Sternwheel Fest closes with a bang
Platters close annual Ohio River festivalBy CONNIE CARTMELL, Special to The News
Article Photos
MARIETTA - Mostly sunny skies, a cool breeze, fine music, and friendly folks blended smoothly Sunday to make the final day of the 2008 Ohio River Sternwheel Festival - just right.
Susan and Greg Hollowell of Lancaster, Ohio, visit Marietta several times a year and seldom miss a sternwheel festival weekend.
This year was no exception.
"This is our second home town," Greg Hollowell, 59, said with a smile. "If I had my way, I'd be living here."
As Cornell Gunter's Platters crooned romantic ballads on the barge stage, the couple held hands and sang along to a favorite, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes."
"The entertainment's great and the fireworks last night were the greatest," Susan Hollowell, 51, said. "I can't pick what I like the best. It's all been good."
Clouds rolled in early Saturday and Sunday, discouraging some from venturing downtown, but by mid-afternoon, the Ohio River Levee was jammed. The weather tried, but failed to foil the big event.
Jessica Reynolds, 24, of Belpre, listened to entertainers Sunday and enjoyed the total festival ambiance.
"It's pretty cool," she said. "I like being out of the house. I thought it was going to rain so I came this afternoon. I like the funnel cakes best."
When people were not eating, they were sitting - or doing both.
"It didn't seem like as many people were sitting on the levee because there were quite a few open spaces," Candy Hall-Cisler of Marietta said. "I was born in Marietta and have been coming to the festival for years. The first few years there were only a couple of sternwheelers."
She liked the Jody Haught Band Saturday and the festival atmosphere, in general.
"I like it (the festival) because it seems to extend the summer for me," Hall-Cisler said.
Many festival vendors were smiling Sunday.
"It's been pretty good weather and a good crowd today," said Keith Baum, owner of Bloom 'n' Onions of Barnesville, Ohio. "I think the committee did a good job with the layout and the crowd is moving along better than other years."
Baum also praised the Rollin' Oldies car show along lower Second Street for encouraging a crowd Sunday.
"Sunday is much better for us because of the car show," he said. "The (car) show seems to get bigger every year."
John Husk, coordinator of the car show, said there were 248 entries this year, way more than the 180 last year.
"We've had a good day - perfect," Husk said. "I think people who come for the show end up on down the street and add a bunch of money to the festival."
As Sunday's activities wound down, Evie Bryant, director general of the sternwheel festival, said she couldn't think of one negative to the weekend.
"All of it has been spectacular," Bryant said. "The ultimate was once again the fireworks Saturday. It was an incredible show. We've had wonderful entertainment, great vendors, and everybody has been respectful to our visitors."
Bryant, a teacher at Phillips Elementary School and a member of the sternwheel committee for 18 years, is especially proud of expanded children's activities this year and of some of the new additions, such as the 5K Run for adults and children and the "inflatables" for the children.
"I've got lots of ideas," she said. "I'd like to see a doggie run next year, and expanded children's activities. The festival opened with my school's choir and I think that brought good luck to the whole event."
Bryant is also proud of the job committee members did during the festival. Over 300 huge - 55 gallon - bags of trash were collected.
More than 200 student-volunteers helped with the Marietta Tiger Athletic Boosters lemon shake-up stand near the levee over the weekend, according to Susie Miller, a coordinator.
"I'd say business was about the same as last year," Miller said. "We normally do about $10,000 in sales and all the money goes to sports teams at the middle and high schools. Each sport gets some."
An addition this year was the swim team at Marietta High School, she said.
Mayor Michael Mullen sipped a shake-up from the Tiger booth, smiling as he looked over the crowd on the levee.
"The fireworks, of course, were spectacular," Mullen said. "My brother (Patrick Mullen) came from Knoxville, Tenn., and after seeing our fireworks was duly impressed. He said they closely compared to a big show in Knoxville."
Jimmie Hayes, of New York City, a Cornell Gunter Coaster performer, said he loved the sternwheel festival and had a great time overall.
"It's my first time singing on a barge," Hayes said. "It was great."
Donated by American Flags & Poles on Front Street, the largest flag ever flown (literally, by helicopter) at the festival, 30 feet by 60 feet , made multiple "fly-bys" just ahead of the fireworks show Saturday.
Ed Reno, director of disaster services with the American Red Cross Washington County Chapter, said there were no major health or injury incidents during the weekend event. Minor scrapes bumps, and bee stings were treated by Red Cross nurses at the festival.
Capt. Ike Hastings, in a new aluminum sternwheel boat, captured first place in the Captain James E. Sands Memorial Races at 1 p.m. Sunday. Hastings, 85, traveled 1,500 miles from Iowa for the festival, according to J.J. Sands, owner of the Valley Gem Sternwheeler which came in third in its race.
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RickWT
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09-08-08 6:30 PM
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We have a lot of really nice fairs and festivals around the area but the Sternwheel Festival gets my vote for best of them all. The setting, the entertainment, the boats, the fireworks and the free admission add up to a great time.
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