Friendly competition coming to First Fridays
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STEUBENVILLE -- Looking for a little friendly competition?
September’s First Fridays on Fourth is the place you will want to be.
“The idea is pretty simple -- we’re going to do the normal First Friday with this great addition: We’re going to line the street will all sorts of competitive games,” explained Marc Barnes.
It’s an extensive list, added Barnes, who is president of the Harmonium Project, the local nonprofit behind the monthly street fair. Included will be chess, checkers, dominoes, pingpong, beer pong, tetherball, cornhole, soccer goals for penalty kick shootouts, darts, pickleball, pinball, tug-of-war and strong man competitions. The event will begin at 6 p.m. Friday
But it won’t end there, Barnes added.
“We’re inviting people to bring their own games down, if they have one that they want to let people try them out,” he said.
All they have to do is let him know by calling (740) 512-0162.
With six events held between May and October each year, Barnes and his fellow organizes are faced with having to come up with fresh themes while working to make sure the festival maintains its familiar feel.
“We like to repeat some of the themes, because they are popular and we have some of the materials left,” he explained. “Every now and then, though, we come up with a new idea. This was one of those times where we liked the idea of having something interesting to do. First Friday with your friends -- for young people it will be a really fun night.”
Game night also fits in well with one of the goals of First Fridays, Barnes explained. That’s to make sure that attending the event is affordable, especially for families looking to have an enjoyable evening.
“One of the things I love about First Fridays is that it is proof that you can have a really fun time without spending a lot of money,” he said. “Just coming downtown and being with your friends is great, and it makes for a great festival. And just being with all of these games, and they cost next to nothing.
“I think they will ultimately give more fun and enjoyment than nights out that cost a lot more money. I think it will be a lot of fun,” he added.
Of course, there will be the usual assortment of vendors selling food, beverages and other items, as well as live music in a couple of different locations. It’s all made possible, Barnes added, thanks to the support of numerous sponsors.
“Our vendors have shown that there really is a lot of talent in the Ohio Valley,” Barnes said. “We have some really unique vendors. I don’t know anywhere else where you can get a lamb skewer grilled on charcoal along the street. It’s right there on First Friday. Things like that let me know what the city could be if we keep trying to revitalize it and carefully take care of it.”
Weather has been an issue with some of the scheduled events this year -- from colder-than-normal temperatures in May to hotter-than normal heat in July to heavy storms that included drenching rain and high winds, it has been tough on many outdoor events. Storms that came through the area on Aug. 7 forced the postponement of that edition to Aug. 14.
That didn’t stop area residents from turning out for an evening that featured live karaoke.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” Barnes said. “I thought we would lose more, but it seems like everyone’s in tune with what we’re doing and responded well. I was grateful that we had a beautiful day for the reschedule.”
Attendance at First Fridays remains high, and the event continues to attract people of all ages. That’s important, Barnes noted.
“I’m really happy with the crowd sizes this year,” he explained. “It’s proven to be a very popular festival, and we just want to continue to serve all of the people of Steubenville. It’s funny, because there are a sort of waves. The families with little kids come early and drop off sooner. Then the high schoolers come down later, the college kids even later and the older folks are kind of in the middle. It all mixes well, and it says we’re a city.”