Steubenville Festivals

Today was the day to partake in all the different festivals going on around Steubenville. Within a few minutes of each other, you could hit the Greek Festival, the Classic Car Show, the Dean Martin Festival, the Lion's Club Block party thingy, and a host of other activities. Our day started in downtown Steubenville, where we caught the parade going down 4th Street.

Steubenville is a very small place, and although it was once a fantastic "modern" city, things have diminished as the mills closed. However, that has not stopped hometown pride. Happy citizens lined the streets, waving to the local football teams, Mayor, Shriners, music groups, fire trucks, and other various parade participants. The downtown area blended, pocket festivals all merging over blocks as people took a leisurely Saturday stroll through the area. American flags waved on poles from the old buildings, and the general atmosphere was one of happy contentment. Yes, it was indeed hot today, but no one complained, and everyone seemed happy to be out in the sunshine.

The downtown area has changed over the decades. Once magnificent buildings now lay in dereliction. Windows are boarded up, and crumbling brick walls bear the hallmarks of pseudo-gang graffiti. Sidewalks need mending. Store shingles need replacing. But, damn it all, the streets were packed with families who wanted to celebrate all the various activities of the weekend. It wasn't the Steubenville of the golden heydays of the early to mid century; it was the Steubenville of today - somewhat dingy, somewhat depressed economically, but still strong and still determined to persevere.

As the midday sun got to us, we decided to do a lunch at The Ville (fine food and a very good price), and then drove up the 7 to enjoy Yummy's ice cream (soft serve in just about every flavor you could imagine!) Dad has never been to this area, and he got to enjoy all the rolling green hills (technically they are mountains, but having been to the Rockies, we all still think of this ancient mountain range back east as a bunch of clever hills!) The beautiful Ohio River sparkled on our right hand side as we drove to Toronto - not some brown murky sludge, but a cheerful flow of solid river that beacons you to stop, spread a blanket, and bask in the sunshine at its shore. A few barges and some pleasure craft were traveling slowly north, and you could see people enjoying their day out on the water. Yummys was a relaxing stop, and we ate our ice cream under the shade of an umbrella.

Afterwards, Jeff took a nap (the heat doesn't agree with him as far as his medications go), and Dad and I spent a few relaxing hours on the front porch. Our bellies still filled from the lunch earlier, I packed up the stuffed pepper mixings and tossed it into the freezer. If we get hungry, we'll scrounge around and make some deli sandwiches.

Cousin Linda called, and she has off on Tuesday, so we invited her and Jeff's friend Keith and his family over for dinner that night. I'm going to see if Aunt Helen wants to stop by as well.

Oh yes - after a year, the car finally got washed!