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STEUBENVILLE -- It's the First Friday in September, and that means music, food and fun will fill the streets of downtown Steubenville tonight.
Harmonium Project President Marc Barnes said he expects another record-breaking crowd.
"This First Friday, we are excited to host some of the best bands we've had all year -- the Commonheart, an eight-piece soul band from Pittsburgh, and the Foreign Landers, an award-winning bluegrass band who brings together Irish and Appalachian musical traditions with incredible talent," he said. "That, and we're bringing back some crowd favorites: Ben-David Warner, a Franciscan University of Steubenville alumnus known for his annual Christmas concert in Steubenville, and Ashley Best, one of the Ohio Valley's 'best' blues guitarists."
He said opening up a second stage in the pocket park of Market Street has proven to be a big hit.
"Festival-goers can enjoy a seat and a glass of wine and listen to the Matt Hill Jazz Band and several acoustic acts," he said, pointing out festival-goers "really seem to enjoy seeing special places that come to life during the First Fridays on Fourth Street."
"It's the same with the alley next to Fourth Street Standard," he added. "We set up lights, planters, tables and chairs, and people sit down for dinner there like it's a cafe in Paris."
He said the "big spectacle" of the evening will be Storybook Castle.
"The Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County has been busy coordinating the build of a multi-room maze adventure for kids to run through, and we're providing a storybook character scavenger hunt," he said. "Kids 12 and under can get their card at the Harmonium tent from 6 p.m. onwards."
As fun as First Fridays are, he said there's a reason so many people put so much time into planning and setting things up.
"As always, the point of the night is to give people an experience of what a revitalized, pedestrian-friendly downtown could look like year-round," Barnes said. "We're so grateful that people come to love their city in this manner. We're always accepting donations to make First Friday the wonderful experience that it is, and can be reached by mail at P.O. Box 772."