Kristy Ferguson finally has lined up an event she’s been itching to bring to the Elm Grove neighborhood of Wheeling ever since she moved from her native Barboursville in 2017.
All it took was assuming the mantle of president of the Elm Grove Business Association. Then, her compatriots had to listen to her.
The fruits of that labor will be on display Saturday, May 21, outside the J.B. Chambers YMCA. There, Grooving in the Grove is set to take place from 3-9 p.m.
“Elm Grove has just as much to offer as downtown,” Ferguson said. “We have cool shops, great places to eat, other amenities.
“This is a high traffic area, and I think sometimes people just get stuck either coming or going and don’t look to the side of the road and realize what we have here. They are focusing on getting home.”
Once Ferguson finally had the go-ahead to put on the festival, she went on the hunt for the perfect location. First, she inquired about the large, flat parking lot at WesBanco. That fell through. Then, with the bridge closing soon for a lengthy repair, Ferguson contemplated the idea of closing off the whole block.
“That would have worked, but we needed the clearance from the state since it’s a state road, and then we ran into red tape there as well,” Ferguson said.
Enter the YMCA and its executive director, Adam Shinsky. Shinsky approached Ferguson about using the spacious grounds outside the YMCA.
“We had a conversation about (the event), and he offered,” Ferguson said. “It’s perfect. They have a picnic shelter and plenty of space.”
Lots of Happenings Planned
That space will be needed as there are numerous activities planned for Grooving in the Grove.
Top of the list, naturally, is the live music portion of the evening. It will feature the sounds of Clint Landis, Buck Porter, and also Ten Feet Tall.
“I put out a call to bands that I knew, and, from there, word got out pretty quickly,” Ferguson said. “Several contacted me about wanting to play.
“Main Street Bank and Paree Insurance are sponsoring the bands, and the YMCA is providing the inflatables.”
What’s a festival without food, and Grooving in the Grove is no different as Ferguson so far has five food trucks lined up.
She said So Nuts for Donuts, J.L. Hoagie King, Southpaw Eats, Parker Family Concessions, and Wings on Wheels will all be there, frying up deliciousness.
Local businesses will be setting up stands, as will craft vendors so they can sell their wares to the crowd. There will also be kayak rentals available so festival-goers can get in a little aquatic exercise paddling up and down Big Wheeling Creek.
The cornhole tournament will be sponsored by Altmeyer Funeral Home.
Hoping for a Great Turnout
Ferguson is hoping all of Elm Grove and the surrounding neighborhoods in Wheeling turn out for Grooving in the Grove.
Her initial hope was to put on a monthly event, but for now, she’s hoping this is the first of an annual event. That, naturally, can change if enough people partake and enjoy themselves.
“I originally wanted to do it once a month, but didn’t have the support initially,” Ferguson admitted. “But you never know; maybe this will go over really well, and there will be more help and interest in having it every month. But I’ll definitely take an annual event.”
On the morning of the event, seven winners from an art contest for the event administered by schools in Ohio County will paint their personal designs on planters in the Grove.
The winners were chosen from elementary- and middle-school-aged participants in Ohio County.
“We asked the children to send in artwork, and we picked kids, about seven, that will be able to paint these planters for us,” Ferguson explained. “Next year we’ll paint the planters white and have more kids paint their designs on them.
“We want to foster a little pride in the community.”
Ferguson certainly loves her Elm Grove neighborhood.
She lives right down the road in Springdale, but her business, Elite Massage Therapy, is right on National Road in the Grove.
So far, she’s encouraged by the response she’s received from citizens reaching out, both from Elm Grove and beyond. She posted a digital flyer on Facebook late last week, and already, the inquiries flooding her inbox are ample.
“What’s crazy is I put that out on Friday, or Saturday I think, and it’s just been a huge response for us,” Ferguson added. “We’ve picked up two more vendors, and that one post received more than 120 shares.”
