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4 July/August 2023 www.westervillemagazine.com In every issue 6 Community Calendar 8 Faces 12 In Focus 20 Student Spotlight 22 Living 28 On the Table 30 Bookmarks Westerville homes 26 Luxury Living Real Estate Guide 27 Top Homes Sold in Westerville Inside JULY/AUGUST 2023 12 ON THE COVER
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July 1
Performance Dogs of Ohio 10 a.m.
Hanby Park 115 E. Park St. www.westervillelibrary.org
July 1-8
Take & Make: Community Quilt Project 9 a.m.
Westerville Public Library 126 S. State St. www.westervillelibrary.org
July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Aug. 6, 13
Sounds of Summer
6:30 p.m.
Alum Creek Amphitheater 221 W. Main St. parks.westerville.org
July 4
Independence Day Celebration 4 p.m.
Westerville Sports Complex 325 N. Cleveland Ave. www.westervillerotary.com
July 6
STEAM Experiments: Binary Code 2:30 p.m.
Westerville Public Library 126 S. State St. www.westervillelibrary.org
July 8-9
Westerville Area Chamber Music & Arts Festival
10 a.m.-7 p.m. July 8 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 9
Heritage Park & Everal Barn 60 N. Cleveland Ave. www.westervillechamber.com
July 8, 22, Aug. 12, 26
Uptown Clue
4:30 p.m.
Birdie Books 74 N. State St. www.visitwesterville.org
July 10
ESOL Class (Summer Session)
10 a.m.
Westerville Public Library 126 South State St. www.westervillelibrary.org
6 July/August 2023 www.westervillemagazine.com MARK YOUR CALENDAR! July/August 5 12 19 26 6 13 20 27 7 14 21 28 1 8 15 22 29 2 9 16 23 30 3 10 17 24 31 4 11 18 25 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 2023
Dates and events are subject to change. Check with event organizers before attending.
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Westerville Area Chamber Music & Arts Festival
July 10
Planting the Fall Garden
6:30 p.m.
Westerville Public Library
126 S. State St. www.westervillelibrary.org
July 12, 19, 26
Garden Explorers (Outside)
10 a.m.
Otterbein Community Gardens
600 N. Spring Rd. www.westervillelibrary.org
July 15
The Usual Suspects
6 p.m. Ridgewood Park 5410 Buenos Aires Blvd. www.blendontwp.org
July 15, Aug. 5, 12, 19
Saturday Concerts
6:30 p.m.
Alum Creek Amphitheater 221 W. Main St. parks.westerville.org
July 20
Giant Bubble Show
2 p.m.
Westerville Public Library 126 S. State St. www.giantbubbleshow.com
July 24 Chamber Golf Outing
9 a.m. Medallion Golf & Country Club 5000 Club Dr. www.westervillechamber.com
July 28, Aug. 25, save the date: September 22
Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Fourth Friday Festivals
July 28: Three Ton Tod, Aug 25: SWAGG Midwest
6-9 p.m.
Uptown Westerville www.uptownwestervilleinc.com
July 30
Westerville Habitat Partnership’s Tapestry of a Town
1-5 p.m.
Uptown Westerville www.westervillehabitatpartnership.org
Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24
Beginner Salsa, Social Dance Lessons
7:30 p.m.
Next Level Fitness 1220 County Line Rd. www.talkinbody.com
Aug. 5
Pint-Sized Paint Party 10 a.m.
Westerville Public Library 126 S. State St. www.westervillelibrary.org
Aug. 12
Creative Pens Writing Group
3 p.m.
Westerville Public Library 126 S. State St. www.westervillelibrary.org
Aug. 13
Uptown Untapped
6 p.m. Uptown Westerville www.uptownwestervilleinc.com
Aug. 25
4th Friday on the Lawn: Picnic with the Pups 6 p.m.
Westerville Public Library 126 S. State St. www.westervillelibrary.org
Aug. 26
Night of Hope 5K & Family Fun Run
5:30 p.m.
Jim McCann Stadium County Line Road www.westervilleeducationchallenge.org
Aug. 26
These Guys Live 6 p.m.
Ridgewood Park 5410 Buenos Aires Blvd. www.blendontwp.org
Monday – Saturday 11 am – 6 pm Sunday 1 – 5pm
July/August 2023 7 www.westervillemagazine.com
Independence Day Celebration
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faces By Claire Miller
Photos courtesy of Bob Price
Former volleyball commissioner, South coach honored for contribution to game
Bob Price (right) accepts the Dr. Neville A. “Doc” Booth Commissioner’s Award at the 2023 USA Volleyball Hall of Fame ceremony.
