This is a special time for our area.

The annual Greek Food Festival held at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church has just completed its three-day run, the city is preparing for this coming week’s Dean Martin Festival and communities through the Tri-State Area — and the rest of the United States — are putting the final touches on their Fourth of July celebrations.

There are some pretty interesting numbers associated with all three of those events.

The Greek festival, for instance, just celebrated its 40th anniversary. The Dean Martin Festival will be returning for its 30th event. And, of course, our nation will be celebrating its 250th birthday.

Those are all important milestones, for the organizations that run each of the festivals — and the entire community.

That’s why it’s important for the region to continue to build on existing events and develop new events and attractions that will continue to draw crowds to the area.

Holy Trinity’s festival and the Dean Martin Festival do just that. Organizers of last week’s Greek festival said they expected that more than 20,000 people would attend the event. The large crowds that gathered during lunch and again in the evening all three days backed that prediction up.

Dean Martin fans from the Tri-State Area, from across the country and from around the world, meanwhile, will be descending on Steubenville this week to celebrate all things Martin — they will come to walk the city streets he traveled while growing up in Steubenville and to just enjoy the happy-go-lucky feel of the Cocktail Cool Era.

Events like those festivals are important because they bring so many people into the area. While they are here, it is likely they also will spend money at many local businesses. They will grab a drink or have a meal at a local restaurant, they will spend the night at a local hotel, they will browse at local shops and probably make a purchase and they will likely buy a tank of fuel from a local service station.

“These events are the heart of the community,” said Emily Byers, president of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce during lunch at the first day of the Greek food festival. “When such a small community comes together like this, it gives a true sense of who our people are and what they take pride in.”

Tourism is a big business across the Tri-State Area. Ohio, for instance, saw $57 billion generated in visitor spending and visitor sales in 2024, according to the Ohio Department of Development. Pennsylvania, meanwhile, saw $49.9 billion in visitor spending in 2024, according to the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development. And, West Virginia realized $6.6 billion in visitor spending in 2024, according to the West Virginia Department of Tourism.

That’s a lot of money to pump into the economy. So much so that the TourismOhio estimates that dollars generated through tourism saves the average household in the state about $875 in taxes each year.

“The Greek festival is such a staple,” Byers added. “It has been around for 40 years, and it grows and grows and grows, and we bring many outside people into our community. That ultimately attracts more people to our area. It’s such a genuine thing that brings people together.”

While those two festivals bring thousands of visitors into town, it’s important to remember all of the other events held throughout the year that help the local economy.

There’s Historic Fort Steuben, which attracts those who want to learn about history. The reconstruction of the fort that protected the surveyors who opened up the Northwest Territory will be celebrating its 40th anniversary during the month of July.

First Fridays on Fourth, Wednesdays in Wintersville and Second Saturdays in Weirton all draw thousands of area residents between May and October

The weekly concerts held at the Berkman Amphitheater at the fort complex, at the Gazebo in Toronto, at the Weirton Event Center and in Follansbee and Wellsburg bring hundreds of people into those communities to enjoy live music, relax with friends –and maybe make new ones.

Members of the Steubenville Cultural Trust work throughout the year to bring visitors to the city.

The Steubenville Nutcracker Village, the trust’s marquee event, attracted an estimated 50,000 visitors during its 45-day run that began the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, according to the trust’s sponsor impact report. Those visitors came from all 50 states and the United Kingdom, the report explained. They came to see the 214 life-size nutcrackers, 26 decorated competition Christmas trees and six giant lanterns.

The nutcrackers will return to the city streets Nov. 24 and will be displayed through Jan. 8.

Also sponsored by the cultural trust is the Great Steubenville Eggsibition, which brings colorful Easter eggs to the city during the spring. In 2025, it featured 45 art eggs that were painted by 35 local artists. They appeared in 28 business locations.

And, during the summer months, the trust sponsors the Catfish Crawl Artwalk, which in 2025 saw 15 catfish statues that were painted by 12 local artists displayed in 15 business locations throughout the downtown. This year’s catfish crawl will run from July 1 through Sept. 1.

Christmas at the Fort, meanwhile, is another tourist attraction. It will begin its holiday run this year on Nov. 27, with the annual Steubenville Lights up the Night fireworks display.

Also, expansion under way at Franciscan Square and by the Franciscan University of Steubenville figures to be another draw for the city.

“These events are all about community,” Jefferson County Commissioner Eric Timmons said Wednesday after the opening ceremony for the Greek festival. “It’s going to be a busy month here — there is the Dean Martin Festival, the American 250th celebration and the Greek festival. There are things happening all around the county.

“I walked over to the Greek festival, and I saw some people I hadn’t seen in a while,” he added. “That’s what it’s all about — talking and community.

He added that all of these events help the region.

“Absolutely they help the economy,” he added. “First Fridays is a big thing. I’ve talked with some of the business owners, and the business they do at First Fridays is tremendous. Those events are what we need around here.”

All of these events — and many others — bring a great deal of money into the region. They are quality events, and make a big difference for our businesses and communities.

(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is senior writer of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times)