Parkersburg Pride is pleased to host their 4th annual family-friendly PrideFest in the area around the Band Shell at Parkersburg City Park on Saturday, June 11 from noon to 4:00 pm.  This event is an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate Pride Month, which has been observed since 1970.  

Jacob Collins, who performs as Lucy Lipps & serves as the VP of Parkersburg Pride (a 501c3 non-profit), said the group has been hard at work to bring this year’s PrideFest back. “Parkersburg Pride is committed to building community and providing the area with fun and inclusive events that allow residents of the MOV and beyond a chance to celebrate the beauty of diversity.”

The group is excited to offer live entertainment for the community, including Lipps! Miss Coco Vega and Miss Valerie Valentino will also be on stage, both of whom are performers in Las Vegas, with Miss Trista Storm of Morgantown, Miss Madison Monroe of Beckley, and Miss Morgan Lefay from Parkersburg. Musical acts will include Smokestack Betty, the cast of Shout presented by the Actor’s Guild, Ryann Province, and Jack Comeau.

Organizations & businesses from the area and around the state that align with the mission of Parkersburg Pride to nurture and sustain the LGBTQ+ community in a supportive, inclusive, and vibrant manner will be present to table, providing information as well as opportunities to purchase affirming apparel and more. While PrideFest continues to be a free event for all to enjoy, including lunch for those who need it, there will be food vendors on site offering snacks, lunch, and desserts.  

The group’s goal is to continually provide low or no-cost social and educational resources to the members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as their family, friends, and allies. They regularly hold free family-friendly, inclusive events like skating & arcade parties, as well as an annual HallowQueen masquerade, an annual OUTlandish Bingo fundraiser, and more.  

Sponsors include Highmark BCBS, The Deitzler Foundation, McCarter Health Center, Marathon, Truist, West Side Sign Co., The Flower Daddy, The Cocktail Bar, and more.

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Hello June first came onto the national scene in 2017 with their first EP, Spruce. From that EP, “Dance” was featured by NPR Music’s Heavy Rotation, putting Hello June into the airwaves of many across the United States. In 2018, Hello June was featured as an NPR Slingshot Artist, alongside Phoebe Bridgers, Snail Mail, Mt. Joy, Jade Bird, and 2017 Slingshot Artist, Big Thief. NPR Music premiered their leading single, “Mars,” and the band received glowing praise from both local and national press alike. Paste Magazine feverishly praised the band’s self-titled album, rating it an 8.5 out of 10 stars. To quote Paste Magazine, “Like The Cranberries and other heroes of sweeping ‘90s guitar rock, Hello June are adept at drawing maximum emotion from just a few simple riffs… Hello June respectfully recalls your favorite indie rock records, but it’s simultaneously fresh as can be.” 

Like their recorded material, Hello June has been praised for their live show as well. In 2019 at Americana Fest, they caught the attention of No Depression Magazine. “Sarah played the most intriguing guitar I heard all week…and that’s saying something for a town full of great guitarists.”

Currently, the band is finishing up their second full-length album in Nashville, Tennessee with Roger Alan Nichols (Belltone Recording).  They are set to release a single in 2022 – their first, in nearly 4 years.

This summer, Hello June’s schedule is full of shows in the Mid-Atlantic/SouthEast part of the United States. They will return to cities like Columbus (OH), Huntington (WV), Ashland (KY), and Marietta (OH) as well as visit new territory along the way. The band is excited to kick off the summer, beginning with their return to Marietta, Ohio at The Townhouse with Sockdolager and Roy F. Bush on June 11th, 2022. The band’s last Marietta show was at The Adelphia Music Hall with Angela Perley in 2019 for her album release, so they are eager to return. For more information, tickets, and links to Hello June’s social media, visit: https://www.wearehellojune.com/

Catch Hello June in the months of June or July in the following locations:           

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The Camp Hervida Board and its Planning Committee invite past, present, and future campers to come to Camp Hervida for an event designed to celebrate 100 years of camping tradition on this beautiful property located at 1260 Camp Hervida Road in Waterford, Ohio. The celebration takes place Saturday, July 2nd and Sunday, July 3rd. Most activities throughout the weekend are free for everyone to enjoy.

