Celebrate Valentine’s Day with these two local events
COSHOCTON – Love is in the air in Coshocton County with the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday. Celebrate the holiday of love with these two local events Valentine’s Day weekend.
Start the Valentine’s Day weekend off right with chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate at the annual Chocolate Extravaganza on Saturday, Feb. 13 from 3 – 5 p.m. at the career center. This is the biggest fundraiser for the Pomerene Center for the Arts each year. Approximately 80 percent of the monies raised goes directly toward the Pomerene Center.
The money helps the Pomerene Center continue to offer various projects in the community such as the Little Social Histories downtown project. They are also working with 28 students at River View on a new project called Art Connects which is an educational program involving physics, math, and art. Artist Tony Bible is working with the students to create a roller coaster fountain at the Art Park.
“This is a new venture for us and we are very excited to have an artist embedded at the school,” said Anne Cornell, director at the Pomerene Center for the Arts.
The Chocolate Extravaganza will feature three tables, cheesecakes and pies, cakes and tortes, and sweet treats. You may choose one item from the cheesecakes and pies, and cakes and tortes tables and three items from the sweet treats table. Last year, more than 150 people contributed to the event with 85 bakers featured. As of press time, 76 bakers had signed up to participate this year.
“That is our dream fundraiser where lots of people are involved creatively to highlight the culinary arts,” said Cornell.
Pre-sale tickets are available and cost $10. They can be purchased at Baker’s Foods, Dean’s Jewelry, Mercantile on Main, Medbery Marketplace, or the Pomerene Center, or call 740-622-0326 Tuesday through Saturday 1 – 5 p.m.
“The cost of the tickets is to honor our bakers,” said Cornell. “It’s not cheap to bake with chocolate.”
In addition to chocolate, Barefoot McCoy, a rock/folk singer, will be performing. The Pomerene Center will also be highlighting art during the event featuring a smaller scale of the Selby Building windows, winter photos, and a slideshow of wedding photos. Raffles will be held throughout the event and the career center will set up three additional tables this year.
When asked what makes this event so popular each year, Cornell said, “I think it’s really all about the chocolate.”
Sponsors of the event are: Wilson, Phillips and Agin, CPA’s Inc., Dean’s Jewelry, Endsley Insurance Agency/Wayne Insurance Group, Roscoe Village Sweets & Treats, Rainbow Hills Winery, Warehouse Steak n’ Stein, and Frase, Weir, Baker, & McCullough Co., LPA
That evening, travel back in time to the Big Band era as the Friends of the Park host the annual Big Band Sweetheart Dance from 8 – 11 p.m. at the pavilion. Dance to the sounds of swing and jazz while the Lake Park Big Band musicians take you back to the era of Sammy Kaye and Glenn Miller.
“You really will be transported back to that era,” said Lori Everhart, director of the Coshocton City and County Park District. “You’re going to be sitting there listening to music that you would have been listening to in the 1930s and 1940s.”
The Lake Park Pavilion, built in 1923, has a rich history in Big Band music. Famous composers of that time such as Kaye and Miller often stopped at the pavilion to give small concerts in between their major city performances. Every February and October, those bygone times are resurrected for the Sweetheart Dance and the Fall Harvest Dance.
Performing nostalgic music from that era are the musicians of the Lake Park Big Band. The band started shortly after the pavilion was renovated in 1996 with the goal of performing to raise money for Friends of the Park. They are a 17-piece orchestra made up of mostly local musicians and one vocalist.
Friends of the Park will be providing light refreshments for a donation, but bringing outside snacks and drinks is permitted. Alcohol is permitted to be brought in as well, but will not be available for purchase at the event.
“I always tell people to wear whatever they’re comfortable dancing in,” said Everhart. “Mostly, people wear business casual, but you can wear whatever you want. I’ve had people show up in tuxedos and some people show up in jeans.”
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased by calling the Lake Park office at 740-622-7528.
Funds raised from the event will be used for Lake Park beautification projects. The event has been sponsored by Coshocton Trucking for the past five years.
“They have been a faithful sponsor,” said Everhart. “They are appreciated immensely.”
beth@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: Arts & Entertainment
