The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
CityFest kicks off
Event shares spotlight with Mentor High football team’s season opener
Compared to last year’s installment, the first few hours of the 2018 Mentor CityFest were a bit slim in the attendance department, which just might’ve had something to do with the MentorSt. Edward football game going on next door at Jerome T. Osborne Stadium.
The game kicked off at 7 p.m. and CityFest at 4 — which did seem to produce the high volume of traffic school athletics officials predicted in an Aug. 23 News-Herald article by staff writer John Kampf.
It was still early in the game for CityFest — and the football match hadn’t even started yet — when Community Relations Administrator Ante Logarusic said he expected the crowd to grow as both events progressed.
“People are going to start filtering in from the game,” he said about 6 p.m. “So, we expect people are going to come over to CityFest, maybe grab a bite to eat, maybe a beer.”
Football notwithstanding, there were still hundreds of CityFest visitors strolling around the grounds of Civic Center Park, 8600 Munson Road, enjoying the variety of activities the city brings in for the two-day event.
Logarusic said organizers tweaked the activity offerings a little this year, adding some more attractions that appeal to some older age groups.
“What’s improved this year is that we’ve added some more stuff to appeal to adults, teens and tweens,” he said. “I mean, bounce houses are great for kids. But, you’re not going to be 24 years old, jumping around in a bounce house.”
He said some of the new activities for CityFest 2018 include interactive ninja warrior and escape-room exhibits and something called soccer darts, which involves participants kicking Velcro-covered soccer balls at a larger-than-life, inflatable target that’s set up like a dartboard.
“So, now, the grown-ups aren’t left out,” he said, adding that the beer and wine tent also helps in that respect, along with the 2 - 4 p.m. wine-tasting event organizers added to the Aug. 25 event schedule.
Even in the early hours of CityFest 2018, however, there was still plenty of demand for the child-centered entertainment — bounce houses and all.
One area dad, just finishing up with his 7-yearold son at one inflatable — a huge ball inside which children run along an inflatable track — and following him to another said he and his family were having a great time and appreciated that the lines weren’t so long.
When asked whether he, his wife, Bonnie; 7-year-old son, Charlie and 5-year-old son, Dylan were enjoying themselves Aug. 24, Mentor resident Ed Sivillo said “Oh yeah definitely.”
“We came last year but didn’t do the rides,” he added. “We just came and good food and drinks. This year, we came early
to avoid the lines and have a little more time.”
He said his boys like the variety of activities on hand and he appreciates the fact that they’re not one’s garden variety festival fare.
“It’s definitely something to do that offers activities that aren’t you’re typical carnival rides,” he said. “They’re good physical activities, too, and I guess you could say that there are a lot of activities here that push kids out of their comfort zones, which can be a good thing.”
He added that he appreciates all the hard work the city puts into the event and would recommend it to anyone.
Another happy parent Aug. 24 was Mentor-on-the-Lake resident Jay Cudo, who brought 7-year-old twin daughters - Gabby and Maddy along
with fiance Ava and her son, Elliot, 4, to CityFest’s first day.
“We’ve been having a good time,” Jay said. “The kids love it. It’s safe. It’s fun. It’s for the community and that’s great.”
It’s a great way to end the summer,” Ava, who said it was her first CityFest, added. “It’s bigger than I thought it would be. And it’s got a lot to offer the kids. It’s family friendly and we’re always looking for familyfriendly activities, so this is perfect.”
By about 10:30 p.m. Aug. 24, Logarusic’s prediction that attendance would pick up as the evening went on seemed to have played out like he said, as he estimated at least 1,000 visitors were on the scene by then.
And, like Logarusic, longtime Councilman at
large Ray Kirchner said he was optimistic about the event’s eventual turnout, which Logarusic said was about 20,000 people last year over its two-day run.
“I’m encouraged by the great weather we’ve had so far,” Kirchner said, adding that CityFest is “not only a great opportunity for people from Mentor. It’s also a great opportunity for people from other parts of (Northeast Ohio) to visit, enjoy CityFest and see our new amphitheater - or, as they call it, Little Blossom.”
Mentor CityFest runs from noon to 11 p.m. Aug. 25, with its customary parade stepping off at 10 a.m. on Center Street.