

Making Options — Members of the Steubenville-primarily based Harmonium Challenge focus on options for the coming yr through a modern conference.

STEUBENVILLE — The volunteers of the Harmonium Task are again at do the job, building ideas for 2022.
“We’re like bears in hibernation,” claimed Melissa Longua, a longtime volunteer. “The instant the climate begins to heat up, we’re out of the cave and organizing for a different time of plays, concerts and First Fridays.”
The Harmonium Project operates the Initially Fridays on Fourth Road, a every month street pageant, starting in Could, that has grown into 1 of the best-attended situations in the Ohio Valley. The festival’s celebration of area foodstuff, drink, tunes and small business has proved to be a hit, and the Harmonium volunteers are emotion the worry of good results.
“Now that the Steubenville community has appear to expect a fantastic time on Fourth Road, we have a lot to reside up to,” says Maura Barnes, the project’s treasurer. “That suggests increasing money, developing posters, obtaining street closures, liquor permits, insurance coverage, sellers, musicians, performers, artists. We’ve been meeting just about every week to figure it all out.”
With many thousand individuals coming to every single To start with Friday, and the inaugural May possibly 6 event just all-around the corner, there is a ton to figure out. But it’s not all grunt do the job. The group of volunteers–who space generally in their 20s and 30s–has been experiencing the brainstorming classes in which they decide what to do at each and every event.
“It’s a intellect-meld,” states Brodie Stutzman, a nearby father and trapper who is environment up his tent at the June To start with Friday to execute “strongman” stunts, synchronized to the soundtrack of Mel Gibson’s hit film, “The Patriot.” “We take pleasure in a evening meal alongside one another, then we sit in a circle and supply our strategies. At first, no recommendation is as well massive or too compact. Previous yr, I proposed that we create a 50 %-pipe and invite young people to consider a split from their cell telephones and test some Tony Hawk moves on their rollerblades.”
That thought was rejected for insurance motives, but a number of some others have been tentatively approved for this year’s festivals.
“I can’t explain to you all of them,” mentioned Marc Barnes, president of the Harmonium Project. “But I would say I’m incredibly excited about the interactive “Arrest Al Capone” recreation. And the hidden speakeasy. And, of program, the dwell 1980s karaoke competition.”
The themes for just about every celebration have been introduced on the group’s Facebook website page. They are May, “Roaring Twenties” June, “Ye Olde 1st Friday” July, “Freedom Friday” August, “Eighties Night” September, “Storybook” and Oct, “Fall Pageant.”
“We’re striving to fix these themes, calendar year-soon after-12 months,” reported Joseph Palmer, a new volunteer. “That way they can far more quickly come to be city customs, and we can create up the resources we need to pull them off.”
Other variations to the Initially Fridays contain the set up of a beer garden at every celebration, with benches, tables and lights, to give households a prospect to sit down with their meals.
When asked what will make the Very first Fridays work, Barnes said it’s “the men and women who appear downtown. When you can anticipate the similar buddies, meals, beer and businesses to exhibit up, then you have got a successful combination.”
“Our sponsors as perfectly. We never make a dime on the To start with Fridays, and we’re all unpaid volunteers. So we count entirely on the guidance of people today with cash to give to make it materialize. We place out a connect with for sponsors not too long ago, and presently obtained responses from Tri-Condition Fiscal Expert services and Laney Tire. Steubenville’s a generous spot.”
The Initial Fridays start out at 6 p.m. on the first Friday of every single thirty day period and are staged in the 100 blocks of South and North Fourth Road.
“Anyone fascinated in sponsoring, volunteering, carrying out, or providing at the Initial Fridays can e-mail us,” mentioned Barnes, “[email protected]”