A Guide to Summer Events in Youngstown, OH

Summer is the best time of year: The warm weather in Youngstown after the long winter means it’s time to get outside, and there is always something going on. From festivals celebrating everything from art to food and more, Youngstown has summer events for everyone. Here’s a quick guide to some of the festivities worth checking out in the area.

Youngstown State University Summer Festival of the Arts

Image via Flickr by Ryan Leighty

2022 will mark the 24th annual Youngstown State University Summer Festival of the Arts. It will take place on Saturday, July 9, and Sunday, July 10, at Wean Park in downtown Youngstown. While this festival offers all kinds of fun and activities, it’s mainly about the artists and the artist marketplace. It’s the perfect time for local, regional, and national artists to showcase their work and innovation. 

During your visit, make sure to take a stroll through the marketplace where you can find handcrafted jewelry, glass, woodwork, sculptures, and paintings. Even though it’s summer, it’s never too early to think about gifts for any of the upcoming holidays.

There are lots of family-friendly activities going on at the festival. This includes the hands-on art tent for the kids, where they can create their own masterpieces under the instruction and guidance of professional artists and teachers. The schedule also includes performances throughout the weekend. The two stages will feature theater and dance productions with performances from local and regional groups.

Mahoning Valley Irish Festival

Get ready to celebrate everything Irish at the first annual Mahoning Valley Irish Festival. This event will take place in Youngstown on July 29 and July 30 at Community Alley and Wean Park. Admission is $5-$7, and the event is sure to be filled with music, fun, and food. 2022 will be the inaugural event, so there is much more information to come. Proceeds from the festival will benefit the Mahoning Valley Gaelic Society.

Annual Butterfly Festival

Don’t miss the annual Butterfly Festival hosted by the Southside Community Butterfly Garden. This family-friendly event features games, music, and free food, and it’s all done with a butterfly theme. The enclosed butterfly garden is one of the main attractions with lots of live butterflies. Guests can get an up close look at different butterfly species and even feed them if they want. This event also includes a plant sale, several vendors selling a variety of items, and a library, and it all takes place on July 16.

Youngstown Mega Music Festival

The Youngstown Mega Music Festival will come to the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre on Saturday, June 18. This year’s event features performers like Cameo, The Dazz Band, Enchantment, and One Way. The show gets started at 7 p.m.

The Youngstown Foundation Amphitheater is a prime outdoor event venue. The 4,800-person outdoor theater sits in Wean Park, allowing visitors to enjoy the show out in the fresh air. Make sure to bring a lawn chair or beach chair to sit on, or if you want, you can rent a chair once you get to the park. 

Greater Youngstown Italian Fest

Celebrate Italian-American heritage at Greater Youngstown Italian Fest. The 2022 event will take place on Friday, August 5 through Sunday, August 7 at 100 Federal Plaza E. You can’t beat the food at this Youngstown event, with vendors and local restaurants serving up traditional Italian dishes. There will also be Italian games, performances by international recording artists, and much more. 

The two stages will have continuous performances every night of the festival, and you can also catch the musical performances along the midway each day. Join in the morra tournament or enter the homemade wine content to see how your winemaking skills stack up against others in the area. Spend a day or the entire weekend at this fun Youngstown event, and shop at the dozens of retail vendors. Make sure to enter the 50/50 raffle, because you never know how much you might win. 

Simply Slavic Festival

The Simply Slavic Festival is an event designed to celebrate the unique heritage and traditions of Youngstown’s Eastern European community. It takes place at Federal Plaza East in Downtown Youngstown on Friday, June 17, and Saturday, June 18. Admission is $4 per person, and event planners have a full weekend of educational activities and entertainment planned.

Make sure to stop by to taste homemade food, see the educational exhibits, and shop at the marketplace. There will also be live music, along with Slovak, Ukrainian, and Polish dancing.

Some of the exhibits you’ll get to see at the Simply Slavic Festival include:

• The Parade of Flags and Ecumenical Blessing with a wide variety of faiths and parishes represented.
• The Slavic Kitchen with booths of homemade food from area churches and local businesses.
• The Baking Contest where amateur and home cooks can submit their best Slavic dish for judging by local Slavic personalities.
• The Ethnic Heritage Tent featuring exhibits from each of the Slavic groups from the area, where you can learn about different cultures and even get language lessons.

Spring Fest 2022

Youngstown’s annual Spring Fest celebration is the perfect way to get out after the long winter. This free community event features food trucks, a petting zoo, and lots of kid’s activities. It takes place at the Greater Life Church on Canfield Road on May 7, and the church also hosts the event. Spring Fest is also an outdoor market with a wide variety of vendors selling all kinds of things such as clothing, jewelry, gifts, and items for the home.

You won’t run out of fun things to do with all these events going on in and around Youngstown this summer. Before you start planning your warm-weather adventures, stop by #1 Cochran Buick-GMC Youngstown to check out our new and used inventory so you have a safe and reliable vehicle to get you there. And, if you know of an exciting event that we missed, let us know so we can check it out and add it to our list.