Bob Price has an immense love of volleyball. His love for the game has lasted more than 40 years and counting. First as a player, then coach and regional commissioner, but he often participated in all three aspects at once.
Price retired from coaching in 2007 and from his position as the Ohio Valley Region commissioner in 2022, but he can’t stay away from the sport.
In May, Price was honored by USA Volleyball in its 2023 Hall of Fame with the Dr. Neville A. “Doc” Booth Commissioner’s Award, which was presented to him by his longtime mentor, Olympian Doug Beal at the ceremony in Dallas, Texas.
“It’s not the award, it’s the journey. It’s the people that you met, people that you knew, people that you got to know, the people you developed relationships with along that way. Those are the important things about an award to me,” Price says of the honor.
Finding his passion
The sport of volleyball has grown and thrived in Columbus, and Price’s leadership was an integral part. Price was introduced to volleyball while pursuing a physical education degree at The Ohio State University. The volleyball section was taught by doctoral candidate and OSU men’s coach Doug Beal, a Hall of Fame player who would go on to coach the men’s national team to 1984 Olympic gold and later become the CEO of USA Volleyball.
It was the acclaimed Buckeye player, Price says, who got him “hooked on volleyball.”
Then, in 1978, when Price was teaching physical education and health at Westerville South High School, Ron Lehman – girls volleyball coach at Black Walnut – organized a men’s recreational team which traveled and played all around the Midwest. Playing on the team was Price’s introduction to USA Volleyball, which eventually became a large part of his life as he continued to play in the Ohio Valley Region more than 15 years.
Price accepted the girls volleyball coaching job at Westerville South in 1983. With the Wildcats, he had a 486-127 record over 24 seasons and earned 16 league and 10 district titles.
“I had the opportunity to coach a great number of athletes and they overcame the coaching,” Price says humbly. “Those kids, they worked hard and I hope they had fun
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doing it. We had a lot of success and we had some disappointments but, you know, that’s kind of like growing up.”
Price, a 2002 inductee to the Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, led South to a state semifinal appearance in 1992.
At the same time, Price continued to be involved with the OVR and was selected to the Board of Directors, becoming the assistant commissioner. Then in 1993, he became the commissioner.
That same year, the OHSAA changed its rules to allow girls to play volleyball outside of the high school season, which
opened the door for and spurred the development of clubs. The membership of the OVR also started to grow at a rapid pace.
Legacy of growth
Previously, there were roughly around 3,500 to 4,000 members in 1983, who were mostly adults. By 2005, the region had grown to 15,000 members. Currently, there are around 26,000 members.
The OVR sanctioned over 900 tournaments last year.
“A lot of regions around the country, they use us as a model a lot of times, which is a compliment,” Price says.
Linda Logan, executive director of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, first worked with Price when she reached out to the OVR in 1991, ahead of the construction of the Greater Columbus Convention Center. As the director of sales and services, she asked Price and the OVR if they would like to hold events at the convention center once it was completed in 1993. They took a hard hat tour of the facility and envisioned what it would be like to have tournaments there.
“They took a leap of faith,” Logan says. “They were one of the first groups in the convention center in 1993.”
Columbus is one of the nationally recognized destinations for volleyball,
Logan says, because of the work of the OVR and Price.
Logan says Price is a servant leader and someone who gets the job done.
“He has the passion for the sports and stamina – just think about what it’s taken to grow the game here,” she says.
His legacy, according to Logan, is the number of girls in the game.
“The fact that he gave so many people opportunities to play and not just the elite players, but the everyday players,” she says. “He lit a spark, I think, under so many people, it’s probably hard to even imagine how many people he’s impacted just because the region has grown so much.”
For many years, Price coached at the high school level and oversaw junior and club volleyball at the same time. He says it worked to his advantage to be in both positions because of his understanding of the OHSAA. Some people saw it as a conflict, he says, but Price did not.
“We could not be in conflict with (OHSAA philosophy),” he says. “We had to work with that philosophy and that program to make ours grow. I think we did a pretty good job of that.”
Although he had skin in both games, he was in the minority of high school coaches who believed in the merits of playing mul-
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He lit a spark, I think, under so many people, it’s probably hard to even imagine how many people he’s impacted.