There is something for everyone. Some of the activities include: browsing through photos, crafts, guided hikes, guided creek walks, swimming, meals in the dining hall, an ice cream social, flag-raising/lowering, a vespers program, campfire, and camp dances! A full schedule is available on the website (camphervida.org). 

All events are free with the following exceptions:

• Saturday’s dinner at the dining hall catered by Cowboy Concessions features BBQ Chicken. Meals are $15 and must be reserved either on the website (camphervida.org) or by calling the OSU Extension Office (740-376-7431). Kids’ meals for those 8 and under are $5 per child and can be purchased as an add-on to a regular meal. Kids’ meals feature chicken nuggets prepared by the camp board. To reserve tickets for this catered meal, reservations must be made NO LATER THAN JUNE 18, 2022.
• SnoBiz Hawaiian shaved ice truck will be inside the camp gates on Saturday from 1:00-4:00 pm. They charge $3 for a small shaved ice, $5 for a large shaved ice, and $1 for creme topping. SnoBiz is donating 30% of profits back to Camp Hervida, so be sure to stay cool mid-day by supporting this small business and Camp Hervida!

Cabins can be rented Saturday night, July 2nd. This is a great option for those coming in from out-of-town, or for anyone who wants the full camp experience! Cabins will be rented to groups who submit a cabin rental form, and the renter must be at least age 25.  Cabins with 8-10 bunks rent for $75 for the night, and cabins with 12-14 bunks rent for $100. More information and rental forms are available on the website (https://www.camphervida.org/cabin-rental).

A presale is happening now which includes a variety of shirts, a tote bag, and a garden flag commemorating 100 years of Camp Hervida. Presale items can be purchased in the online clothing store (camphervida.spiritsale.com). Other memorabilia will be available exclusively at the event!

To volunteer for the event, email camphervida@gmail.com.

Please submit your camp photos and memories to prudenceknox@gmail.com, or mail handwritten memories to Prudence Burgardt at 270 Front St, Marietta, OH 45750. She will scan any photos and return them to you.

Bring your family and come and go as you please throughout the weekend. We hope you’ll spend the whole weekend at camp!

Hervida 4-H Camp is a full-service complex serving the needs of 4-H youth groups, school classes, band camps, cheerleading camps, church groups, clubs, families and area businesses. Camp Hervida is nestled along the banks of Wolf Creek approximately four miles south of Waterford, Ohio. Situated on more than 200 acres in the beautiful hills of northwestern Washington County, it is available from April through October for rentals

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The PAC 713 Market is excited to bring small venue performances to their space. On Saturday, June 11 the 2022 West Virginia Folk Artist of the Year is coming to the Parkersburg Art Center’s shop at 7:00 p.m. as part of his statewide storytelling tour. 

Join storyteller Adam Booth in concert as he presents historical West Virginia tales featuring Tony Beaver, our native son lumberjack in a program called The Tall Tales of Tony Beaver! The program is free and open to the public. 

Adam says, “The stories are suitable for a general audience (ages mid-elementary school through late adulthood), so bring the family and friends.  On this tour I will be sharing old, rarely heard West Virginia tall tales about our giant lumberjack.”

Adam is touring the state on this tour making stops in Parkersburg, Huntington, Wheeling, Grafton, Fairmont and Capon Bridge. This program is presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.

You can find out more about Adam by visiting www.adam-booth.com or following him on Instagram.

“We are excited to bring live performances to our new shop space,”  says Jennifer Carpenter, Gift Shop Manager. “We use the rear of the shop for some of our art classes and last month we featured a young singer/songwriter, Ryann Renae.  The space worked really well for an audience of about 50 people.” 

