STOW: What’s special about Stow and Munroe Falls?
The neighboring cities get together every two years to remind folks of the answer.
The Stow-Munroe Falls Community Showcase this weekend will feature more than 200 exhibitors — the businesses, services, civic groups and churches that serve these northern Summit County communities.
“I kind of look at it like a parade. It’s such a great representation of our community,” said Stow parks director Linda Nahrstedt.
The free event is open to residents and non-residents alike and will run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday at Stow-Munroe Falls High School, 3227 Graham Road.
Stow Mayor Sara Kline said the event is “tchotchke heaven” and visitors should be prepared to go home loaded down with trinkets.
“It’s like going to the fair,” she said.
And don’t leave the kids at home, organizers said. New this year is a Kids Fun Zone in the lower gym, with face painting, tattoos, inflatables, roaming characters and other activities.
“Getting people to realize there are fun things going on down there will be our challenge,” Nahrstedt said, since the main exhibit will be in the commons and upstairs gym areas.
Many exhibitors will be raffling off prizes. Kline recommended bringing address stickers to make quick work of those give-away forms.
The showcase committee is also giving out door prizes, including a big-screen TV.
Vendors may take orders, but there are no cash sales at the event. The exception is the school itself, which will have a luncheon menu for visitors who want to take a break and get a bite in the cafeteria.
There will also be free shredding of personal documents, with a limit of two bags or boxes worth of paper.
The biennual event was started in 1989 and in recent years has attracted up to 7,000 people, said Doris Stewart, executive director of the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce.
Each day offers a lineup of entertainment, both staged and strolling.
On Saturday, the schedule includes Stow-Munroe Falls (SMF) High School Orchestra (10 a.m.); SMF will perform musical excerpts from My Fair Lady ( 11 a.m.); Akron Derbytown Chorus (noon); All About Dance! (1 p.m.); Celtic Rush (2 p.m.); and SMF jazz bands (3 p.m. and 4 p.m.)
On Sunday, more My Fair Lady excerpts (11 a.m.); Chef John McAninch party beverage demo (noon); All About Dance! (1 p.m.); ETC — All American Youth Show Choir (2 p.m.); and Derbytown Quartet (3 p.m.)
More details are available at http://www.smfcc.com.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.