Ellwood City is home to a community full of active and talented residents. Whether it’s arts, crafts, food, music, or other types of entertainment, residents enjoy the opportunity to create and enjoy the culture that surrounds them. Each year, these talents and interests are displayed and fulfilled during many beloved events.

Arts, Crafts, and Food Festival

One of the town’s most popular events is the Arts, Crafts, and Food Festival, held annually on the Fourth of July weekend. The Festival showcases more than 200 arts and crafts booths, food booths, musical entertainment, and entertainment and performances by local organizations. The event features special activities at “Kids Corner” where children can have fun with face painting and more. The Festival ends each year with a spectacular fireworks finale.

Memorial Day Parade

On the fourth Monday of May, patrons of Ellwood City gather in the North Side neighborhood for the annual Memorial Day Parade through town. Youth organizations, marching bands, city and state officials, fire trucks, police cruisers, and other community members participate in the parade across town to Veterans Memorial Park where closing ceremonies are held.

Christmas in the Park

Christmas in the Park is held annually in Ellwood City’s Ewing Park and is an area tradition. Residents are able to enjoy a drive through the park to see lighted animated figures, luminaries, and trees. Kids can stop in the historical Trefoil Lodge building and visit with Santa. This volunteer-run event grows each year. Christmas in the Park donations are accepted to help fund the event. It typically begins the first week of December and runs each night through Dec 22 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Relay For Life

Ellwood City participates in the nationwide Relay for Life with the borough’s annual event held in Helling Stadium in Ewing Park. Relay teams are formed along with individual participants who continuously walk around the stadium’s track throughout the evening.

Earth Day

Ellwood City’s Earth Day celebration is held in April in the borough’s Ewing Park. Earth Day features more than 30 educational booths each year that focus on environmental topics. Exhibitors plan displays that include hands-on activities, demonstrations, and information. Residents also have the opportunity to recycle some household goods. Each year Earth Day is the stage for local entertainment as well as nationally known environmental education experts. Earth Day is held in conjunction with other area cleanup and recycling events. Ewing Park is the perfect venue for residents to enjoy the beauty of the Earth. The annual event is sponsored by Ellwood City Community Enrichment with the financial support of local sponsorships and grants. It is free and open to the public.

Storytelling Festival

Held in September, this event brings professional storytellers from throughout the country to our area. Stories for young and old are brought to life on Folino Stage. Residents can also enjoy Horse-Drawn Trolley rides through Ewing Park, face painting, balloon art, and strolling musicians. Friends of the Library are the chefs of the day preparing festival favorites like hotdogs, popcorn, nachos, and much more. The day’s activities culminate in ghost stories told around a campfire. The Storytelling Festival is planned by The Ellwood City Area Public Library in coordination with Ellwood City Community Enrichment. Funding for the event is made possible by local donations as well as grants. Fun for all ages, this event is free and open to the public.

Summer Concert Series

Each summer starting in June, the Community Plaza in Downtown Ellwood City is filled with the sounds of instruments and voices of local musicians. Each season, the Ellwood City Revitalization’s Stage Committee plans, organizes, and hosts a series of concerts. Music types range from classical, to rock, to country, to instrumental. Typically hosting eight to ten concerts per year, the Summer Concert Series has become a favorite event for families in Ellwood City and the surrounding area. The concerts are free and are sponsored by Ellwood City Community Enrichment through the generous donations of local businesses and individuals and grant opportunities. Attendees are asked to bring a chair to enjoy the talent in the Community Plaza.

Oktoberfest

No need to go to Germany to experience Oktoberfest. It is now one of Ellwood City’s newest traditions. The inaugural event was in 2010, and now each October, residents enjoy food, live music, and sample craft brews from commercial and home brewers. Held in Ewing Park, Oktoberfest also features delicious foods and activities including corn hole tournaments. A rain or shine event, tickets usually cost between $20-$25 with proceeds benefiting local organizations and the Wolves Club Scholarship Foundation.

Farmer’s Market

More than just a place to get vegetables, the Ellwood City Farmer’s Market is a bustling little social event with people frequenting the vendor tables, spending time talking to friends, shopping, and enjoying the entertainment provided in the Community Plaza. A trip to the Farmer’s Market provides an experience where residents will see the many fruits of the labors of local business owners and farmers. Scents of handmade soaps, the sweet smells of local homemade baked goods, and the aromas of colorful flowers are only a few of the treasures that townspeople will experience at the Farmer’s Market. The market is open every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. starting in early June and continues through October. Location is at the Beaver Avenue Municipal parking lot on the 500 block of Beaver.