Hi YoTown Friends! 👋

Here's a thing we don't say out loud enough: you can spend a whole weekend in the Mahoning Valley and come home feeling like you went somewhere else. This week you don't even have to try very hard. There's a four-day Italian festival taking over Courthouse Square in Warren, a candlelit procession walking through Smoky Hollow, two hundred artisans in Shaker dress out in Columbiana, and a demolition derby closing out the county fair. And then there's the other half of this issue… 22 places right here that most people have driven past a thousand times and never once stopped for. Ohio's oldest soda fountain. A 1915 Japanese tea garden. A free museum full of glowing rocks.

So: 136 things to do and 22 hidden gems. No passport required. Let's get you out the door. ✈️

This Week's Edition

1. Good News
2. 🐾 Good Dog Roll Call
3. Editor's Pick: Golden Dawn
4. Local Eats
5. ⭐Hidden Gems
6. In the Know…
7. The Ultimate Weekend Guide (Thu → Sun)
8. Looking Ahead — The Rest of August and beyond
9. Want Your Business in the Scoop?
10. P.S.

🎆 📣 Good News Around Here

☕ Austintown Is Quietly Leveling Up

Three things happening at once….

First: 7 Brew Coffee is coming to 5620 Mahoning Ave., right across from Chick-fil-A. It’s a $1.7 million, drive-thru-only stand planning 5:30 AM to 11 PM hours and 40 to 50 jobs. Trustees approved the rezoning in January and the property sale closed in June. No opening date has been announced yet, so don't line up quite yet — but it's coming.
🔗 WFMJ · The Vindicator

Austintown has a brand-new trustee — as of Monday. Longtime trustee and board chair Robert Santos stepped down in July to take a county economic-development role, thirteen people put their names in, and on August 4 trustees swore in Jamie Ciccone… a local State Farm agent who has chaired the township's Christmas tree lighting, served on the Fire Levy Committee, and sat on the Zoning Commission. She serves until the November 2027 election.
🔗 The Vindicator · WFMJ

And for the ice cream people: the new Dairy Queen Grill & Chill going up at 587 E. Main St. in Canfield — hot food, not just treats, on the old Perkins site — was targeting a mid-summer opening, and a second Grill & Chill is replacing the North Jackson location out on Mahoning Ave. Both are Austintown-adjacent, both are upgrades.
🔗 WFMJ

💛 Beatitude House Marks 35 Years

On August 3, Beatitude House — the Ursuline Sisters ministry housing women and children experiencing homelessness — celebrated 35 years with an awards ceremony for residents and an archives display. It started in 1991 as a single home serving four families. It now runs nearly 40 permanent supportive housing units across Mahoning County plus a three-bedroom emergency shelter, and has served thousands of Valley residents. Youngstown Mayor Derrick McDowell put it plainly: "Housing plays much more of a role in the health of individuals, families and communities than we give it credit for."
🔗 Business Journal Daily

🐾 Good Dog Roll Call: Three Pups, No Visits Yet

Every dog in here is waiting on one person to make one phone call. This week the Mahoning County Dog Warden has so many dogs listed. Here are three.

Mahoning County Dog Warden & Adoption Center

📍 1230 N. Meridian Rd., Youngstown, OH 44509
📞 330-740-2205
✉️ dogwarden@mahoningcountyoh.gov
🌐 mahoningcountyoh.gov/229/Dog-Warden
📘 facebook.com/mahoningcountydogwarden
🕰️ Mon/Wed/Fri 8–4:30 · Tue/Thu 8–5:30 · Sat 9–noon · Closed Sunday

📍 Mahoning County Dog Warden — 1230 N Meridian Rd, Youngstown, OH 44509 · 📞 330-740-2205 · 🔗 Check their Facebook page »

🍴 Editor’s Pick: The Golden Dawn

Youngstown's "Best Kept Secret" isn't much of a secret anymore… and thank goodness.

On Logan Ave since 1932, family-owned the whole way through, The Dawn has fed just about every generation of this Valley. You walk in a customer and leave a regular.

Breakfast is the move, we were told by Scott, one of their friendly servers who swears by the omelets and the home fries, and he will not be taking questions. "And the fries are fresh cut” (we’re talking knife and potato) if you've ever had a paper boat of fries at the Canfield Fair and thought why can't it be like this all the time — friend, it can be, year-round, on Logan Ave.

Monday means creamed chicken and biscuits, “and it is to die for!” he said.
Circle it on the calendar.

Then there's the chili — which sounds like a curveball until you remember this has been an Italian-American kitchen for 90+ years. The Dawn's chili has a distinctly Italian lean to it: deeper, rounder, a little more soul. Same energy on the pasta fagioli. Honestly, all the soups here are terrific.

And save room, because the pies are homemade and the coconut cream is LEGEND. People who moved away years ago work a pie run into the itinerary every time they're back in town. That's not marketing — that's just what happens.

The plan: Omelet and home fries on a Saturday. Creamed chicken and biscuits on Monday. Coconut cream pie every single time.

The Golden Dawn Restaurant
📍 1245 Logan Ave — Youngstown, OH 44505
📞 (330) 746-0393
🌐 goldendawnrestaurant.com
📘 Golden Dawn Restaurant on Facebook
🕰️ Open daily — check Facebook for today's hours

🍴 Local Eats We Also Like (Heritage Festival Edition)

Three places worth building a weekend around:

• Yosteria

  📍 252 Valley Ave — Youngstown, OH

  Smoky Hollow Italian; Saturday it becomes the whole festival.

