Chalkin' It Up At The Local Tavern

Artist: Nathan Fisher.

Sunday, August 17th, the day was overcast, showers hit in late morning, and I had concerns the weather would not improve in time for the 8th Annual Sidewalk Chalk Event. But I kept saying my prayers and watching the weather patterns in the hope that by 1:00 p.m. the showers would cease and the parking lot would dry up enough for the budding artists to enjoy the day.

Parma Area Fine Arts Council (PAFAC) has been around now for over 50 years. Their mission is to bring art into the community for the enjoyment of its citizens. This is accomplished through free art shows, affordable art classes for children and adults, other artistic related events, and for 8 years now, an annual community chalk drawing event. This event has moved around to various locations over the years. This year PAFAC partnered with Polish Village.

Polish Village's mission is to facilitate the ongoing development of the Polish Village community by uniting and empowering residents and businesses to enhance the business climate and long term viability of the area. Polish Village brings you Flamingo Fever, Parma's very own brand of public art, and the very popular Treat & Greet, as well as other community based events.

Scott Fisher at The Local Tavern, located at 5513 Pearl Road, hosted the event in his parking lot. The Local Tavern is a newer establishment to the Parma area. They serve lunch, dinner, drinks and takeout, and can boast the largest outdoor patio in Parma. The food is fresh, tasty, and well prepared. They serve quality cocktails and have genuine, good service with reasonable prices. Their motto is “Tavern fresh” with a “rock-n-roll meets art gallery vibe.” They believe in being involved in the local economy by employing local residents. They also support our local musicians by providing them a venue at which to perform. Live music five times a week and best of all a family friendly atmosphere. The Local Tavern is fast becoming a Parma favorite and for good reason.

At 1:00 p.m. the registration tent was up, the signs were in place, the parking lot was roped off, the balloons were up, and the children started lining up, eager to “chalk it up” and show off their artistic talents. Each child received a bag with their own chalk, candy, and gum. Ice cold bottled water was on hand thanks to Local Tavern, along with wet wipes and paper towels for clean up afterward, and Mother Nature cooperated. Spotted in the crowd were Debbie Lime, Brian & Colleen Day, and Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter with his children who were very eager to participate. This year proved to be the most successful chalk drawing event ever, with over double the attendance of prior years.

At 2:45 p.m., Jane Zampedro, a Life Member of PAFAC, and Sean Mabin, Children's Art Instructor, began the judging process. They walked amongst the drawings several times, taking notes of the numbered drawings to determine the winners. Four prizes were awarded to very talented youngsters. In the 10 to 13 age category, First Place went to Celiah Aker and Second Place to Nathan Fisher. For the 2 to 9 age category, First Place went to Lesya Stefaniuk and Second Place to Dylan Aker. A huge thank you to The Local Tavern for providing the prizes. I can attest to the fact that the winners were ecstatic with their Toys “R” Us Gift Certificates, as was evidenced by the smiles on their faces and the cheers that were heard. In addition to the younger children, we had teenagers and an adult who did exceptional drawings. The 50/50 Raffle was won by Paula Werdentsch.

As a parent and grandparent I know how important it is for residents of the community to have safe, fun, and free events like this for our children. Events like this one play a big role in making Parma such a wonderful place to live and raise a family.

Thank you to everyone that participated.