Linda Logan, executive director of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission
tiple sports instead of committing to one sport year-round. Ultimately, with both options available to them, it’s the athlete’s choice, he says.
Athleticism and love of sport runs in the family. Price’s wife, Jeri, understood the sacrifice he was making because she also spent a great deal of time coaching and teaching as well.
Jeri led Bishop Hartley to a state championship in track and field in 1984 during her 31 years as a teacher and coach. Their daughter, Jessica Timmons, played volleyball and their late son, Paul, was an avid basketball player.
In 2010, the Price family raised $250,000 through a memorial fund to build the Paul G. Price Memorial weight room at Westerville South.
Now that he’s easing into retirement, he’s spending more time with his two grandchildren and has gone on more trips with his family in the past few years. He enjoys golfing and, of course, staying in touch with volleyball (“It’s hard to go cold turkey,” he says).
“I would do it all again if I could,” Price says. “But I’m too old.”
Claire Miller is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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12 July/August 2023 www.westervillemagazine.com in focus
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Strike Up the Band Music & Arts Festival celebrates
artists young and old
By Katie Giffin
The Westerville Music & Arts Festival returns to Heritage Park on July 8 and 9 for its 49th year celebrating local art of all kinds. Featuring 125 fine art and craft vendors, local performers and artists, food vendors as well as youth and adult activities, the festival continues
its tradition of being a summertime community highlight.
“Most of our musicians and artists are from central Ohio, so it’s a celebration of creativity and community. We are bringing people together to have a good time but also to support the arts in our community,” Sta-
cey Rusterholz, communications and community outreach manager at the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, says.
Then and now
First starting in 1974 as a way for the Westerville Chamber to give back to the community, the festival has grown from a humble street fair with 50 artists to attracting around 3 million visitors over the past 49 years. After bouncing around from Otterbein University’s campus to Uptown Westerville, the festival landed at its current home in Heritage Park in 2000, says Teri Hicks, former event coordinator with the Westerville Chamber.
The festival is scheduled for July 8 and 9 and admission costs $1. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Saturday concludes with an evening concert headlined by local performers, the Reaganomics, with an opener from CYNTsation. Beer sales from Rhinegeist Brewery and Zaftig Brewing Company are available from 5-9:30 p.m.
Food trucks bringing classic fair food, such as kettle corn and hot dogs, will be available as well as community favorites like Schmidt’s Sausage Truck and 101 Smokehouse on Wheels. Parking is available at the Westerville Sports Complex parking lot, The Point at Otterbein and the Westerville Senior Center parking lot with a free trolley running from the sports complex to the festival.
The festival includes three different musical performance areas: A singersongwriter tent which features intimate solo performances, a main stage in front of the Everal Barn and Homestead for larger concerts and a community stage that provides relaxed entertainment around the eating area.
“Columbus is home to so many gifted songwriters and musicians, and we get flooded with performance applications. I only wish we had more stages so we could accommodate all the creative talent in our community,” Chris Minton, music manager for the festival, says.
18 July/August 2023 www.westervillemagazine.com
Photos courtesy of Westerville Area Chamber
Outside of musical performances, the festival also hosts a Youth Art Exhibit sponsored by Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which is open to kids ages 3-18 featuring jury-selected artists across art mediums. The art is displayed on the second floor of Everal Barn.
The festival also features a silent auction with donated pieces from local artists and craft vendors with all proceeds going toward funding the festival as well as arts and craft vendors for kids and adults.
What’s new?
This year, the chamber is introducing a new event to the festival: Battle of the Bands. The musical competition will feature teen musicians competing to earn a performance on the main stage. The preliminary competition will take place in the park behind the Westerville Community Library. The winner of that performance will progress to the main stage to perform for a larger audience.
“It’s a really neat opportunity for them to get some additional exposure in the
community,” Rusterholz says. “Especially for a teen artist interested in getting their music out there.”
In addition to the performance, a free trolley will run from Heritage Park to Uptown Westerville on Saturday. Festival-goers are encouraged to visit the farmers’ market in Uptown Westerville as well as the other local businesses there. The chamber is also introducing a bike corral along the main street entrance for this year’s festival to accommodate more festival-goers.
“The Music & Arts Festival is a community tradition that has evolved over the years. As a lifetime resident, I attended the festival as a child. I volunteered and even served as the Chair of the Festival. … Today I can proudly say I have worked with my team to plan and execute the festival for the last 30 years,” Janet Tressler-Davis, president and CEO of the Westerville Chamber, says.