• Mocha House

  📍 467 High St NE — Warren, OH

  Pastries the size of your head, steps from the square.

• Juny Café

  📍 5865 Mahoning Ave — Austintown, OH

  A tiny Paris on Mahoning Ave, named after a dog.

🛂 In the Know…

The Valley has been handing things down for four generations — recipes, parade routes, last names nobody can spell. And right now it's also building new things: coffee stands going up on Mahoning Ave, a Grill & Chill on the old Perkins lot, arts centers opening downtown. Heritage and a glow-up, at the same time. Here are the local businesses making both possible — every one of them somebody's neighbor. 🏛️✨

👋 NEW THIS WEEK

🐝 The Uninvited Guests at Every Summer Party

Complete Pest Solutions

Welcome to the Scoop, neighbors… and they are neighbors, headquartered right on Roche Way in Boardman. They are definitely experts in their field.

Their COMPLETE SUMMER PEST GUIDE nails exactly what August looks like around here: wasp colonies hit their biggest size of the year right now, mosquitoes explode after wet springs, and ticks stay active all summer along wooded edges… Ohio's Lyme-carrying blacklegged tick numbers have been climbing.

🐜 Their advice is refreshingly honest: dump standing water first, skip the hardware-store ant spray (it scatters colonies instead of killing them), and treat carpenter ants as a moisture warning. Ground nests and nests near the back door?

Call them. 4.8 stars, 400-plus customers.

🌐 completepestsolution.com
📖 Read the full Summer Pest Guide
📞 330-793-8664 (Ohio) · 833-427-6006
✉️ info@completepestsolution.com
📘 facebook.com/CPSYoungstown
📍 43 Roche Way, Boardman, OH 44512

The Valley's Leveling Up.
It’s Your Turn.

Skin Solution Medspa

New coffee stands, new storefronts, new everything — this Valley is in the middle of a serious glow-up, and it looks good on us. Take the hint. August is brutal on skin: festival sun, fairground dust, sunscreen sitting on your face for nine straight hours. A facial hits reset before the next round of photos, and if there's a tattoo from a much earlier chapter, ask about laser tattoo removal while you're here — new season, clean canvas.

💫 Free consultations, gift cards available, and yes, we'd love to see you before the parade.

🌐 skinsolutionmedspa.com
📞 330-977-5788 (call or text)
📘 facebook.com/skin.solution.medspa
📍 755 Boardman-Canfield Rd, Suite D1 & D2, Boardman, OH 44512

🕯️ The Oldest Tradition of All: Sitting Down

Youngstown Head Spa

Every heritage festival in this Valley runs on somebody. The one who cooked for three days. The one who drove everybody. The one who carried the folding chairs both directions and never once sat in one. That person is probably reading this right now. A head spa session is sixty minutes of warm water, slow hands, and a room where nobody needs a decision, a ride, or a snack or something cooked. 🌿 No crowd, no parking, no parade route. It's the quietest hour available in Youngstown — and it makes a genuinely great gift for the person who never asks for one.

🌐 youngstownheadspa.com
📞 330-967-1709
📘 Youngstown Head Spa on Facebook
📍 755 Boardman-Canfield Rd, Suite D2 West, Youngstown, OH 44512

Protect What Gets Passed Down

Moore Family Insurance

Heritage isn't only recipes and last names. It's the house your family has been in since the mills. The boat somebody's grandfather bought. The camper that has been to the same weekend every August for twenty years. Preston Moore is a local Allstate agent in Canfield who will actually read your policy back to you and tell you plainly whether you're covered or just hoping. 📋 It is the least glamorous stop on this whole list and the one you'll be gladdest you made. Call him, or stop in on N. Broad — he answers his own phone.

🌐 Moore Family Insurance — Allstate
📞 330-533-3555
📘 Preston Moore: Allstate Insurance
📍 545 N Broad St, Canfield, OH 44406

🧼 The Cookie Table Was Worth It.
The Aftermath Wasn't.

All Spruced Up Cleaning Co

Here's the part of heritage nobody puts on a banner: powdered sugar ground into the car seats, fairground dust on the entry rug, and a kitchen that hosted twenty-two people who all "just stopped by." All Spruced Up handles the re-entry — a real, thorough clean by people who show up when they say they will and don't need to be supervised. ✨ The online estimate takes about two minutes. Fair warning: they book a few weeks out, so grab your spot now and let somebody else deal with August.

🌐 allsprucedupcleaningco.com
🧾 Free online estimate
📞 330-397-2815
📘 facebook.com/allsprucedupcleaningco

🚨 Old House, New Problems

1-800-Plumber +Air Youngstown

A lot of us live in houses older than the festivals we're going to this weekend. Great bones, real character, and plumbing that has opinions. August is when it shows up: the AC quits on the hottest weekend of the month, or the drain gives out after a houseful of guests and a sink full of meatball pans. 1-800-Plumber +Air is licensed, fast, and fixes it right the first time — no diagnostic theater, no three-day wait.

🔧 Save 330-234-9402 in your phone right now, before you need it.

