Summertime living is easy, but trying to decide which area event to attend - well, that's the hard part.
Every weekend in Marietta and surrounding communities, a world of music, food, friends and fun awaits. From sweet corn to dirty blues and rock 'n' roll, speedboats to bluegrass, the River City is bustling with activity this time of year.
"Most of the time, you're going to have to pick and choose," said Wendy Wharff, executive director of the Marietta/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The tough decisions began Friday when Marietta kicked off its tourist season with its first Merchants and Artists Walk of the season, which coincided with the second annual Brick Street BBQ on Second Street. The barbecue event featured live music, tasty food and brews, while the walk's a monthly gathering of artists, merchants and friends and family.
And that's not to mention the Music on the Levee series that was held Friday night and again Saturday.
From there, the tidal wave of summer events continues, with the Music on the Levee series going on every Friday and Saturday, in addition to several other weekly music series in the county.
Fact Box
Schedule of events
June 18 - Mayor's Third Friday Jubilee in Marietta.
June 18 - Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival in Parkersburg.
June 22 - Great Community Block Party and concert at Armory Square welcoming the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure.
July 2 - Red, White and Blues Festival in Marietta.
July 3 - Wing Thing at the Lafayette Hotel in Marietta.
July 4 - National Guard Band concert in Marietta.
July 5 - Fore the Roar Golf Scramble in Marietta.
July 9 - Merchants and Artists Walk in Marietta.
July 9-11 - Riverfront Roar in Marietta.
July 16 - Mayor's Third Friday Jubilee in Marietta.
July 17 - Sweet Corn Festival in Marietta.
July 18 - Broughton's Ice Cream Social in Marietta.
July 31 to Aug. 1 - Harmar Days in Marietta.
Aug. 5 - Belpre Homecoming
Aug. 13 - Merchants and Artists Walk in Marietta.
Aug. 15 - Mighty Muskingum River Raft Race.
Aug. 20 - Mayor's Third Friday Jubilee in Marietta.
Aug. 20-22 - Parkersburg Homecoming Festival.
Aug. 21-22 - Annual 2010 Ohio River Interstate Catfish Tournament.
Weekly events
River City Farmers Market - 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Washington County Fairgrounds.
Music by the River - 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the Belpre Civitan Park.
Music in the Park - 7 p.m. every Thursday at East Muskingum Park in Marietta.
Music on the Levee - 7 p.m. every Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. every Sunday at the Ohio River Levee.
The Merchants and Artists Walk continues on a monthly basis, held this year on the second Friday of the month.
The Mayor's Third Friday Jubilee, featuring bluegrass, folk and country-style music, begins June 18 and continues every month on the third Friday of the month.
The first Jubilee features David Parmley and Continental Divide, an award-winning band touring the national festival circuit. The July 16 show will feature Johnny Staats Bluegrass Band, while the August show features the Nothin' Fancy Band, which has won several top bluegrass awards.
That same weekend as the first Jubilee, June 18, is one of Parkersburg's biggest events, the Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival, featuring more music and food and events.
July is perhaps the busiest month of the summer with several popular events coming to town, including the Red, White and Blues Festival, the Wing Thing, the National Guard Band concert, Riverfront Roar, the Sweet Corn Festival and the Broughton's Ice Cream Social.
The Riverfront Roar has added new events to coincide with the main boat races, Wharff said.
"There's a new class of boats for one," she said, adding that outboard and inboard boats will be featured in races. "There's entertainment, there's kids activities, a boat show along the streets, a 5K that happens on Saturday to benefit the Roar and the YMCA and the week before, on July 5, is the Fore the Roar golf scramble."
There will also be a golf ball drop, where participants can purchase a ball to be dropped from a helicopter at the Marietta Country Club. Whoever's closest or in the hole wins prizes.
The Sweet Corn Festival, now in its second year, will feature Todd Burge and the Odd Urges as the headliner.
The blues festival also expects to be extremely popular this year, Wharff said.
"That brings people in from far and wide," she said.
Rounding out July and leading into the dog days of August is the Harmar Days festival, which features the historic Harmar Village shops and restaurants. Wharff said there would be free entertainment and lots of food and shops.
"They're also bringing back the apple pie competition that was extremely popular," she said.