Katie Giffin is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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By Grady Libertini
Passion Project student spotlight
St. Paul student investigates horse health and nutrition
Though she is young, St. Paul Catholic School eighth-grader Evelyn Bishop has been raising her own herd throughout her life. She has raised six to seven horses, and though the animals tower over her, she shows responsibility and respect for the natural world.
“Evelyn is quiet as a mouse, calm as a cucumber, and graceful as a swan,” says Luke Patterson, Bishop’s eighthgrade English teacher, “and is in her element working with 1,000-poundplus horses.”
Horse health, medicine and nutrition are all of interest to Bishop, and that interest has led her to a unique approach to her science project: testing three types of grain to discover which made her barrel horse perform best.
“The first one was protein, then fat and then carbohydrates,” Bishop says. “It took three weeks to complete with the horse eating a different grain each week.”
She hypothesized that the carbohydrates would produce the best results, and after three weeks was surprised to find that the fat-heavy grain pushed her horse, Tink, to their best time. Bishop also tested the horse’s blood sugar throughout the experiment to gauge its energy.
This might seem above and beyond for someone her age, but this deep thinking is nothing new for Bishop.
“Every morning me and my brother wake up at like 6 to feed them, water and clean the stalls; it has really taught me how to do work thoroughly and take care of animals,” Bishop says.
This was no ordinary project that was done solely for a good grade, but something that fuels Bishop’s passion and curiosity.
“A lot of other projects were about plants or things that students may not have
had a true passion for,” Bishop says. “My project was about two things I really love to do, which is barrel racing and nutrition/ health and wellness of animals.”
Her science project hasn’t been the only place where Bishop has been able to flex her equestrian knowledge. For a recent argumentative paper in her English class, Bishop explored and expressed her passion for animal health and nutrition.
“My biggest takeaway would be learning more about different veterinary medicines that are in science in general,” Bishop says. “Seeing the logic of everything is cool to understand.”
Aside from these outstanding school assignments and projects, Bishop’s presence is seen through many other school clubs and activities.
“I’m also the president of our 4-H club,” Bishop says. “Previously I have taken pigs to competitions, but this is my third year actually taking cows.”
The livestock animals are shown in the Delaware County Fair while the barrel racing competitions are usually farther, within an hour’s drive. Bishop’s commitment and fascination with horses deepened when she attended the All American Quarter Horse Congress.
“I think I started competitions with horses when I was 9 or 10, when I really
thought, ‘Wow, I’m not just into horses, but I am really into horses.’”
Although it may seem Bishop has done it all, she is just getting started.
“This summer I am planning on volunteering at CityPets614 Animal Hospital and also volunteer at Select Sires Beef cow breeding facility,” Bishop says. “After that, I hope I can make my way up to veterinary medicine. Working with dogs and cats would be cool, but mainly working with horses, because, well, you know, I do really love horses.”
20 July/August 2023 www.westervillemagazine.com
Photo courtesy of Jill Bishop
Grady Libertini is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
July/August 2023 21 www.westervillemagazine.com
living By Maisie Fitzmaurice
Brightening Up the Space
Westerville home gets mid-century and contemporary style renovations
When purchasing her family’s Westerville home in 2017, Erica Pentak says she had already planned to make renovations that would better fit her family’s needs and personal style.
Craig Pentak, Erica’s husband, always dreamed of having a large chef’s kitchen where he could prepare meals for her and their three children. Erica hoped to alter the home to be a unique space that really felt like their own.
“We work hard to save up money to do something and make a house a home,” Erica says.
To make their visions a reality, the family hired Scott Florence’s Florence Construction Company and decorator Emily Rudolph Interiors.
The plan they shared with Florence and Rudolph was to renovate the staircase, kitchen, dining room and living room. In addition, they hoped to replace the flooring on the first floor entirely with hardwood.
Renovations began soon after Thanksgiving 2021. In less than six months the Pentak family had successfully renovated all four areas with a few modifications along the way.
To Erica’s delight, the renovations were done in time for the spring sunshine to flood through the windows.
“We added some larger windows so that light comes into our house. The walls, they’re white, so it just feels a lot brighter and lighter and airy,” she says.
Unfortunately, the budget did not enable the family to replace the entire first floor with hardwood as planned. Instead, they decided to update the downstairs half-bath.