🌐 1800plumber.com/youngstown-oh
📘 facebook.com/1800PlumberAirYoungstown

🏡 Everybody Wants to Live Closer to the Parades

Hailey Ditullio, Realtor · Howard Hanna

It happens every August. Somewhere around the Sunday procession, people start saying out loud that they'd like to live closer to all this… closer to the square, closer to the park, in a neighborhood where the concert series is walkable and the neighbors bring food when something happens. The Valley is leveling up and people are noticing. Hailey knows Poland, Boardman and Canfield street by street, and she's honest about what a house is actually worth. 🔑 Two years out or two weeks out, start the conversation… the good ones move before they hit the app.

🌐 Howard Hanna — Hailey Ditullio
📞 330-720-9153
📘 Follow her on Facebook
📍 Serving Poland · Boardman · Canfield

Your Grandparents Walked It.
You Get an E-Bike.

Mill Creek Park has been the Valley's back yard for a hundred and thirty years — generations of first dates, family reunions, and Sunday drives. Here's the leveled-up version: an e-bike changes the whole scale of the place, so Lanterman's Mill, the covered bridge, and the far end of the drive become one easy afternoon instead of three separate trips. 🌲 Pick the Trailside Journey if you want flat and paved, or Unleash Your Adventure if you want wooded and hilly. Pickup at Kirk Road or Bears Den — just text to reserve.

🌐 cruisethecreek.com/rentals
📲 Text to reserve: 330-406-9686
📘 facebook.com/cruisethecreek
📍 Kirk Road (6685 Kirk Rd, Canfield) & Bears Den (Scholl Recreation Pavilion, Youngstown)

💎 22 Valley Hidden Gems You've
Driven Past a Thousand Times

This is the part we'd print on a card and put in your glovebox. Every one of these is real, currently operating, and within an easy drive. Call ahead where hours are odd — several of these are gems precisely because they're only open when they feel like it.

• Market Square

  📍 Kinsman, OH

  Ohio's oldest continuously operating soda fountain — sharing an 1894 building with 150,000 used books.

• Japanese Tea Garden at Packard Park

  📍 Warren, OH

  The second-oldest Japanese tea garden in America (1915), designed to be touched because W.D. Packard was losing his sight.

• TP Tools Auto Collection Museum

  📍 Canfield, OH

  500 cars staged inside recreated period storefronts. Free — but only on Saturdays, 10 AM–3 PM.

• Clarence R. Smith Mineral Museum

  📍 Youngstown, OH

  A free, glowing gem-and-mineral vault inside a YSU engineering building most locals have never entered.

• Rose Melnick Medical Museum

  📍 Youngstown, OH

  Antique medical instruments and genuine quack devices in a Cushwa Hall basement. By appointment, which is half the charm.

• Newton Falls Covered Bridge

  📍 Newton Falls, OH

  Ohio's second-oldest covered bridge (1831), the oldest still in use on its original site — with a covered sidewalk built in.

• Noah's Lost Ark Exotic Animal Sanctuary

  📍 Berlin Center, OH

  Lions, tigers and bears rescued from bad situations, 25 minutes from downtown. Open Tue–Sun through Aug 31.

• Lanterman's Mill

  📍 Youngstown, OH

  An 1846 water-powered gristmill still grinding corn you can buy by the bag, beside a covered bridge and a waterfall.

• Bear's Den

  📍 Youngstown, OH

  Sandstone ledges and a ravine that feel like a different state — and Mill Creek's quiet bouldering spot.

• Daffin's Chocolate Kingdom

  📍 Sharon, PA

  The self-declared world's largest candy store, whose back room holds a 400-pound chocolate turtle.

• Volant Shops & Volant Mills

  📍 Volant, PA

  An 1812 gristmill turned country store anchoring 30 shops in a village of under 200 people.

• Basilica of Our Lady of Lebanon

  📍 North Jackson, OH

  A full Maronite basilica with a hilltop tower chapel sitting in the middle of Mahoning County farmland.

• National Packard Museum

  📍 Warren, OH

  The hometown museum for the car company that invented automotive air conditioning.

• Butler Institute of American Art

  📍 Youngstown, OH

  The first museum in the country built specifically for American art — 22,000 works, still free.

• Arms Family Museum + Tyler History Center

  📍 Youngstown, OH

  An intact 1905 Arts-and-Crafts mansion and a downtown history center — one $7 ticket covers both, same day.

• Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor

  📍 Youngstown, OH

  The Steel Museum — built to tell what the mills did to and for this valley, in a Michael Graves building.

• Harriet Taylor Upton House

  📍 Warren, OH

  The former national headquarters of the women's suffrage movement. Tours by appointment.

• Mahoning Valley Railroad Heritage Association

  📍 Youngstown, OH

  A volunteer-run trackside collection of restored rolling stock, in the city that once moved the steel. Call ahead — hours vary.

• Penguin City Brewing

  📍 Youngstown, OH

  A brewery named for the city's own mythology, in a reclaimed East Side industrial building.

• Wizard of Odds & The Cracked Crock

  📍 Canfield, OH

  Two very different Canfield antique stops, twenty minutes apart, both worth an unhurried hour.

• Land Lion Antique Mall

  📍 Lake Milton, OH

  12,000 square feet of antiques, carnival games, and outdoor statuary you did not know you needed.

• Meander Hill Antiques

  📍 Austintown, OH

  A restored 1860 dairy barn packed wall to wall with dealers.

More Scoop Between Issues

The newsletter hits Thursdays. The Facebook group? That's where the magic happens all week long — last-minute event adds, reader tips, breaking good news, and the best kind of YoTown conversation.

