Main Street Ravenna, in collaboration with Ravenna High School’s Civics class, will host the newly created JoJo Festival from 4 to 8 p.m. April 26 in downtown Ravenna.
The event is funded through the Portage Foundation as a grant program to facilitate a downtown event through students, who came up with their top three ideas and pitched them to the Main Street Ravenna Board of Directors. Fourteen facilities/restaurants have been invited to participate.
Some activities scheduled through the day include potato sack races, bobbing for potatoes, and a dunk tank, according to Director Arasin Hughes. “Booth vendors are welcome, although they should have a potato/JoJo theme, if possible,” she said.
Arasin is a very interesting person to talk to. She is originally from Hubbard and received her bachelor’s degree from Toledo and her master’s degree from Kent State. She also worked for Jack Kohl Realty as a property manager for a short time.
Other upcoming events include a Patrons Party on April 13, a golf outing on May 10, Art on Main on June 8 and Ravenna’s 225th anniversary on June 11.
Volunteers are needed at University Hospitals Portage Medical Center in Ravenna. Volunteer Services is available to speak to community groups and welcomes opportunities to share their story of how UH Portage volunteers make an impact serving the patients and staff. To volunteer or to have a member of Volunteer Services speak to your group, call (330) 297-2591.
The Auxiliary of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1055 in Ravenna wants to remind everyone that they host bingo the first and third Thursday of every month. Also, the Spring Turkey Shoots will run Sundays now through March 24, beginning at 9 a.m.
The post is located at 6000 New Milford Rd. in Ravenna, and the events are open to the public.
Main Street Ravenna is presenting Ravenna-opoly, 225th anniversary edition (1799-2024). Main Street Ravenna is partnering with Opoly-Games to create a unique and collectible Monopoly-style game to celebrate Ravenna’s 225th anniversary.
Due to limited sponsorship spaces available, sign-ups will be limited to the first 50 sponsors. Only 500 Ravenna-opoly game boards will be created and sold to the Ravenna community. All sponsorships include one free Ravenna-opoly game board. Game design, production and delivery is estimated to be in June or August. For more information, email [email protected] or call 330-235-9509.
The Thursday Literary Club (1924-2024) is celebrating 100 years of reading with an event set for 2 to 4 p.m. May 11 in the Haymaker Room of Reed Memorial Library, 167 E. Main St., Ravenna. The event is free and open to the public.
Member Phyllis Peters provided the following history of the group:
On March 7, 1924, Elizabeth Haymaker invited 15 women to her home on Highland Avenue in Ravenna. Eleven ladies came. Elizabeth wanted to organize a group of women to share intellectual interests in reading, writing, drama, art and travel. And most important of all, friendship.
And the Thursday Literary Club was established. Incredibly, 100 years later, the club continues to meet on the second Thursday of each month. Longtime member Jeanette Jones is 102. The present-day club consists of 12 active members who meet at KentRidge Senior Living in Kent each month to enjoy lunch, fellowship and a book discussion.
The theme for this year is “One Hundred Years of Reading.” The meetings have focused on one decade each month, starting with “The Twenties” to learn what was happening in that decade, as well as reading a book that was written in that decade or is a story about that decade.
The 100th anniversary party is open to the public.
Call Angie Reedy with your Ravenna news of upcoming events and family gatherings at 330-297-7228.
