Wednesdays in Wintersville goes back to school
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WINTERSVILLE -- Among the popular attractions at each month’s Wednesdays in Wintersville is the food contest.
Always built around the monthly theme, the August event, which is titled “Back-to-School,” is calling on contestants to do their best work with peanut butter and jelly.
“It’s anything peanut butter and jelly,” explained Joel John, who heads the volunteer committee that oversees the event. “It could be just peanut butter, it could be just jelly, but it has to have either or both in the recipe. It could even be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich -- we’re looking for the most creative use of peanut butter and jelly.”
Judging for the competition is held at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church at 6 p.m., which falls around the middle of the activities that run from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday along Main Street in the village.
Donna Thomas coordinates the cooking and baking contests, and potential competitors can contact her at (740) 381-3261 to register or sign up before 6 p.m. Wednesday. Organizers say they need at least five participants for the competition to proceed. Prizes will include gift cards from Valley Wine Cellar and Clear Creek Coffee.
Festival attendees will be able to sample some of the leftovers after the judges have completed their work.
Thomas is one of several volunteers who make the monthly street fair work, John added. He is the owner of Exquisite Creations by Joel on Main Street.
“We have a wonderful committee, and each person has really taken charge of their area,” John explained. “Every zone has a chairperson, and that chairperson oversees everything that functions in that zone.”
There’s a dress-up contest for children in the Kids’ Zone, coordinated by Kristina Vodvarka. Also tied in with the theme, this month’s challenge is to dress like a favorite teacher. Gift certificates to Ice Cream Island will be awarded, John said. Those interested in the contest can contact Vodvarka at (740) 317-5577 in advance or register before 6 p.m. Wednesday at Wintersville Methodist Church.
This month’s exhibit will feature letter jackets, which will be on display inside the Center for Hope from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Karen Fante is organizing the event, and John said organizers are looking for any letter jacket from any school. Jackets can be dropped off at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the center and picked up Wednesday after the exhibit closes. Fante can be contacted at (740) 632-6572. A prize will go to the person who provides the oldest jacket for the display.
“We encourage people to loan items for these exhibits,” John said. “It’s something for people to view, but we can’t have them unless people participate and temporarily donate their items to put on display. Everything we have on display is monitored. You will get all of those items back.
“It’s regulated very well, but we need the community’s help to make this something nice,” he added. “That’s a point I try to stress -- to truly make it a community event. It’s something that a lot of other events don’t have, and it’s really a showcase of what the community has.”
Backpacks with school supplies will be distributed in the Kids’ Zone, John added. Persons interested in donating items can drop them off at Exquisite Creations or contact Amanda Gill at (740) 632-1203 to make arrangements for the items to be picked up.
Caitlyn Dowdle coordinates the food vendors, while John and Mayor Mike Petrella work to coordinate the other vendors and the lounge area, which will include the Knotty Pint Mobile Bar, with jazz and big band music from Matt Hill and Friends. Knotty Pint creates a signature cocktail for each month, with proceeds from that drink going back to the festival. The lounge area is now under a tent and shaded, he added.
Anyone interested in volunteering and working on any of the festival’s committees can contact John at (740) 275-7993.
He added that organizers are looking for a sponsor for the Sept. 2 event, which will carry an Oktoberfest theme and bring the series to an end for this year. Children will be invited to participate in a scarecrow dress-up contest, entertainment will be provided by Faire May and the Sycamore Center, and the food contest will feature anything pumpkin.
Even though the heat might have kept some away from the July edition, John said many area residents participated.
“We did chocolate chip cookies and apple pie for the food contest in July, and I was surprised,” he said. “We had eight or 10 pie entries and 10 or 12 cookie entries. It was very exciting -- we had an overwhelming response. The judges even were asking how many more slices of pie they had to try.
“The nice part about it this year is that we have really brought in our sponsors,” he added. “Anyone that has sponsored the event, we ask them to come and be a judge. They get to play a part, rather than just supporting it financially. They are here physically. We had a wonderful representation from all of our sponsors for the judging. It’s nice because you get to be out in the public and see people, too.”
John said the event attracts people of all ages, from teenagers to young families to older families and grandparents. That, he added, brings a special feel to the village.
“I love walking up and down the street and hearing everybody say ‘Hi, Joel, how are you?’ This is great, and not because I want it for praise, but it’s nice to have that true sense of community. You know, I grew up with my grandparents and heard the stories about Fourth and Market in downtown Steubenville, when everybody would get dressed up and go shopping and everybody knew each other and everybody would say hello,” John said. “It’s a nice touch. I definitely like it.”