🔗 YoTown Scoop on Facebook ·
🔗 yotownscoop.com

Local events bring people out — but YoTown Scoop helps local businesses stay in front of them all week long. If you want Mahoning Valley locals to know who you are, what you do, and why they should choose you, newsletter sponsorship is a simple way to show up where the community is already paying attention.

Message YoTown Scoop or click here to grab a sponsorship spot.

🎪  The ULTIMATE Weekend Guide

Everything below happens Thursday, August 6 through Sunday, August 9. Every title is a live link. Grouped by day, sorted by start time. Some are a short drive over the line into Pennsylvania but so worth it.

🌍 All Weekend Long

• WIAF: Warren Italian-American Heritage Festival

  📍 Courthouse Square, 161 High St — Warren, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 – Sun, Aug 9 · Thu 4–11 PM, Fri–Sun 11 AM–11 PM

  Four days of bocce, meatballs, wine slushies, free entry.

• Columbiana County Fair — Closing Weekend

  📍 Columbiana County Fairgrounds, 225 Lee Ave — Lisbon, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 – Sun, Aug 9 · $10/day, rides included

  Midway, ice cream barn, derbies, and closing-day fireworks energy.

• Rockabilly Ruckus 2026

  📍 Trumbull County Fairgrounds, 4181 Hoagland Blackstub Rd — Cortland, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 – Sun, Aug 9 · $15–$20/day

  Pinups, pre-1980 hot rods, and a literal Wall of Death.

• Yamaha Demo Rides at Mines and Meadows

  📍 Mines and Meadows ATV Resort — Wampum, PA

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 – Sun, Aug 9

  Test-ride brand-new machines across 400 acres of trails.

• Shaker Woods Festival — 45th Anniversary

  📍 Shaker Woods Grounds, 44337 County Line Rd — Columbiana, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 – Sun, Aug 9 · 9 AM–5 PM · $12, kids free

  Two hundred artisans in Shaker dress under old trees.

• Great Lakes Medieval Faire & Marketplace

  📍 3033 OH-534 — Rock Creek, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 – Sun, Aug 9

  Blacksmiths, glassblowers, axe throwing, and a pirate cove.

• Music at the Marina

  📍 Lake Wilhelm Marina, Goddard State Park — Sandy Lake, PA

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 – Sun, Aug 9 · FREE

  Free lakeside bands, free parking, free pontoon rides.

• Mr. Darby's Annual Garage Sale

  📍 Mr. Darby's Vintage & Antiques, 7386 Market St — Boardman, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 – Sun, Aug 9

  Vintage dealer clears the back room — bring cash.

• Shepherd's Joy Summer Family Revival

  📍 9736 E Center St — Windham, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 – Sun, Aug 9

  Two nights of music, preaching, and potluck fellowship.

🎭 Thursday, August 6

• Pulaski Flea Market

  📍 Pulaski Flea Market — Pulaski, PA

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 6 AM

  Sunrise bargain hunting for people who love the hunt.

• Tai Ji Quan in the Park

  📍 Boardman Township Park, 375 Boardman-Poland Rd — Boardman, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 9 AM

  Slow, gentle movement class under the park canopy.

• Stroller Art 2026

  📍 Butler Institute of American Art, 524 Wick Ave — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 10 AM

  Free museum morning built for babies and their grown-ups.

• Tech Thursdays

  📍 Boardman Township Park, 375 Boardman-Poland Rd — Boardman, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 10:30 AM

  Bring the device, leave with the answer. Free.

• Storytime Adventures @ Hartford Park

  📍 Hartford Park, 6901 State Route 305 — Fowler, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 11 AM

  Outdoor picture books and wiggles for little listeners.

• Komara Outdoors: Reptile Education

  📍 Newport Branch Library — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 5 PM · FREE

  Live scaly guests, zero admission, all ages welcome.

• Books & Boba

  📍 Kinsman Public Library, 6420 Church St — Kinsman, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 3 PM

  Teen book chat with bubble tea in hand.

• Craft Beer for a Cause: The Soldier Samaritan

  📍 Birdfish Brewing Co. — Columbiana, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 4 PM

  Pints poured for a veteran-serving local nonprofit.

• Ladies Night at the Range

  📍 8920 Shaffer Rd — North Jackson, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 5:30 PM

  Women-only instruction night with coaching and range time.

• WIAF 2026 Miss Italian Pageant

  📍 Courthouse Square — Warren, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 6 PM

  Opening-night sashes, crowns, and unapologetic Italian pride.

• Sip & Build: Fabric Sunflower Decor

  📍 Hartford Orchards, 6953 State Route 305 — Hartford, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 6 PM

  Make a sunflower, sip something, leave with décor.

• 5th Gear Rocks Bike Night

  📍 Quaker Steak & Lube, 5800 Patriot Blvd — Austintown, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 6 PM

  Chrome, wings, and a band in the lot.

• Alley Party & Patio Party at Selah

  📍 Selah, 130 S Bridge St — Struthers, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 6 PM

  Small-town alleyway turned patio party for the evening.

• Music at Mauthe: Jim Baluck

  📍 Mauthe Park, 156 Smithfield St — Struthers, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 6 PM · FREE

  Bring a chair; the music is on the city.

• Champion Estates Summer Concert Series

  📍 Champion Estates, 1 Windsor Pl — Warren, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 6 PM

  Open-to-all lawn concert at the assisted-living community.

• Matt Skeen Acoustic @ West & Main

  📍 West & Main Bar & Grill, 187 W Market St — Warren, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 6 PM

  Acoustic covers and cold drinks in downtown Warren.