Even though the renovations didn’t go exactly as planned, Erica is grateful they hit only a few speed bumps along the way.
22 July/August 2023 www.westervillemagazine.com
Photos by Craig Pentak
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“You hear a lot about other people’s renovations taking so much longer than anticipated and ours actually did go pretty smoothly. So we’re really lucky,” she says.
The first plan of action was to update the stairs. The carpet was removed and replaced with hardwood and the railings were redone.
Once the stairs were finished they moved on to the kitchen. They started by completely gutting it and knocking down a wall to double the space. They outfitted their new kitchen with quality appliances, white countertops, a larger pantry and lots of cabinets and drawers for storage.
“My favorite part is the kitchen wall where the stove is on. It’s all tiled from the countertop to the ceiling. So I really liked that,” Erica says.
For the living room and dining room areas, the Pentaks repainted the fireplace, added more cabinets and installed a feature wall to accent the space. Erica says there’s now enough storage space to keep the house looking tidy.
“Everything is nicely put away and organized so those are the big things out only,” she says.
Once all the changes were finalized, Erica says they were delighted. They feel proud to call the space their home.
“It is kind of like a surreal moment where you’re like, ‘Oh, this is my house, my kitchen, my life,’” she says.
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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516 Big Rock Ct., Westerville – Wow, this lovely home has so much to offer, 2600 sq. ft., beautiful setting, culdesac location in olde mill subdivision and so many updates! $425,000.
COLDWELL BANKER REALTY ThePowellBuehlerGroup.com
Todd Stone (614) 397-1231
RE/MAX TOWN CENTER toddstone.remax.com
Connie Sadowski (614) 943-0025
Meticulously maintained ranch condo gives you the lifestyle you desire in a great location. Screened in porch is fantastic for private outdoor living & around back is a beautiful community pond!
COLDWELL BANKER REALTY connieSELLShouses.com
The Powell Buehler Group (614) 915-4588
COLDWELL BANKER REALTY ThePowellBuehlerGroup.com
INCONTRACT
The Powell Buehler Group (614) 915-4588
4516 Queen Ann St., New Albany – Welcome to the enchanting Ashton Grove community, straight out of a storybook, complete with a charming white picket fence! $650,000.
COLDWELL BANKER REALTY ThePowellBuehlerGroup.com
Todd Stone (614) 397-1231
683 Regency Bend, Delaware – 5 Bed 4.5 bath. This stunning home sits on .55 acres and offers everything you could want and more: den, sunroom, formal dining, huge modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances, gas Kitchenaid cook top, vaulted and tray ceilings, huge master bedroom closet, electric vehicle charger, hard wired for audio/visual, security, internet, and USB charging throughout, 2 HVAC systems, energy efficient, gas fireplace, huge basement, luxury vinyl flooring, 3 car garage and many other updates. $815,000. RE/MAX TOWN CENTER toddstone.remax.com
26 July/August 2023 www.westervillemagazine.com Call today for more information: 614-572-1240 Don’t miss your opportunity to showcase your home listings to every homeowner in Westerville. Your listings will also appear in the digital edition of the magazine, hosted on the WestervilleMagazine home page: westervillemagazine.com what’s your style?
5626 Medallion Dr., Westerville – 4 bed 4.5 bath 3 car garage. Beautiful home on the 1st hole of the Medallion Golf Course. First floor master suite! Soaring ceilings, custom cabinets, high end appliances, large patio and more! Located adjacent to the Medallion Clubhouse with panoramic views of the golf course and water. $679,000.
5060 Grasshopper Ln., Westerville – Unbelievable condo in the little turtle area with tons of updates!
311 Mill Wind Ct. S., Westerville – Lovely home situated on a wonderful lot located in the heart of Westerville. Walk to 3 parks, schools (walk to all the sporting events!), bike/walking trails, uptown Westerville and much more! $476,000.
SOLD SOLD
SOLD
SOLD SOLD SOLD
The price of Westerville homes was down 4.1 percent in April 2023 in comparison to last year, with the median price being $385K. On average, Westerville homes sold after 30 days on the market in comparison to 28 days last year. A total of 42 homes were sold this April which is down from 69 last year.
