‘Eggsibition’ Set To Return to Downtown Steubenville
Trending
If ever there was a year communities across America need a little "egg-stra" hope, Therese Nelson figures this is it.
After a year of shutdowns, social distancing and stay-cations, she said people are ready to have some fun.
And while there are still safety protocols that need to be respected, Nelson said the fifth-annual Great Steubenville Eggsibition is a chance for individuals and families to get out in the fresh air and enjoy a fun Easter tradition without putting themselves and others at risk.
"I think the spring season, particularly eggs, have always been a sign of hope," Nelson said. "When we originally started the festival, our intention was to use it as a symbol of hope for Steubenville. I think more than ever, this year it's a symbol of hope for everyone -- it's about spring, new life, life happening again."
The Great Steubenville Eggsibition, 32 giant Easter eggs hand-painted by local artists, will open April 2, nearly a year to the day after Gov. Mike DeWine ordered Ohioans to stay at home in hopes of getting the coronavirus pandemic under control. The event will run through May 2.
Schools, festivals, exhibitions and special events across the state were shut down in 2020 to curb the spread of the virus -- that includes fan favorites, like the Dean Martin Festival, the Holy Trinity Greek Festival and Steubenville's Summer Concert Series and, of course, the Eggsibition.
"It's the one-year anniversary of us not being able to do things," Nelson said. "Eggsibition was the first thing that was affected for us last year, we weren't able to put the eggs out. It's very exciting, a very stark contrast to last year -- to have this spring season start with the community being opened, being welcoming to something happening. A lot of businesses are excited, they're looking forward to having (Eggsibition return) after what's been such a dismal year."
The eggs, ranging from 1 foot to 3 feet tall, were decorated by local artists. Some are abstract, others boast more traditional Eastern European designs, Easter and spring symbols or even local interests and culture.
While the list of sponsoring businesses is still being finalized, Nelson said most of them will be sprinkled in storefronts downtown, primarily on Fourth Street though a few will be scattered at other sites, including the library, Froehlich's and Historic Fort Steuben. Once locations are finalized, maps will be available to guide visitors through the egg display.
"We started doing the eggs in 2017," she said. "The nutcrackers (Christmas attraction) had been very successful two years in a row -- the eggs had actually been a plan since before Nutcracker Village was born."
Nelson said the Great Steubenville Eggsibition is rooted in an Easter tradition in the Ukraine, Poland and Austria, where the giant, decorated eggs are loaded onto wagons and paraded through town.
"Eggsibition, is kind of in keeping with that, oversized art," she said. "It's something we thought was cool. (Early on) we tweaked it and hid the eggs so visitors would be required to go around town and find the stores, maybe find businesses they didn't know existed. The idea was to encourage revitalization in spring as well as winter."