• Music in the Park: Twelfth Street Band

  📍 Maag Outdoor Arts Theatre, Boardman Township Park — Boardman, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 6:30 PM · FREE

  Free amphitheater show — the Valley's easiest good night.

• Bee & Beehive Wire-Wrapped Sun Catcher Workshop

  📍 307 5th St — Ellwood City, PA

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 6:30 PM

  Bend wire, catch light, take home something handmade.

• Graphic Novel Club: "I Hate Fairyland"

  📍 POP Art Books Culture — Boardman, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 6:30 PM

  Indie bookshop club digs into a gleefully violent comic.

• Penguin City Book Club

  📍 Penguin City Brewing, 460 E Federal St — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 6 PM

  Books and beer in a reclaimed industrial brewery.

• Trivia Night with Gregg

  📍 126 E Rayen Ave — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 7 PM

  Downtown trivia with a host who's genuinely funny.

• Reggae Night at the Westside Bowl

  📍 Westside Bowl — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 7 PM

  Bowling lanes, reggae, and the city's best dive energy.

• The Bunny The Bear / Definitive Strike / DayDreamer

  📍 Westside Bowl — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 7 PM

  Touring post-hardcore night on the lanes stage.

• Old Skool Throwback Thursday at Up a Creek

  📍 Up A Creek, 4793 E Market St — Warren, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 7 PM

  Throwback jams on the deck over the water.

• Little Mania Mini-Wrestling @ Penguin City

  📍 Penguin City Brewing, 460 E Federal St — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 6 · 7 PM

  Traveling wrestling spectacle inside a downtown brewery.

🎆 Friday, August 7

• Duke's Day Camp — Canine Experience

  📍 6948 State Route 303 — Windham, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 8 AM

  All-day romp, swim, and play for your dog.

• Warren Farmers' Market

  📍 North Park Commons, 347 N Park Ave NW — Warren, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 11 AM–2 PM

  Produce stands a block from the festival gates.

• Children's Summer Arts Festival

  📍 124 E Leasure Ave — New Castle, PA

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 12 PM

  Hands-on art stations built entirely for kids.

• First Fridays: Celebrate America

  📍 Downtown Youngstown — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 5–8 PM · FREE

  Makers market, live bands, and free Butler admission.

• Ignite The Night: Youngstown's America 250 Celebration

  📍 Wean Park & the Amphitheatre, 201 S Phelps St — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · from 5 PM · FREE

  Two stages, free shuttles, and a whole downtown outside.

• YO Nights! feat. No Funk No Justice

  📍 Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 7–10 PM · $5, free w/ DORA cup

  Riverfront funk show for the price of nothing.

• Amazing History Race

  📍 Tyler History Center, 325 W Federal St — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 5–8 PM

  Scavenger hunt across six Valley historic sites.

• OH WOW! On Tap

  📍 OH WOW! Center, 15 Central Square — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 6–9 PM · 21+

  The kids' science center, but with a bar.

• Club Night Dock Diving League at Duke's

  📍 6948 State Route 303 — Windham, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 5 PM

  Dogs launching off a dock. That's the whole pitch.

• Summer Carnival at Boardman Park

  📍 Boardman Township Park, 375 Boardman-Poland Rd — Boardman, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 5 PM

  Rides, games, and funnel cake under park lights.

• Two-Person Themed Scramble

  📍 Great Trail Golf Course, 10154 Great Trail Dr — Minerva, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 5 PM

  Costumes encouraged, golf skills optional, laughs guaranteed.

• Mastropietro Winery w/ Hair Supply

  📍 Mastropietro Winery — Berlin Center, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 6 PM

  Eighties hair-band covers among the vines. Yes, really.

• Live Music: Dan Good & The Midnight Freight

  📍 Birdfish Brewing Co. — Columbiana, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 6 PM

  Roots-rock on the patio of a beloved brewery.

• Weekend Music: Joe Fritz

  📍 2400 NE River Rd — Lake Milton, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 6 PM

  Lakeside acoustic set as the sun drops.

• Music on the Patio at L'uva Bella

  📍 L'uva Bella Winery, 6597 Center Rd — Lowellville, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 6 PM

  Italian winery, patio band, no reservations taken.

• Making Hay Paint Night

  📍 Crafting Elegance — Mahoning Valley, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 6:30 PM

  Guided painting night, no experience required at all.

• Temple Witch / Blood Rune Sigil / Sonic Smut

  📍 Westside Bowl — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 8 PM

  Loud, heavy, gloriously local metal on the lanes.

🎪 Saturday, August 8

• New Castle Music Festival 2026

  📍 Cascade Park, 1928 E Washington St — New Castle, PA

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · gates 12 PM · $20

  Fourteen artists, two stages, Ryan Cabrera headlining.

• Smoky Hollow Club Fest — Feast of the Assumption

  📍 Yosteria, 252 Valley Ave — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · procession 5 PM · FREE

  A candlelit procession, a rose ceremony, then Italian standards.

• Ignite The Night Night 2 + Youngstown Flea

  📍 Wean Park & the Amphitheatre — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 2 PM–sunset · FREE

  Flea market, symphony, fireworks at 9:50 sharp.

• Steel Valley Woofstock 9 ft. Red Wanting Blue

  📍 W.D. Packard Music Hall — Warren, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 6 PM

  Big regional rock show benefiting Valley animal rescue.

