Italian American Festival and First Friday team up in downtown Canton for July 7 event
CANTON − July's First Friday will be a joint event with the Stark County Italian American Festival.
The Italian American Festival will be at Centennial Plaza in downtown Canton from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday; noon to 11 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Centennial Plaza is on Market Avenue N along Court Avenue and Third Street NW.
Lots to do in the Canton area Stark summer event guide: Zac Brown, Canton Music Fest, Stark Pride, Monster Fest, Kidz Bop
Festivities will be both at the plaza and in the surrounding area. Food, novelty and drink vendors will be featured.
Kissel Amusement Co. will be providing rides. A bocce tournament also will take place.
First Friday's concert will feature New Wave Nation, an '80s tribute band, at Centennial Plaza. The band is presented as part of the Jerzee's Cafe concert series.
Live music also will be featured at George's Lounge, 229 Cleveland Ave. NW, where both Jen Maurer and Great River Revival will perform starting at 6 p.m. Grapes in a Glass, 575 Market Ave. N, will feature musician Craig Hendricks from 7 to 11 p.m. Italian wine specials also will be featured.
Keeping with the Italian theme, Carpe Diem Coffee Shop, 215 Market Ave. N, will feature Italian sodas, Italian affogato and affogato martinis. 2 Scoopz, an ice cream shop at 138 Fifth St. NW, is collaborating with Carpe Diem Coffee Shop.
An affogato is an Italian coffee-based dessert.
On Saturday, the Italian American Festival will feature Tuscan Trio performing from noon to 2:45 p.m.; the Italian Dance Party with Cavalieri Reale and G4 Live Band from 3:15 to 6 p.m.; Analisa & John from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.; and Bruce in the USA from 8:30 to 11 p.m. The casino runs from 1 to 10 p.m.
On Sunday, Ray Massa's Eurorythms will perform 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., and WANTED: The Bon Jovi Tribute Band will perform from 5 to 8 p.m. The casino will be open from 1 to 7 p.m.
'Liminal' art show at Strauss Studios
Art exhibitions will be happening in conjunction with July's First Friday at downtown galleries and studios.
Strauss Studios, 236 Walnut Ave. NE, will be presenting the artwork of Mary Crane Nutter.
A painter from Walla Walla, Washington, Crane Nutter's solo exhibition "Liminal" will open to the general public 6 to 9 p.m. Friday.
Crane Nutter paints on panels in a geometric style, with bold color blocking and layered abstraction, said a news release.
A hallmark of Crane Nutter's current work is "a stylistic place occupying a position between her more expressionistic beginning and her playful patterning," Strauss Studios said.
Several years ago, Crane Nutter partnered with her sister, Sarah Crane, a graphic designer and photographer, to create a neighborhood art and performance experience for the local community at the farm where Crane Nutter lives.
She began to make color blocked paintings on panels, which she called quilts. Her large-scale panels were mounted on her barn for the art festival, the news release said.
Her work on the barn was published in a magazine called “Mary Jane’s Farm” in December 2017.
Crane Nutter's solo exhibition is part of Stauss Studios' efforts to introduce Northeast Ohio to new artists. "Liminal" will be on display through Aug. 18 in the upstairs gallery of the Strauss Studios furniture building.
Crane Nutter, who was raised on a farm in Southeastern Idaho, received her art school education at The Art Institute of Seattle.
“The work is a refuge of myself, with dreams and aspirations and drive and need to express myself," she said of her art.
'R.I.P.' art show at The Hub Art Factory
"R.I.P." is an exhibition from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday at The Hub Art Factory, 336 Sixth St. NW.
The one night only show will feature the work of Rylee Lovelace, Isabella Feliciano and Peyton Hopp.
"Come explore the twisted, tortured, sugary plum fantasy world" of the three artists, The Hub said in a Facebook post.
Ron Babb solo show at Silo Arts Studio
Silo Arts Studio, 431 Fourth St. NW, will showcase the artwork of Ron Babb from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday.
New paintings, sculptures and merchandise will be featured. "Ron is a local legend for (the) Canton art scene," Silo Arts Studio said in promoting the exhibition. Titled, "Americana, cowboys and baseball, oh my!," the art show is for mature audiences.
A selfie booth also was painted by Babb.
Patina Arts Centre presents Scott Alan Evans
"Shock! Horror! Whiz! Bang!" will be presented at Patina Arts Centre from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday.
The artwork of Scott Alan Evans will be showcased, including portraits of creatures and aliens, as well as space babes, robots and worlds of fantasy. "All will delight, terrify and entertain," Patina posted on social media.
Evans is an artist and photographer whose work has been shown throughout Northeast Ohio. Themes include the mythical while his photography focuses on nature and textures.
Evans was a resident artist at Amy M. Mothersbaugh's Studio 2091 in Cuyahoga Falls until its closing in 2018.
Receiving a degree in Visual Communications from The Art Institute of Atlanta, Evans is a guest operations assistant at the Massillon Museum.
The exhibition will be open during gallery hours through July 29 at Patina Arts Centre, 324 Cleveland Ave. NW.
Females of Comedy showcase at Patina
A Females of Comedy showcase will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Patina Arts Centre.
The comedy show will be in the downstairs event center at Patina, 324 Cleveland Ave. NW.
Featured comedians will be KC Curry, Kelly Thewlis, Jacquelynn Gray, Amanda Elam, Amy Wyler, Lydia Carmany, Nicole Knight, Gabrielle Fashbaugh, Samantha Archual and Megan Hill.
Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12. Alcohol is permitted with DORA cups only.
Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com
On Twitter @ebalint
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Italian American Festival and Canton First Friday team up downtown