July/August 2023 27 www.westervillemagazine.com Top Homes Sold in Westerville All information is collected from the Franklin County Auditor offices and Redfin. 105 W. Plum St. 4 beds 2.5 baths $657,500 Sold 4/25/23 101 N. State St. 3 beds 2.5 baths $615,000 Sold 4/24/23 1267 N. Three Folks Dr. 4 beds 2.5 baths $550,000 Sold 4/25/23 661 River Rd. 4 beds 3.5 baths $500,000 Sold 4/3/23 718 Westray Dr. 4 beds 2.5 baths $485,000 Sold 5/11/23 1034 Harbor View Dr. 4 beds 2.5 baths $475,000 Sold 5/18/23 1276 Wallasey Dr. 4 beds 2.5 baths $472,000 Sold 4/27/23
Wallasey Dr. 4 beds 2.5 baths $450,000 Sold 5/17/23
Autumn Woods Dr. 4 beds 2.5 baths $445,000 Sold 4/7/23 141 E. Sandstone Lp. 4 beds 2.5 baths $440,000 Sold 5/10/23 1268 Colston Dr. 3 beds 2.5 baths $440,000 Sold 5/10/23 540 Liberty Ln. 4 beds 2.5 baths $426,100 Sold 5/15/23
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• Top customer service for all of your real estate needs. • Specializing in buying and/or selling your home. • Local Westerville Resident and Realtor. • Helping to make your moving process easy and enjoyable. Todd Stone Realtor toddstonerealtor@gmail.com 614-397-1231 Let’s Get Moving! Call today to get your FREE consultation.
By Nathan Mader
Freedom Food Trucks
Rotary Club of Westerville to host its Independence Day celebration
The Rotary Club of Westerville invites all to party like it’s 1776 when it hosts its 61st annual Independence Day Celebration complete with an expanded Food Truck Festival and Concert Series.
Dave Krebs, chairman of the Fourth of July celebration, says he hopes to gather over 10,000 people together for the event to not only celebrate everything Fourth of July, but to build community.
“This is going to be the biggest and best ever. We got some great donations to make this possible,” Krebs says. “It’s pretty exciting.”
Food Truck Festival and Concert Series
Krebs says there are over a dozen food trucks and tents ready to serve festive dishes to attendees shortly after they arrive at the Westerville Athletic Complex at 4 p.m., giving visitors plenty of time to relax and eat before musicians take the stage an hour later.
If you’re looking for some great food, food trucks will be stationed across the road at the Westerville Community Center for the first time.
The concerts will kick off with music by Blue Spectrum, and in an ironic twist for a 1776 festival, The British Invasion will perform next with its signature ’60s British rock style before finishing just in time to watch fireworks presented by the City of Westerville.
“When the band gets done at 9:50, you can just look up and the fireworks come right overhead,” Krebs says. “It’s really close, so we got a great view.”
Building Community
One of the Rotary Club’s mottos is “service above self,” and Krebs says he wants to embrace that by providing the community with a great opportunity to reconnect at their Independence Day Celebration.
“Ours is all about bringing the community back together,” Krebs says. “It’s just a really neat family time that kind of brings the community together.”
Krebs says the celebration is not only held to honor veterans, soldiers and first responders, but also to help people overcome conflict and find common ground within their community.
“This is a chance to kind of get back to our roots of America, to be friends with our neighbors, and to know who our neighbors are and to find new neighbors, and really have a chance to bring community together in unity,” he says.
All-day Celebration
Before the food trucks and concerts, the Independence Day Celebration starts bright and
early with some changes from previous years’ festivities.
As usual, the annual Independence Day Celebration 5K Run/Walk will take place at 8 a.m. with proceeds benefiting Westerville’s Young-Budd Post 171 of the American Legion and Ellis E. Woodrow Memorial Post 7883 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
Different this year is a pre-race ceremony featuring the Westerville Honor Guard with members from both the American Legion and VFW at the new Westerville Veterans Memorial Plaza at the Westerville Sports Complex. The ceremony takes place at 7:30 a.m. and will be followed by the Kids Fun Run dashes taking place before the 5K.
To avoid peak-day summer heat, Krebs says the Independence Day Parade is sticking with its 10:30 a.m. time and will feature The Ohio State University Marching Band director Christopher Hoch as the parade’s grand marshal.
Looking for a sweet summer dish before you head to the festival? Krebs recommends his fresh fruit salad, which is as tasty as it is patriotic in red, white and blue.
28 July/August 2023 www.westervillemagazine.com on
the table
Photos courtesy of Rotary Club of Westerville
Nathan Mader is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com
Westerville North High School cheerleading team at the 2022 Independence Day Parade.