• Arts & Crafts at the Beach

  📍 Craig Beach, Lake Milton State Park — Lake Milton, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 10 AM–4 PM

  Ninth-annual lakeside vendor market with food trucks.

• Oak Hill Cemetery Tour: Policemen & Firemen

  📍 Oak Hill Cemetery — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 12 PM · FREE

  Walking tour of the Valley's first responders' graves.

• Concerts in the Courtyard: The Wrangler Band

  📍 TownCenter at Firestone Farms, 101 Town Center Ave — Columbiana, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 6 PM · FREE

  Country covers in a walkable little town square.

• Tea with Anna and Elsa

  📍 Piccadilly Parlour, 114 S Broad St — Canfield, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 10 AM–12 PM · reservations required

  Victorian tea room, two very famous sisters.

• Nature Photography Hike

  📍 16146 Daniel St NE — Minerva, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 8 AM

  Guided walk for people who stop for mushrooms.

• 14th Annual Diles Charity Golf Outing

  📍 Riverview Golf Club, 3903 State Route 82 — Newton Falls, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 8 AM

  Long-running scramble raising money for local families.

• FOXCONN's 5th Annual Golf Tournament

  📍 Tamer Win Golf & Country Club — Cortland, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 8 AM

  Charity scramble on one of Trumbull's prettiest courses.

• 12th Annual Danny Writtenberry Memorial Golf Outing

  📍 Olde Dutch Mill Golf Course — Lake Milton, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 8 AM

  Memorial outing that fills up every single year.

• Northside Farmers' Market

  📍 816 Elm St — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 10 AM–1 PM

  City-grown produce in the historic North Side.

• Future Farmerz Market

  📍 907 Elm St — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 10 AM

  Youth-run urban farm stand on the North Side.

• Howland Farmers' Market

  📍 Richard E. Orwig Park, 8189 E Market St — Howland, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 9 AM–1 PM

  Year-round market that actually shows up weekly.

• Learn to Skydive — First Jump Course

  📍 Skydive Rick's — Petersburg, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 9 AM

  Full instruction, then you jump out yourself.

• Summer Craft Show, Bake Sale & Indoor Carnival

  📍 439 E State St — Sharon, PA

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 9 AM · FREE

  Free-admission craft show with an indoor kids carnival.

• Sewing 101: Pillow Cases

  📍 7038 Morford East Rd — Kinsman, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 10 AM

  Beginner machine class; leave with a finished pillowcase.

• Windsor Estates Summer Bash

  📍 5240 Windsor Way — New Middletown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 10 AM

  Open-to-the-public block party with food and music.

• Wings Over the Valley 2nd Annual Toy Drive Run

  📍 East Side Civics & Athletic Club — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 10 AM

  Motorcycle run collecting toys for Valley kids.

• 2026 Subaru Outback Event at Boardman Subaru

  📍 7811 South Ave — Boardman, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 10 AM

  Test drives, giveaways, and a dog-friendly lot.

• Clark Jenkins & Elton Clifton at Shaker Woods

  📍 Shaker Woods, 44337 County Line Rd — Columbiana, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 10:30 AM

  Festival stage set among the craft village.

• Kids Picture Frame Making

  📍 222 E Market St — Warren, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 10:30 AM

  Decorate a frame, take home the summer memory.

• Cookbook Club

  📍 40 S Main St — Niles, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 10:30 AM

  Everyone cooks a recipe, everyone eats. Perfect.

• Meet Daniel Tiger at the Eastwood Mall

  📍 Eastwood Mall Complex — Niles, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 11 AM

  Free meet-and-greet with a preschool superstar.

• CrossWay Community Day

  📍 5000 Warren Sharon Rd — Vienna, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 11 AM

  Inflatables, free food, and small-town neighborliness.

• Amazing Hellbenders! + Homes for Hellbenders

  📍 12798 Echo Dell Rd — East Liverpool, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 11 AM

  Meet Ohio's giant, gloriously ugly native salamander.

• Return of the Warehouse Sale

  📍 1503 S Brentwood Ave — Ellwood City, PA

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 11 AM

  Warehouse doors open; prices go embarrassingly low.

• Big Knob Sportsman Show 2026

  📍 1229 PA-989 — Rochester, PA

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 11 AM

  Outdoor gear, dogs, and fairground sportsman culture.

• 40k Beginners Open Play

  📍 900 N State St — Girard, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 12 PM

  New to Warhammer? They'll teach you the table.

• Food Truck: 330 BBQ at Birdfish

  📍 Birdfish Brewing Co. — Columbiana, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 12 PM

  Local barbecue parked outside a very good brewery.

• RoyalRidesCC 3rd Annual Car Show

  📍 Penguin City Night Market, 460 E Federal St — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 12 PM

  Downtown car show doubling as a night market.

• Cortland Moose Lodge Wheel-In

  📍 6400 State Route 46 — Cortland, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 12 PM

  Bikes, burgers, and lodge hospitality all afternoon.

• Christian Woodstock

  📍 Newton Falls Methodist Church, 336 Ridge Rd — Newton Falls, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 12 PM

  All-day outdoor worship music festival, family friendly.

• Struthers Rotary Golf Cart Raffle Drawing

  📍 Yellow Creek Park, 17 Lowellville Rd — Struthers, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 1 PM

  Park picnic where somebody drives home a cart.

• Gretchen Fest

  📍 Beaver Creek State Park — East Liverpool, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 3 PM

  Grassroots music day in a genuinely beautiful park.

