The Geauga Arts Council takes First Place at the Maple Festival Parade!
- Brittany Paynter
- May 2, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: May 3, 2023
April 27 - 30 was the 92nd annual Geauga County Maple Festival, held in Chardon, OH. On Saturday and Sunday, the Geauga Arts Council joined the festivities on the most decorated, and creative float in town! And we're not just tooting our own horn, we took First Place in the Adult float category!!
We are so proud of our GAC community, our members and volunteers who made this whole thing possible. From the decorative painting on our maple leaves and banner (hand painted by Kathleen OSaben, wow!), to bag doodles and a bag stuffing party, to the assembly of two whole trees complete with birdhouses and sap buckets! (Kym Shippe and Dave Cvelbar, your talents are unmatched.) To the day of the parade, in ponchos and raincoats, those that helped assemble everything onto the trailer, including screwing down our Bob Ross scarecrow. Everyone who showed up and showed out made this the best float of the year!
It was our first parade experience and thankfully the rain held off during the important parts. Did you notice the famous artists who joined our float this year? Bob Ross was not only on the trailer, but came to life and passed out candy and crayons alongside the procession (thanks Hazel Runion!). Frida Khalo (Teresa Runion) contributed her smiles and painting skills to our paint-by-number performance piece. And the fluorescent red head, Yayoi Kusama (Monica Glasscock), participated on both days in polka dots and a bright yellow raincoat.
Did you happen to notice the art that was being made, IN MOTION, as we rounded the Square? Yes, this was a paint-by-number two canvas piece designed by Brittany Paynter, featuring the iconic imagery of the Chardon Square courthouse and the Ferris Wheel. The theme of the parade was "Cherish Maple Sugar Memories" and who can remember the festival without thinking of funnel cakes and ferris wheels? The painting is now in the talented and capable hands of Monica Glasscock, at Artisans Corner Gallery, where it will be finished up and put on display to be auctioned off.
This Saturday, May 6, stop in from 10am - 4pm to Artisans' Corner Gallery during the Destination Geauga "Drive it Yourself Tour" to see demonstrations and more from local artisans! Learn about the tour here.
Please subscribe to our newsletter on our website geaugaartscouncil.org so you don't miss the information on the auction dates and how to bid! All proceeds will go directly to our Scholarship Fund. Learn about what we do with the money here.
If you or your child received a bag from us, there was a pack of crayons with an invitation to enter our Coloring Contest. Visit this page on our website to download the coloring page. Entrants up to 12 yrs old can deliver their artwork to Artisans Corner Gallery before Wednesday May 10th. We will be awarding a prize to the most creative entries in two different age brackets. Learn all about the contest and get your coloring page here.
We look forward to seeing your entries come in! A big thank you to everyone who came out to the parade, and those who volunteered with us on and off the float. Remember to subscribe to our free newsletter or become a GAC Member to stay connected with our upcoming events!
Brittany S. Paynter
Executive Director, Geauga Arts Council
11110-6 Kinsman Rd.
Newbury, OH 44065
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