“When we started planning for the renovation of 713 Market Street, we knew that we wanted it to be the Art Center’s gift shop but we also knew that we needed part of it to remain a multi-purpose space,” says Jessie Siefert, Managing Director of the Parkersburg Art Center.  “Hosting small performances is just what we had in mind!”

The PAC 713 Market is the Parkersburg Art Center’s gift shop featuring all regionally made fine art and artful gifts and is located beside the Parkersburg Art Center.

There is free parking on the street or in the Art Center’s lots along 8th Street between Market and Juliana Streets. For more information call 304-485-3859 or visit the website.

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The Marietta City Schools’ Board of Education is in the process of recruiting a new superintendent and has scheduled Focus Group Sessions on June 3, June 7, and June 17 to facilitate discussion with staff and community members.

In each half-hour session, the Ohio School Boards Associaton (OSBA) consultant will record feedback concerning the following three topics:

• Major issues facing the district for the next three to five years;
• Performance expectations for the next superintendent;
• Personal and professional qualities to be sought in the next superintendent.

“Our goal is to increase the accessibility of these input sessions and allow for the public and our staff to share openly and honestly,” shares Board Vice President Sam Tuten. “By bringing each of these groups into the room, we can create a holistic picture of what Marietta seeks in the next leader for Marietta City Schools to make an informed selection.”

The board has designated four times each day for staff-only input and the same amount of time for community-driven input.

Friday, June 3 | 5 p.m. 

Board Vice President Sam Tuten and Board Member Cody Parman will host a survey station on the Armory Lawn, 241 Front Street, during Marietta Main Street’s First Friday festivities downtown.

The anonymous survey is hosted by the board’s partner in the superintendent search, the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA), for all district families, staff, and community partners to share the specific experiences and leadership skills the Marietta community needs in the next leader of the school district.

Tuten and Parman will provide devices to take the survey on the lawn, and business cards with both a QR code and links to take home to neighbors and community members. The survey will remain open online through June 10, with the results aggregated by OSBA and reported to the Board of Education after the application window closes on June 17. Click here to access the survey.

Tuesday, June 7 | 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Both staff and community members are invited to the first of two days of focus group discussions facilitated by OSBA. The board has designated four times each day for staff-only input and the same amount of time for community-driven input. The session will be hosted in the Marietta High School Cafeteria, 115 Academy Drive.

Friday, June 17 | 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The OSBA representative will host the second session of discussions at the Marietta College Gathering Place, located at the corner of Butler Street and North Seventh Street. Parking and ADA accessibility are available next to the college building across from Tim Horton’s. This session will be hosted at 127 North Seventh Street.

Community sessions

Both formally signed partners in education and elected officials, business, ministerial and civic partners are invited to the midday session at 12:30 p.m. Students of Marietta City Schools are invited to join the conversation at 3:45 p.m. on either June 7 or June 17.

Parent-teacher organizations and booster groups are asked to attend with athletics staff at 5:30 p.m. on either date. And members of the public as a whole are invited to the final sessions each night at 6:30 p.m.

​Superintendent Search

The board launched its search for a new superintendent on May 16 in partnership with the OSBA. The board hopes to name Marietta City Schools’ next superintendent in July, allowing for a smooth transition into the 2022-23 school year.​

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Clutch Collective, an art retail shop located in downtown Marietta, announces the opening of its first solo exhibit featuring Marietta artist Joe Ryckebosch. A reception will be held on Thursday, June 2nd from 5:00 to 7:00 pm to celebrate the exhibit’s opening.

The exhibit is called “Altered Images” and features dozens of Ryckebosch’s original mixed-media works. “This work is a collection of found imagery, wherein graphic art tape and assorted mixed media have been used to redirect the original intention of the piece,” said Ryckebosch.

“The original imagery, which looks and feels so familiar, quickly takes on a direction of its own. The lines and patterns create an alternate reality, and the viewer hopefully recognizes that all is not what it appears to be,” he said, of the collection. “The intention with this work is to provoke a sense of wonderment and curiosity.”