• WIAF Tiny King & Queen Pageant

  📍 Courthouse Square — Warren, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 3 PM

  The cutest twenty minutes of the entire festival.

• Boardman Alumni Game

  📍 Boardman High School — Boardman, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 4:30 PM

  Old Spartans, new legs, same trash talk.

• Highway Tabernacle's Back to School Bash

  📍 3000 S Raccoon Rd — Austintown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 5 PM

  Free supplies, food, and inflatables before the bell.

• Sunset You-Pick Flower Event

  📍 419 Mount Air Rd — New Castle, PA

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 5:30 PM

  Cut your own bouquet in golden-hour light.

• Shaker Woods 45th Anniversary Kölsch Release

  📍 Birdfish Brewing Co. — Columbiana, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 6 PM

  A beer brewed specifically for the festival's birthday.

• Weekend Music: Cin City and the Saints

  📍 2400 NE River Rd — Lake Milton, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 6 PM

  Lake bar, full band, dancing on the deck.

• The Breakups at Trax Lounge

  📍 Trax Lounge, 4250 New Rd — Austintown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 6 PM

  Local rock four-piece that fills the floor.

• Adult Book Vase Painting

  📍 222 E Market St — Warren, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 6 PM

  Turn an old book into a very good vase.

• Backroad Karaoke

  📍 2576 Davis Peck Rd — Cortland, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 6 PM

  Country-road karaoke with zero judgment allowed.

• Live Music: Bryan Philips

  📍 Cobblehaus at the Falls, 1015 Leesburg Station Rd — Mercer, PA

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 7 PM

  Taproom singer-songwriter night beside the falls.

• Theriaca Live at Iron Mann Grille

  📍 Iron Mann Grille, 1762 N State St — Girard, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 7 PM

  Rock covers at a friendly Girard neighborhood grille.

• Common Ground @ Gorant Dessert Bar

  📍 Gorant Dessert Bar, 400 Boardman-Poland Rd — Boardman, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 7 PM

  Live music where the dessert is the point.

• Ellwood City Saturday Summer Concert Series

  📍 Lawrence Ave — Ellwood City, PA

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 7 PM · FREE

  Free downtown concert on a closed main street.

• The Project Band: Hippie Concert

  📍 Grand Valley Inn, 452 Constitution Blvd — New Brighton, PA

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 7 PM

  Sixties and seventies tribute night, tie-dye encouraged.

• Cortland Moose Lodge Live

  📍 Cortland Moose Lodge, 6400 State Route 46 — Cortland, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 7 PM

  Lodge dance floor, live band, cheap drinks.

• Little Mania Mini-Wrestling @ Thee Diamond Lodge

  📍 Thee Diamond Lodge, 3116 State Route 14 — Rootstown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 7 PM · 21+

  The traveling wrestling circus, second stop this weekend.

• Funky Foam N Flirt Singles Night

  📍 Quaker Steak & Lube, 101 Chestnut St — Sharon, PA

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 8 PM

  A foam party. For singles. At the Lube.

• Nickel Plated Revolver Band

  📍 1400 Factory Ave — Ellwood City, PA

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 8 PM

  Southern-rock volume in a small Pennsylvania town.

• Ridgemont Brings the 80s Back to Crickets

  📍 Crickets Bar & Grille, 1733 E Midlothian Blvd — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 8 PM

  Full eighties tribute set on the South Side.

• Bad JuJu at Fireside Lake Campground

  📍 Fireside Lake Campground, 6940 Rochester Rd — East Rochester, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 8 PM

  Campground concert — bring the chair and cooler.

• Superhype at The New Manhattan

  📍 The New Manhattan, 7262 Hubbard-Masury Rd — Hubbard, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 8 PM

  Party covers that fill a Hubbard dance floor.

• Monsters of the Week / Bombchele & The Bangs

  📍 Westside Bowl — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 8 PM

  Three local bands, one gloriously loud bowling alley.

• Broken Reins

  📍 8942 Youngstown-Pittsburgh Rd — Poland, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 8 PM

  Country band, back roads, and a packed lot.

• Bazooka Joe Live

  📍 Steel City Sports Bar & Grille, 3108 New Butler Rd — New Castle, PA

  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 9 PM

  Late-night rock in Lawrence County's loudest room.

⛪ Sunday, August 9

• Warren Italian Festival: Outdoor Mass & Parade

  📍 Courthouse Square, 161 High St — Warren, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · procession 9:50 AM, Mass 10 AM, parade 2 PM

  The weekend's emotional peak — do not miss this.

• Warren Italian Festival Parade Staging

  📍 Perkins Park — Warren, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 2 PM

  Where the floats line up before rolling downtown.

• Joe Bonamassa with Gov't Mule

  📍 Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, 201 S Phelps St — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 7 PM

  Two guitar legends on the riverfront. Big night.

• Jazz in the Park

  📍 Wick Park, 260 Park Ave — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 3–7 PM · FREE

  Thirty-plus years of free Sunday jazz. Still going.

• Columbiana County Fair Demolition Derby

  📍 Columbiana County Fairgrounds — Lisbon, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 6:30 PM · $10

  Closing-night metal carnage in front of the grandstand.

• Ohio MTB State Championship at West Branch

  📍 Cable Line Rd Trailhead, West Branch State Park — Ravenna, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 9 AM

  State title race on fast Northeast Ohio singletrack.

