VILLAGE FEST A HIT

Inaugural event draws huge crowd; focuses on food, fun, business, culture

“This is going to bring new energy to the village, and I think holding it prior to Labor Day is the perfect time.” —Mayor Timothy Manross

Fairport Harbor, known regionally for its annual Fourth of July Mardi Gras bash, has added a new community event to its calendar in efforts to promote more fun and culture to the Northeast Ohio landscape.

And judging by the thousands who turned out Aug. 31 to the first-ever Village Fest, Fairport’s civic leaders and business owners may be onto something.

The six-hour fête, putting the village’s shops, restaurants and museums on grand display, also offered an array of familyfriendly activities, including tattoo stations, balloon artists, a

juggling stilt walker, lighthouse tours and presentations with the police department’s K-9 officer, Sid. Grub from area food trucks and Fairport’s own Mad Kathy’s Ribs, in addition to ice cream and adult beverages, satisfied festgoers throughout the sunny afternoon.

Fairport Harbor Mayor Timothy Manross hopes Village Fest will become a traditional event in the vein of Mardi Gras and Community Day.

“When (village administrator) Amy Cossick asked about putting something together, a type of street festival, I thought it was a great idea,” he said. “She put this together in under a month. With Village Fest, we’re looking to set a footprint with something new for the community. And some of the owners of our shops also expressed interest in a collective promotional showcase.

“Our problem isn’t getting visitors, we bring in about 300,000 a year, and we want to keep dollars from those visits in our coffers. We want to create more ways for people to spend here. Lake Metroparks does a great job, too, with the beach. It all comes together to celebrate the uniqueness of Fairport.”

While Village Fest has portions of Fairport’s main streets closed off, no one seemed to care about the minor inconvenience, least of all Manross.

“If downtown Willoughby can close down a portion of (U.S.) Route 20 several times year for their festivals and events, we can close off parts of High and other streets,” he said, laughing.

In addition, Manross believes new events focusing on economic development and tourism will allow the village to attract more and more visitors, even within the county.

He said Village Council also approved of the idea, realizing a new foothold could be established with the festival.

“This is going to bring new energy to the village, and I think holding it prior to Labor Day is the perfect time. It’s all about creating a presence and the response has been great. We’re very excited about how the event evolves.”

CHAD FELTON — THE NEWS-HERALD Fairport Harbor’s inaugural Village Fest, held Aug. 31, attracted large crowds and featured an array of family-friendly demonstrations and showcases while promoting food, fun and downtown shopping.

CHAD FELTON — THE NEWS-HERALD Fire Pup high-fives a young Village Fest visitor on Aug. 31 during Fairport’s inaugural free street fête. The six-hour event attracted thousands and featured live music, food, museum tours and various presentations.