The exhibit is located in the shop’s second room, which will be opened for the first time on Thursday, June 2nd. The space also features an expanded retail space where guests can shop original artwork and art prints from dozens of artists, both from the Mid-Ohio Valley and beyond.

“We are excited to feature Joe’s work as our first solo exhibit,” said Clutch Collective owner, Sarah Arnold. “There are many new pieces in this collection that have never been displayed before now. We’ve admired Joe’s pieces and style for many years and are looking forward to sharing this exhibit with the community!”

The exhibit will be on display through the end of August, and all pieces on display will be available for purchase. The opening reception on June 2nd is open to the public, the community is invited to see the show, meet the artist, and enjoy light refreshments.

Clutch Collective is an art retail shop located in downtown Marietta celebrating culture, community, and creativity in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Open since November 2021, the shop is open seven days a week at 152 Front Street. Learn more at www.clutchcollectivemov.com.

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On May 19, a gathering of generous women produced great results for the community. As members of the Women’s Giving Circle came together to catch up with friends and boost their awareness of local issues, they invested in the initiatives of three local nonprofits.

A companion group of Marietta Community Foundation, the Women’s Giving Circle encompasses local women passionate about improving their community. By engaging in participatory philanthropy, group members can pool their financial support with other community-minded women to create a large impact.

Prior to this biannual gathering, members were invited to submit proposals for nonprofit organizations they felt embodied the Women’s Giving Circle mission. The group then heard from the leaders of three nonprofits — Boys and Girls Club of Washington County, Gospel Mission Food Pantry, and Kiwanis Club of Marietta Ohio. Each leader had the opportunity to explain their cause and answer any questions.

Each of the nonprofits received support from the group. Gospel Mission Food Pantry will receive $4,000 to purchase and distribute baby formula, Kiwanis Club of Marietta Ohio will receive $2,000 toward their service projects, and Boys and Girls Club of Washington County will receive $1,000 in operational support.

Since its creation in 2016, the group has donated more than $43,000 to local nonprofits benefitting women and children. Nearly 50 women are currently involved, including Rosanne Buell, a multi-year member.

“I’ve been a member of the Women’s Giving Circle going on three years,” Buell said. “It’s a wonderful group of women from all walks of life coming together for a great cause. I’m proud to be a member of this organization.”

The Women’s Giving Circle will host its next event this fall. If you are a female philanthropist who wants to make a difference and empower local women and children, contact Heather Allender for information on joining the Women’s Giving Circle at heather@mcfohio.org or 740-373-3286.

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Tony Mayle knows that in order to embrace diversity and celebrate the local and national history, it takes a village of support.

That’s why he has invited the entire community to campus for Marietta College’s Juneteenth Celebration, which will take place from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday, June 17th, in the green space next to the Hermann Fine Arts Center on Butler Street.

“Juneteenth – which is short for June Nineteenth – is the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to take control of the state. Those troops were there to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation that ensured that all enslaved people were freed,” said Mayle, who is the Director of Diversity & Inclusion and Associate Dean of Students at Marietta.

Last year, the day became a federal holiday.

Like the popular Multicultural Festival and Lunar New Year Celebration, Marietta’s Juneteenth commemoration also aims to draw large numbers of campus and community members.

“We will offer a raffle, guest speakers, music, games, educational items, and free food for everyone who attends our celebration,” said Robert Nelson, Coordinator of Diversity & Inclusion. “Our food items will represent the color red, which brings recognition to the bloodshed of the enslaved before and during their struggles for emancipation.”

D&I is looking for sponsors for the celebration. Businesses and organizations interested in becoming a sponsor can contact Mayle at aam006@marietta.edu or at (740) 376-3287.

Students Hannah McKain ’22 (Marietta, Ohio), Kaelyn Smith ’25 (Parkersburg, West Virginia) and Tucker Nelson ’25 (Coshocton, Ohio) are working in with D&I this summer to coordinate the event.