• NE Ohio Reptile Show

  📍 1620 Motor Inn Dr — Girard, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 9 AM

  Snakes, geckos, and vendors who love them.

• The Grove City Getaway

  📍 Grove City Premium Outlets — Grove City, PA

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 6:30 AM

  Church-organized bus trip to the outlet mall.

• Princess Pajama Party

  📍 2177 W Western Reserve Rd — Canfield, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 11 AM

  Pajamas, princesses, pancakes — you know the drill.

• Louisville R/C Raceway 2nd Annual Golf Outing

  📍 Edgewater Golf Club, 2401 Fox Ave SE — Minerva, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 11 AM

  Hobby-club fundraiser scramble with a friendly field.

• Hank's Sunday Car Cruise

  📍 Hank's Frozen Custard, 2210 3rd Ave — New Brighton, PA

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 12 PM

  Custard, tacos, and a lot of chrome.

• Brunch with Calder Carpenter at the Westside Bowl

  📍 Westside Bowl — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 12 PM

  Bowling-alley brunch with live acoustic accompaniment.

• Hubbard Farmers Market

  📍 110 Orchard Ave SE — Hubbard, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 10 AM–2 PM

  Sunday market on the Roosevelt Center lawn.

• Four Seasons Flea & Farm Market

  📍 3000 McCartney Rd — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 8 AM–4 PM

  Year-round flea market that rewards early arrivals.

• Birds and Words: Mixed Media meets Audubon

  📍 18 W Liberty St — Hubbard, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 1 PM

  Vintage prints, mixed media, and a quiet afternoon.

• Workshop: Hands of Light and Dark

  📍 805 Mahoning Ave — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 – Mon, Aug 10 · 1 PM

  Two-day figure workshop at Loop's brand-new arts center.

• Acacia Wood Cheese Boards

  📍 Cobblehaus at the Falls, 1015 Leesburg Station Rd — Mercer, PA

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 1 PM · $35

  Pick a design, burn it, take it home.

• SOLO SIXSTRING at Castaway Craig's

  📍 Castaway Craig's, 2114 Grandview Rd — Lake Milton, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 2 PM

  Lakeside solo guitar and a cold drink.

• Diaper Days

  📍 West Mecca Bible Methodist Church — Mecca Township, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 4 PM

  Free diaper distribution for Valley families who need them.

• Music in the Park + Back to School Vendor Market

  📍 Tod Park — Girard, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 5 PM

  Concert plus vendors stocked for the school year.

• Community Block Party

  📍 100 W Venango St — Mercer, PA

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 5 PM

  Small-town block party, everybody's invited, nobody's charged.

• Waterworth Park Concert: New Wave Nation

  📍 Waterworth Memorial Park — Salem, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 6 PM · FREE

  Eighties new-wave tribute in Salem's big park.

• Harding Park Summer Concert Series

  📍 Harding Park — Hubbard, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 6 PM · FREE

  Free hometown concert series in its summer stride.

• Keg Bar & Grille welcomes Hair Supply

  📍 Keg Bar & Grille, 1499 E State St — Sharon, PA

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 7 PM

  Hair-metal covers to close out your weekend loudly.

• Friendship Commanders / CROP / rebreather

  📍 Westside Bowl — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Sun, Aug 9 · 7 PM

  Touring noise-rock finale at the Valley's best venue.

🔭 Looking Ahead — The Rest of August & Beyond

• Brier Hill Italian Fest

  📍 Brier Hill — Youngstown, OH

  🕰️ Aug 13–16

  Round three of Italian festival season. Bring cash.

• The Goonies Scavenger Hunt & Movie Night

  📍 101 Town Center Ave — Columbiana, OH

  🕰️ Thu, Aug 13 · 6 PM

  Hunt the town, then watch it on a screen.

• Mahoning Valley Irish Festival

  📍 St. Luke's — Boardman, OH

  🕰️ Aug 15–16

  Pipes, dancers, and a very serious food tent.

• First Fridays Downtown Youngstown — America 250
  📍 Downtown — Youngstown, OH
  🕰️ Fri, Aug 7 · 5 PM
  Rescheduled patriotic block party downtown.

  Ignite The Night: Youngstown's America 250 Celebration
  📍 Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre — Youngstown, OH
  🕰️ Sat, Aug 8 · 6 PM
  Music and fireworks on the riverfront.

  The Goonies Scavenger Hunt and Movie Night
  📍 101 Town Center Ave — Columbiana, OH
  🕰️ Thu, Aug 13 · 6 PM
  Scavenger hunt then a classic movie outdoors.

• Glendi — St. John's Greek Festival

  📍 St. John Greek Orthodox — Boardman, OH

  🕰️ Aug 20–23

  The Valley's best four days of Greek food.

• Shaker Woods Festival — Weekends 2 & 3

  📍 44337 County Line Rd — Columbiana, OH

  🕰️ Aug 15–16 and Aug 22–23

  Missed opening weekend? You get two more.

• Ohio School of Falconry

  📍 12798 Echo Dell Rd — East Liverpool, OH

  🕰️ Sat, Sep 5 · 1 PM

  Yes, a real bird lands on your arm.

🌟 P.S. 🌟

You do not have to leave to go somewhere. Half the people at that parade on Sunday have never been to the soda fountain in Kinsman, and half the people at the soda fountain have never stood on Courthouse Square while a marching band comes around the corner. Pick one thing on this list you've never done. That's the assignment.

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