First Fridays features street karaoke
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STEUBENVILLE -- Every edition of First Fridays on Fourth Street offers many fun activities for Tri-State Area residents to participate in.
This week’s rendition will offer a little more.
It’s the annual karaoke night, and participants will have the chance to show off their talents.
“It’s very unique, because it’s live karaoke,” explained Marc Barnes, president of the Harmonium Project, which coordinates the monthly street fair. “We have this excellent band that has been doing this for about six years.”
Mr. Fancy Pants, a Wheeling-based band, offers something few karaoke experiences do -- the singers will be backed by live music.
“They come down every year, and we put on Facebook and in our newsletter the list of songs they can do,” Barnes explained. “There are about 120 songs to choose from this year. So, anyone from any walk of life can pick one of those songs and get up there on stage from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and be the star of the event.”
Another reason for the continued success of First Fridays is what they offer on a monthly basis.
“Every First Friday has a certain continuity to it,” Barnes said. “First Fridays is a time to celebrate bringing the Steubenville community together. There are local breweries, local food vendors and local crafts, plus live music.”
It all happens in a footprint that stretches across the two blocks of Fourth Street that run between Washington and Adams streets -- plus portions of Market Street.
“This particular edition always is one of our most popular ones,” Barnes said.
“Every year, we see people who can sing incredibly,” he added. “And, we also see people who bomb. But they are all courageous, and they are all having a great time. That’s the nature of the event, and the main thing.”
Since a large crowd always comes along with the karaoke night, Barnes said they will be looking to measure how many people turn out so they can have a better idea of how the crowds have been growing.
It’s an outdoor event, which can make for an enjoyable evening. That also makes it susceptible to the weather and the unpredictability that comes with it.
In July, for example, the rain and thunderstorms that battered the Tri-State Area on July 3 and July 4 led to problems for the event.
Those included a power outrage that hit downtown on July 4 and lasted for around six hours, which sent business owners who are dependent on refrigerators and freezers scrambling to find generators to ensure their products were safe. The end result was that sales were limited.
The event, Barnes explained, also is looking for donors, sponsors and volunteers who are willing to help. Donations, he said, can be mailed to P.O. Box 772, Steubenville. You can also contact Barnes at (740) 51-0162 to make a donation or to talk about opportunities for volunteering.
While the August edition is just a few days away, plans are already taking shape for the final two First Fridays of the season. Those are scheduled to be held Sept. 4 and Oct. 2.
There’s no official name for the September edition, but Barnes said it will be built around friendly competition and likely will include weightlifting contests, arm wrestling competitions and checkers, as well as other games. The festival will include friendly ways for Tri-State Area residents to settle disputes, he said.
“The whole street is going to be filled up with competitive games,” Barnes added.
The October event, which will close out the season, will include fall-related activities.