The Rotary Club of Westerville float at the 2022 Independence Day Parade.
Pat Krebs’ Fruit Salad
• 2 cups of strawberries
• 2 cups of raspberries
• 1 cup of blackberries
• 2 cups of blueberries
• 4 kiwis sliced to show the center star pattern
• 2 sliced bananas
• 2 cans of Dole tropical fruit (undrained)
• 2 cans of mandarin oranges (drained)
• 1 fresh pineapple cut in cubes
• 1 cup Craisins (or dried cranberries)
• 1 cup sliced grapes
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Chill until ready to serve.
Let the strawberries, blueberries and kiwi stars give the salad a nice
Fourth of July flair.
Confirmed Food Trucks and Vendors
Medallen’s Gyros – Gyros, gyro rolls, salads, cyclone fries, pop/water
Tortilla Street Food – Tacos, quesadillas, burritos
The Tasty Bus – Mini donuts, soft pretzels, ice cream, doughnut sundaes
Chick-fil-A – Sandwiches, chips, cookies, canned pop/water
Yumii Kettle Corn Co. – Kettle corn, water
The Funnel Cake Station – Funnel cakes with choice of toppings
Donna’s Delicious Dozen – Madeto-order donuts, cold brew
Coffee Company – Iced coffee, iced tea, shaved ice, lemonade, Italian sodas, smoothies, frappes
Ruta 40 Argentina Grill – Argentine food, beef and bratwurst sandwiches, ground beef empanadas, salads
Cardinal Pizza – Pizza
Schmidt’s Sausage Truck – Bahama Mama sausage, pork bratwurst, chicken bratwurst, all beef frankfurter, garlic knockwurst
Fat Kid Burgers – Hamburgers, tater tots, and kids’ hot dogs and chicken nuggets meals
Kona Ice large and small food trucks – Shaved ice
July/August 2023 29 www.westervillemagazine.com
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bookmarks
From the Westerville Public Library
Stream Movies
For online library resources such as ebooks, digital magazines, kids activities and more, visit www.westervillelibrary.org
Recommended Youth Reads
from Katie Ross, Youth Services Librarian
The One Day House
by Julia Durango (Picture Book)
Wilson wants to fix his neighbor Gigi’s house. With determination inspired by his love for Gigi, Wilson devises a beautiful plan that helps him give Gigi her “one day” house.
Grandparents Day!
by Candice Ransom (Reader)
Spending a day with Grandma and Grandpa is always special and makes for cherished memories. Ransom writes a rhythmic tale of a special day in this book perfect for new readers.
P is for Purr
by
Carole Gerber (Juvenile Non-fiction)
Work your way through the ABCs with this purr-fect book for cat lovers. Discover fun facts about your favorite felines in this beautifully illustrated alphabet book.
Pets Around the World
by
Brenna Maloney (Juvenile NonFiction)
Pigeons, beetles and crickets are popular pets in some countries. Discover fun facts and trivia about the pets that people around the world keep.
Recommended Adult Reads
from Mindy Bilyeu, Adult Services Librarian
The Summer Seekers
by Sarah Morgan (Fiction)
Kathleen, 80, had a run-in with an intruder and her daughter wants her to move into a residential home. Martha is having a quarter-life crisis and can’t seem to get her life together. When Martha sees Kathleen’s ad for a companion to share an epic road trip across America with, she decides this job might be the answer to her prayers.
The Lost Ticket by Freya
Sampson (Fiction)
Strangers on a London bus unite to help an elderly man find his missed love connection.
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne
Cronin (Fiction)
The Thursday Murder Club by
Richard Osman (Fiction)
In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves the Thursday Murder Club. When a local developer is found dead, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case.
Lenni lives on the Terminal Ward at the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital. In an arts and crafts class, she meets Margot, an 83-year-old, purple-pajama-wearing, fruitcake-eating rebel. Their friendship blooms, and though their days are dwindling, both are determined to leave their mark on the world.
30 July/August 2023 www.westervillemagazine.com
The Westerville Public Library Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 1-6 p.m. 126 S. State St. • 614-882-7277 • www.westervillelibrary.org Dog Daycamp with overnight or extended stay boarding Over an acre of outdoor space with some indoor space totaling 10 separate play areas. NOW RESERVING SPOTS! 740-764-6770 aokok9connections@gmail.com aoko-k9connections.com westervillelibrary.org/movies
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