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Harmar Days set for this weekend

Photo by Janelle Patterson Students on a train tour from Parkersburg cross on the walkway of the Historic Harmar Walking Bridge Tuesday.

MARIETTA — The history of a frontier outpost and the industrial riverside neighborhood of Harmar will be celebrated with the hand-turning of a bridge this weekend.

Harmar Days is an annual festival celebrated for more than 30 years to recognize not only the founding spirit of Fort Harmar when land west of the Ohio River was still considered wild but also the following growth in industry from boat building to locomotive transportation that passed through the riverland.

“It’s a small-town street festival all about our history and the trains,” said Chuck Swaney, president of the nonprofit Historic Harmar Bridge Company, which puts on the annual festival and fundraiser to benefit the Historic Harmar Railroad Bridge.

The nonprofit was formed to preserve the privately-owned railroad bridge with a vision to renovate the bridge for pedestrian and alternative transportation space across the Muskingum River.

Spaghetti dinners and Harmar Days are the nonprofit’s way of keeping the bridge open to pedestrians and the lights on.

Harmar Days will be held Saturday and Sunday, centralized to Maple Street with food and craft vendors, entertainment, a free miniature steam train that children can ride and a car show.

At noon on Saturday and Sunday, the bridge will be turned by eight to 10 volunteers. To “ride,” the bridge company asks for a minimum $5 donation to go toward the bridge’s preservation.

The miniature festival is also a chance for local businesses on the west side to showcase their improvements over the last year.

“Our 75th anniversary is coming up,” said Busy Bee owner Larry Sloter. “For us during the festival our customer base changes a little, we get some newcomers and those that maybe haven’t eaten here in a while.”

And he’s excited for those new and returning faces to see the updated paint and walls in place in the restaurant, foreshadowing more coming renovations to better showcase bakery items and open ceiling space in the breakfast and lunch diner.

“Anything that can bring positive vibes and light to the assets and history we have on this side of the river is exciting,” said Sloter.

Monkey’s Uncle Tattoo and the Boys and Girls Club of Washington County are combining forces for the festival.

“I’m pretty pumped about it,” said artist Meg Rataiczak with Monkey’s Uncle. “We’re both doing face painting and temporary tattoos for kids during the festival.”

Passiflora Studio owner Caroline Waller said her doors will be open this weekend on Maple Street, selling flowers and antiques during the festivities.

“And we’ll be passing out free popcorn,” attorney Bill Burton said as he sat outside Burton Law Group with his son Donny Burton Friday.

Swaney said he hopes the fundraiser also helps generate more partnership within the community for an idea presented to the city Monday, to raise funds toward renovation of the train cars at the western end of the bridge.

The two passenger cars were last renovated more than 25 years ago, as retail/rental properties he said.

“The challenge though is we haven’t had consistent renters in this space over the last decade,” Swaney said.

Now the plan is to provide required face-lifts to the two blue passenger cars between the boxcar at the bridge’s western approach and Wilson Cooling and Heating. The idea is to turn them into bed and breakfast spaces for a sustainable revenue stream for the nonprofit to renovate the walking bridge eventually.

“The infrastructure is in place, just needs to be updated and the bathrooms need upgrades to add showers,” said Swaney. “We want to keep the character of the passenger cars in here because that’s what people look for–a destination and somewhere unique to stay.”

Estimated cost is $65,000 to $75,000.

“This is not about us making a profit, it’s about the bridge and making a sustainable revenue stream so we can complete that vision,” said Swaney. “Right now our fundraisers and Harmar Days allow us to keep the lights on the bridge and clean up basic trash.”

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days and on Saturday will be followed by free music and a beer garden hosted on the property of Hi-Ghlass on Maple Street from 6 to 10 p.m.

Janelle Patterson can be reached at jpatterson@mariettatimes.com

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