Events & Entertainment
Bored? What Does That Mean?
Southeastern Ohio is a bustling epicenter of activity year-round. Want just a taste?
January starts things off with the River City Film Festival, which exposes residents to exciting independent and documentary films in the warm shelter of a local theater.
In February, residents converge on the Marietta Levee to eat chocolate to their heart’s content at Chocolate on the Levee – then walk off the extra calories at the annual Fenton Art Glass Sale.
March sees county farmers getting ready for the spring planting by attending free classes on everything from pruning fruit trees to proper care of specialty crops at the local extension office. Additionally, music-lovers across the area converge on Marietta for the River City Blues Festival.
April cleaning and refreshing binges drive residents to the annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day and Paint Swap Day in droves. Communities county-wide host Easter Egg Hunts in local parks and on April 15th, the post office isn’t the most-crowded place in Marietta, it’s the deck of the W.P. Snyder for the city’s annual “Carp Watch.”
It wouldn’t be May without the Lowell Springfest, complete with awesome flea market, food and entertainment!
June kicks off the Marietta Mayor’s Third Friday Jubilee with scrumptious goodies provided by the River City Farmer’s Market and traditional Appalachian music featuring nationally recognized musicians.
Locals get out their lawn chairs and forego lunch one Sunday in early July for the Broughton’s Ice Cream Social. Known as the Grand-Daddy of all ice cream socials, the event benefits a different community organization each year and is attended by thousands of residents.
August means its time for local volunteer fire departments, including Newport, New Matamoras, Reno, Lowell/Adams and Devola to host their annual ice cream socials. Belpre families come home for the annual Belpre Homecoming and Waterford residents come out to show their prize animals at the Waterford Fair.
The second week of September sternwheelers dock on the levee in Marietta and people come from across the country to enjoy the annual Sternwheel Festival and Fireworks Display. Crafters and shoppers alike go nuts at the Harvest Moon Arts and Crafts Festival in Parkersburg WV, while communities county-wide celebrate the Harvest with local fairs and festivals.
October means two things around here – time for the Lowell Oktoberfest on beautiful Buell Island and some homemade apple butter at the annual Apple Butter Stir-off Festival in Belpre.
November brings the spectacular Belpre Festival of Lights and annual Christmas Parades through the main streets of Marietta, Belpre, Beverly and other local communities which heralds the official start of the holiday season.
December means lots of family, shopping and celebrations throughout the county. The Castle hosts wonderful Christmas at the Castle events, The Lafayette hosts a fabulous Gingerbread Display, merchants typically extend their store hours to accommodate holiday shopping and the spirit of giving is in the air throughout the area.
Folks don’t complain that there isn’t anything to do in our area, they complain about not having enough time to do everything!
Other resources:
Ohio Department of Travel and Tourism
Marietta/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau