Strawberry Festival sets up on Locust Street
- Drew Bates, co-owner of family company Bates Amusement, said there is room for all the rides.
- The Courthouse Square is unavailable for the festival due to installation of water and sewer lines.
NEWARK – The Newark Strawberry Festival begins Friday on a smaller site, but with some advantages on the Courthouse Square, according to the amusement company co-owner.
The rides for the 32nd annual downtown festival were set up earlier than usual Thursday, on vacant land along Locust Street, between Third and Fourth streets.
Drew Bates, co-owner of family company Bates Amusement, Inc., said the new site will work while the Square is unavailable due to installation of water and sewer lines.
“There’s some obvious pluses,” Bates said. “It’s closer to some neighborhoods (north of Ohio 16) and more public parking in the immediate vicinity.”
“And, the exposure, we’re really pleased with. In the past, we’re hidden behind buildings. A lot of people are stopping and asking. It’s good advertising.”
All the rides set up every year on the Square will still fit on the Locust Street property, Bates said, but it may be a little cozier for customers.
“Only thing is just physical moving space; a little less shoulder room,” Bates said. “Might be more shoulder-to-shoulder through the Midway.”
Two new rides at the festival, Bates said, will be Charlie Chopper, a helicopter that raises up and spins, and Zero Gravity, which spins as gravity holds you to the wall, then it rises up at a steep angle.
The rides were already in place early Thursday afternoon, much sooner than previous years.
“We couldn’t set up until 5 p.m.,” Bates said of preparation on the Courthouse Square. “It would take until midnight. This year, it’s kind of nice. We’re out of their hair and it allows Kiwanis to set up.”
The main stage will be located near the corner of Locust and Fourth streets. The auxiliary stage will be near Fourth Street and the Ohio 16 entrance ramp.
Locust Street, which will be closed until 9 p.m. Sunday, will have food and concession vendors usually found on South Park Place, Bates said. The merchandise vendors will be set up in the grass along Fourth Street.
The Newark Kiwanis Club will serve strawberry shortcake out of its new trailer, parked near Locust Street. The trailer is yellow, with the Kiwanis logo and the words “Strawberry Shortcake” on its side, according to David Doney, club president.
The festival is a fund-raiser for Camp O’Bannon, a summer camp for low-income children, and other local charities.
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IF YOU GO:
What: Newark Strawberry Festival
When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m Sunday
Where: Locust Street, between Third and Fourth streets.
Cost: Free and open to the public. Food, ride tickets and merchandise are available for purchase.
More info: Go to newarkstrawberryfestival.com.
Festival schedule
Friday
11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Ohio Country Western Music Association-Newark Branch concert.
3-3:30 p.m., Squonk concert
5-7 p.m., Strawberry Festival queen pageant.
7-7:30 p.m., Squonk concert
8-9 p.m., Up 2 No Good Band
Saturday
11-11:30 a.m., Squonk Head Start workshop
11:30 a.m.-noon, Squonk concert
12-1 p.m., Christina Barth
1:30-3 p.m., The Alternative to Bingo Band
3-3:30 p.m., Strawberry shortcake eating contest
3:30-4 p.m., Squonk concert
4-5:30 p.m., The Fun Bunch Cloggers
6-6:30 p.m., Squonk Head Start workshop
6:30 to 7 p.m., Squonk concert
8-9:30 p.m., NexLevel Band
Sunday
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., One More Time String Band
12:30-1 p.m., Squonk concert
1:30-2:30 p.m., Shawna Corder & The Shining Stars
2:30-3 p.m., Squonk concert