miss Firecracker
1 p.m.: Washboard Tony
2:15 p.m.: Castle Cloggers
3 p.m.: Harmony in Song ('50s and '60s music)
4:30 p.m.: Dance Expressions
6 p.m.: Broken Reins (country)
8 p.m.: 7 Mile Run (country)
July 1
11 a.m.: Raising of The Flag
11:15 a.m.: 10K race
12:45 p.m.: Honky Tonk Heroes
2 p.m.: Hat Trick (country)
3 p.m.: Wanderland piano recital
4:30 p.m.: Diamond Dance
6 p.m.: Rust Valley (classic rock)
7:30 p.m.: Joey Lynn's Hoops N Stuff
8 p.m.: The Dorals (oldies)
July 2
9:30 a.m.: Worship
11 a.m.: Raising of the Flag.
Noon: Stacey and The Wildcards
1:30 p.m.: The Groove Doctors (jazz).
3 p.m.: The Fantastix kids singing.
4:30 p.m.: Common Ground (acoustic)
6 p.m.: Elmoz Fire (dance music)
7:30 p.m.: Joey Lynn's Hoops N Stuff
8 p.m.: The Fabulous Gemtones (variety)
10 p.m.: Fireworks
Admission is free.
There's some paid parking, though many festivalgoers have learned to park further away and hoof it or take the free shuttle service that does pickups and drop-offs at Lincoln High School and Smokin' Dave's at 324 Wampum Ave. in Ellwood City.
Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@timesonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Ellwood City Arts, Crafts & Food Festival to fill Ewing Park
