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Flotsam River Circus's on-again, off-again performance Wednesday is back on, and Harmonium Project President Marc Barnes says he couldn't be more excited.
After City Council nixed the performance last month due to safety concerns at the marina, the Harmonium Project assumed responsibility for the once-in-a-lifetime performance, which will now begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Vukelic Wharf.
"It is an exciting event, a group of circus performers who perform on a raft from the river," Barnes said. "Every tour they do is of a great American river -- last year they did the Mississippi River, this year they're doing the Ohio River. There are 36 Ohio River towns on this tour."
The troupe of musicians, circus artists and puppeteers travel on a "ramshackle raft," inspired by the American showboat tradition and modern floating art projects. Organizer Jason Webley said performers communicate with their audience "mostly without words," he said, and recently described the show as a "bit silly and sometimes strange, but mostly just fun entertainment."
"There'll be some acrobatics, some juggling and, at some point, a drum kit comes out of the raft," Barnes said. "There's going to be puppets, large puppets ... but it's sort of mysterious to me, I don't know what we're going to see because each time they tour they do a new show."
Early on, Webley initially had suggested docking at the marina, but city officials were concerned that children and even adults might inadvertently put themselves at risk.
Barnes said that's when Steubenville businessman Steve Vukelic stepped up to host the performance at his riverfront property.
"Steve has an old wharf with a barge tie off," he said, making it the ideal stopping point. "Mark Nelson and his sons were mowing down Japanese knotweed to make sure there are good sightlines to the river, they've been busy cleaning up and promoting it. There's been a lot of work."
Vukelic's Wharf can be accessed from Washington Street by crossing state Route 7 and the railroad tracks and then turning left onto River Road. From state Route 7, you can take the marina exit, cross the railroad tracks and immediately turn right.
Those who'd rather park and walk can join a river walk to the event, with Nelson, Barnes and other Harmonium Project members serving as guides. Parking will be available in the East Elementary lot.
"We'll meet there (East Elementary lot) at 5:15 p.m. and do a leisurely walk down river to the event, and along the way we'll be talking about the river, the history of the river and some of our hopes for riverfront revitalization," Barnes said.
He said there will be signs and volunteers helping make sure spectators who choose to drive themselves get to the wharf. Water will be available, but if you want snacks, you'll have to bring your own, "and there's no amphitheater so bring your own chair." The Nelson family has donated portajohns. Harmonium Project volunteers will oversee event safety.
Barnes said it's important "that we say yes to exciting events in Steubenville and that we show up to events like this because they show us that Steubenville is a place that is worth fighting for."
"And when we can bring people to an area that hasn't gotten a lot of attention ... people will start looking around and imagining what it could be like if we actually gave this place love and attention -- what if we had space for events, what if we had a safe and accessible marina and businesses down here, a hotel down here."
Barnes said he thinks of First Fridays, also organized by the Harmonium Project, as the model.
"Those blocks of downtown Steubenville where we do First Fridays seemed like they needed love and attention, so we started doing events there," he said. "Now we're what, seven or eight years in and we've almost tripled the amount of businesses there when we started and people started taking care of the space."