Crowd delights in festival sights, smells
By Connie CartmellMARIETTA - The kickoff of the Ohio River Sternwheel Festival was an experience Minerva resident Rick Metzger loved and hopes to repeat.
"I like the way this is all set up, with the paddleboats and all," said the 54-year-old Metzger, who has been riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle through southern Ohio over the past week and made his first visit to Marietta Friday. "I was most impressed with the museum here (Campus Martius) and all the history. We are definitely staying for the fireworks tomorrow."
Like a colorful and bold patchwork quilt, the sights and smells of the Ohio Sternwheel Festival quickly settled over the lower end of downtown Marietta Friday- an inescapable and heady brew.
Eager vendors, offering every sort of festival food from blooming onions and funnel cakes to barbecue pork, hot wings, sausage sandwiches, French fries, snow cones, ice cream, lemon shakes and more were doing a brisk business.
"We help them out; they help us out," said Connie Grimes, with Pioneer Ladies Civitan. "It's been steady and good."
Grimes worked in the Bob Evans sausage stand along with Marietta Civitan Club members. Proceeds from sales at the festival and last week's Washington County Fair go to local community groups, such as WASCO and Ewing School.
Until two years ago, John and Doris Henderhan lived in Columbus, away from their native Marietta more than 50 years.
The couple was among hundreds of early arrivals at the festival's kickoff Friday.
"I mostly come for the music and like to look at the boats down there," said John Henderhan, 71. "I swear, I don't know anybody in this town anymore. I keep looking for a face I know. I grew up here."
Doris Henderhan, 73, said she and her husband were at the levee Thursday night and plan to return for the fireworks and festivities Saturday, too.
"We came down last night to look at the boats," she said.
It was music and entertainment that drew the Henderhans Friday.
Steve and Beverly Pottmeyer crooned country, followed by Phil Dirt and the Dozers and the headliner, country star Mel McDaniel. The levee was full.
"We first heard Phil Dirt 100 years ago in Columbus, back in 1981," said Connie Weiss of Belpre. "I've never heard them that they weren't good."
Her husband, Russ Weiss, said the couple will be back for the next two days of the festival.
"I'm bringing my '01 Mustang Bullitt to the car show Sunday," he said. "I've been coming to the show for two or three years. We're car nuts."
Most of today's action at the festival gets under way at 11:30 a.m. with the introduction of the Queen Genevieve candidates. At noon, Marietta High School's Wall of Sound and show choir Premiere take center stage on the barge.
A solid afternoon of entertainment will be capped by the New Odyssey band then fireworks over the Ohio River, beginning at 9:30 p.m. New Odyssey returns after the pyrotechnics.
"It's been great - fantastic," said Michelle Torpy of Marietta, watching Friday night's entertainment. "Phil Dirt did a great job and Mel McDaniel, who I hadn't heard in a long time, is also doing real good. It's a beautiful night down here, and the crowd is relaxed and enjoying the music."
For Torpy, the road to the Ohio River Sternwheel Festival has been a long one - 24 years.
"I've always had to work on sternwheel weekend and this is the very first time I've been here. I'm not moving," she said with a grin.
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ren26101
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09-06-08 10:20 PM
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I just got home from the festival! Was a hit!! I listened to the Jody Haught Band and had a BLAST!!
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