Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival wraps up amid sweltering heat
The Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival featured local artists and musicians such as African drum and dance instructor Lawrence Greene. Ugata is a cultural education organization founded and led by Greene and performed for the audience on Sunday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
The Ki No Kaze Bonsai Club had a wide selection of their own bonsai trees on display for festival guests to admire and inquire about. Attendees at the Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival were encouraged to ask questions about the club. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
The Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival returned for its 29th year from June 20-22. The annual event was moved to the Belpre Civitan Park in Belpre, Ohio due to construction at the Parkersburg City Park which is where it鈥檚 been held since 1996. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
Guests in attendance at the Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival enjoyed live music while browsing through vendors from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Some of the vendors displayed items like hand-crafted necklaces and bracelets made from authentic beads and stones. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
The community showed up for the last day of the Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival on Sunday despite the sweltering heat. Vendors displayed their selections of colorful clothing and accessories for festival guests to shop for and admire. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
Guests could enjoy food and shopping for clothing, jewelry, and small trinkets from local businesses like The Spotted Mushroom, Appalachian Weird and the Ki No Kaze Bonsai Club. The Spotted Mushroom included pottery mushrooms available for purchase. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
The Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival featured local artists and musicians such as African drum and dance instructor Lawrence Greene. Ugata is a cultural education organization founded and led by Greene and performed for the audience on Sunday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
The Ki No Kaze Bonsai Club had a wide selection of their own bonsai trees on display for festival guests to admire and inquire about. Attendees at the Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival were encouraged to ask questions about the club. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
The Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival returned for its 29th year from June 20-22. The annual event was moved to the Belpre Civitan Park in Belpre, Ohio due to construction at the Parkersburg City Park which is where it鈥檚 been held since 1996. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
Guests in attendance at the Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival enjoyed live music while browsing through vendors from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Some of the vendors displayed items like hand-crafted necklaces and bracelets made from authentic beads and stones. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
The community showed up for the last day of the Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival on Sunday despite the sweltering heat. Vendors displayed their selections of colorful clothing and accessories for festival guests to shop for and admire. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
Guests could enjoy food and shopping for clothing, jewelry, and small trinkets from local businesses like The Spotted Mushroom, Appalachian Weird and the Ki No Kaze Bonsai Club. The Spotted Mushroom included pottery mushrooms available for purchase. (Photo by Amber Phipps)
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BELPRE -- The final day of the Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival was bustling with scheduled activities and enthusiastic vendors despite the extreme heat Sunday.
From noon to 5 p.m., the Belpre Civitan Park featured a selection of vendors with various artistic and cultural backgrounds.
This marks the first year in 29 years the festival took place at the Belpre Civitan Park. Since 1996, the festival has been held at the Parkersburg City Park but due to construction, the board had to find a new location for the festival this year.
The board members had concerns that people wouldn't know where to go for the event since it's always taken place in Parkersburg.
"It's hard to really get a good sense of the attendance numbers because part of the problem is we moved to a new place," said festival Board Member and Co-President Charlotte Owens. "We've been in the Mid-Ohio Valley since the '90s and there's lots of people that don't know about this."
Despite the sweltering heat and blazing sun, the community showed up during the afternoon to learn more about the vendors and local musicians at the festival.
"We've had some good crowds, especially as it's started cooling off," said Owens.
Most of the guests on Sunday gathered by the stage underneath a canopy of trees. To combat the heat, vendors set-up fans to keep them and their guests cool during the heat of the day.
Attendees could browse through a wide selection of vendors like Appalachian Weird, The Spotted Mushroom, and the Ki No Kaze Bonsai Club.
Members of the Ki No Kaze Bonsai Club presented a selection of their own personal bonsai trees and encouraged people to sign-up for their club.
Uncle Dan's Old Fashioned Ice Cream and Sunshine Girls Lemonade served ice cream and refreshments for guests to enjoy during the hot and humid afternoon.
The final day featured African drum performances, hula dancers, and Professor Bubblemaker.
"Hats-off to our volunteers who are doing the setup and thanks to Belpre for all of the help they've provided," said Owens. "The setup staff handled a whole new place with so much to figure out and I'm so appreciative of all of them."
The MOV Multi-Cultural Festival concluded on Sunday and will be back next year with exciting new performances and vendors. Go to to find more information about the festival and its history.
Amber Phipps can be reached at aphipps@newsandsentinel.com.