YSU Summer Festival of the Arts moves downtown

The Youngstown State University Summer Festival of the Arts is moving a few blocks south from the YSU campus to the new Wean Foundation Park in downtown Youngstown.

“We are excited to bring our nationally-recognized annual arts festival to this new community park along the Mahoning River,” YSU President Jim Tressel said. “We hope this move will help further grow the festival and will also help further introduce the community to this beautiful new downtown recreational area.”

The YSU Summer Festival of the Arts, started in 1999, attracts more than 80 artists and 15,000 visitors annually. This year’s festival is July 17 and 18. Admission is free.

“The YSU Summer Festival of the Arts is a perfect fit for Wean Park,” Youngstown Mayor Jamael “Tito” Brown said. “We look forward to thousands of artists, performers and festival-goers from throughout the region coming to downtown Youngstown for this special annual event.”

The Raymond John Wean Foundation Park, a community complex with over 20 acres of recreational green space and walking paths, is located along the Mahoning River at the Market Street bridge in downtown Youngstown. The complex includes the new 4,800-person Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre and the Huntington Bank Community Alley underneath the Market Street bridge. 

The arts festival will remain a juried arts event, meaning that artists must apply first, then be evaluated before being accepted. The festival is also expected to continue to include a range of performing artists, children’s activities and the participation of area ethnic, arts and cultural institutions.

“The YSU Summer Festival of the Arts is yet another reminder that the Mahoning Valley community embraces and celebrates the arts,” said Phyllis Paul, dean of the YSU Cliffe College of Creative Arts. “We look forward to continuing that tradition at this new and exciting venue.”

Events at Wean Park are managed by JAC Management Group, a private company headquartered in Youngstown that specializes in entertainment facility management. JAC currently also manages the Covelli Centre in Youngstown and Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio.

The Wean Foundation, established in 1949 by industrialist Raymond John “Jack” Wean, has assets in excess of $84 million and distributes some $2.3 million in support every year, with a focus on residents living in the under-resourced communities of Warren and Youngstown.