“It is important for the community to be involved with campus events one because it shows support for the college and we can educate the community as well as students on campus for a historical celebration,” McKain said. It’s important to recognize all of the people that worked to make this a real holiday as well as providing a way for the community to be empathetic for the enslavement of human beings.”

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy back in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers more than 50 majors and is consistently ranked as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, as well as one of the nation’s best by Forbes.com. Marietta was selected seventh in the nation according to the Brookings Institution’s rankings of colleges by their highest value added, regardless of major. Marietta College has also been named a Great College to Work For four consecutive years (2018-2021).

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Up-and-coming wedding, event and design business, Ivory & Rust invites the Mid-Ohio Valley community to several events throughout the summer, including a regular pop-up mini market. To find Ivory & Rust, just look for the eye-catching 1994 miniature horse trailer turned mobile bar, “Miss Daisy.”

Making an appearance at the June 3 First Friday Artist Walk in downtown Marietta, Ivory & Rust will host a vintage pop-up featuring thrifted items from ReThread and Roam.

On the August 5 First Friday Artist Walk, Ivory & Rust will be selling hand-selected trendy pieces from Baker & Baker Jewelers, Just Lovely Apparel, and Free Society Boutique. Alongside the pop-up, Marietta Henna will be hosting a flash sale for henna tattoo.

“My small business’ big dream is to create a community space where people feel safe, are free to express themselves, inspire others, and to explore all elements of art and design,” said Sara Schmidt, owner of Ivory & Rust. “I am thrilled to connect with the community through these summer events.”

Ivory & Rust will also host regular pop-up mini markets in New Matamoras every Friday in June from 5-7 p.m., starting June 10. Wildroot Flower Company bouquets, fresh produce, brown eggs, and other weekly specials will be available.

Follow Ivory & Rust on social media for market updates and weekly product features, and visit IvoryandRust.com for a full list of services, rentals and details on how to “wow” your guests at your next event.

“Miss Daisy was one of the biggest hits of our day,” said May bride Keisha Cole. “Our guests raved about you all [Ivory & Rust].”

Ivory & Rust is a wedding, event and design business out of New Matamoras, Ohio. Ivory & Rust specializes in curating unique event experiences through pop-up picnics, patio parties and more.

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The Parkersburg Art Center is partnering with Blennerhassett Island State Park for a series of outdoor-themed painting parties. This will be the third summer of “Art on the Island” programming for the two groups. 

“In the summer of 2020, the Art Center was investigating ways to offer hands-on art classes in a safe, socially distanced, outdoor environment. The park was trying to bring visitors back to the Island. It was like peanut butter and chocolate coming together: a perfect pairing,” says Jessie Siefert, Managing and Education Director at the Art Center. “We hope to continue this collaboration long into the future.” 

“We are so happy to be working with the Parkersburg Art Center,” adds Craig Pyles, Superintendent of Blennerhassett Island State Historic Park. “Being the host site for their classes is a great opportunity for the participants to come to the park and be inspired by the nature that surrounds them while they are learning to create their pieces. We are thrilled to be able to help bring nature and art together.”

Pre-registration is required for the Art On the Island classes. The price includes the boat trip over to the park, instruction and all materials. After the painting party, participants are free to stay and explore. 

Upcoming classes include:

• Printmaking on Sunday, June 5
• Painted Sunflower on Wooden Panel on Sunday, June 26
• Painting with Oil Pastels on Thursday, June 30
• Kids Wonderful Watermelon Canvas on Sunday, July 10
• Adult “One in  Melon” Watermelon Sign on Sunday, July 10
• Zendoodle on Canvas Panel on Thursday, July 28
• Blenny Gnome Canvas Painting on Sunday, August 7

Register online https://www.parkersburgartcenter.org/art-on-the-island or by calling 304-615-3610.

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