Entertainment Options Abound This Summer in Wheeling
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WHEELING -- As summer heats up in Wheeling, there are plenty of opportunities to experience the variety of festivals, entertainment, and other activities Wheeling has to offer.
Olivia Litman, marketing director of the Wheeling Convention & Visitors Bureau, said there is plenty to look forward to.
"We're very fortunate here in the fact that there is something to do without cost every day. You are going to be busy all summer long."
Visitors can look forward to staple events, such as the Fourth of July Celebration, the Heritage Music BluesFest taking place Aug. 11-12 and the Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta on Sept. 1-3. Alongside these classic festivities, there are also new activities to look forward to, such as the new music and light show, Lite the Nite, hosted by the City of Wheeling, at Heritage Port on June 25, July 23, and Aug. 27.
Another exciting addition to Wheeling summer activities is Wheeling Movie Nights, where guests can look forward to seeing some of their favorite movies free of cost and enjoy different locations that add to the fun.
Guests can look forward to viewing "Minions: the Rise of Gru" on Aug. 4 at the 36th Street Pool in South Wheeling or watching "Top Gun: Maverick" on Aug. 19 at The Wheeling Ohio County Airport.
"A lot of people are so used to being down at Heritage Port, they forget we have a town full of locations and interactions," said Litman. "The Highlands, Oglebay, Market Street Plaza, Centre Market, and Independence Hall are all places in Wheeling that host really cool events."
Oglebay Park and Wheeling Park will be the center for plenty of fun over the summer. Wheeling Park will be the home for Toe Tappin' Tuesdays starting today and running through Aug. 29. FunFest Fridays are on the docket at the park until Sept. 1.
Oglebay Park will be the home for Patio Parties, held at the Wilson Lodge Lakeview Patio, through Sept. 9 with a variety of musical acts. It also will hold Fire Pit Fridays at Route 88 Burgers & Brew the entire summer and into October. Oglebay's Sunday Funday Concert Series will be held Sundays through Sept. 3 at the Anne Kuchinka Amphitheater.
Litman stressed that the events taking place in Wheeling this summer are not all organized by the City of Wheeling, but that the "people of Wheeling make a lot of this happen."
One event in Wheeling organized by residents is the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival, with its dedicated board of volunteers working hard to make sure the festival goes off without a hitch. Michelle Fabbro, Festival Board President, gave a sneak-peak at the upcoming entertainment, activities, and most importantly, food, at this year's festival. She emphasized that this year was the Italian Festival's 40th anniversary, meaning that festival organizers wanted to make this year extra special.
On why the Italian Festival has been such a mainstay of summer activities in Wheeling, Fabbro explained, "Just about everybody likes Italian food and Italian-American food, it's one of the festival's biggest draws.
"We have a lot of people coming with Italian heritage that come to reunite with people," she added. "A lot of people also just want to eat Italian food."
Holding a festival in downtown Wheeling this summer does come with the added difficulty of disruption due to the Downtown Wheeling Streetscape Project. Fabbro explained that the project has not affected them physically yet in terms of plans for the festival.
"We are also hoping that it does not affect the actual festival with people getting in and out of town," added Fabbro.
Litman is keeping a positive outlook when it comes to the construction, as "it's making our city a better place". She noted that while it may be a difficult time to navigate Wheeling, festivities for the summer can continue with no problem through a combination of careful planning and thinking ahead.
"It's a matter of parting our dust and getting better," Litman said, "We are not letting the construction deter us, and it shows in how many events we still have going on in Wheeling."
No matter the roadblocks, Wheeling is still the place to be for a summer of fun in West Virginia, said Litman, who described the city "the perfect three- to four-day getaway."
"West Virginia is wild and wonderful," said Litman. "Wheeling is a wonderful part of that wild and wonderful because of what we add to the arts and culture, our rich history, and, of course, the entertainment we provide."
Below are the dates and locations of many of the festivals and activities offered in Wheeling this summer:
• June 10 - Pride on Plaza, Market Street Plaza
• June 11 - Vineyard Church Service, Heritage Port
• June 16 - Matt Hill Band, Market Street Plaza
• June 19 - Juneteenth Celebration, Market Street Plaza
• June 24 - Moon River Star Watch, Heritage Port
• June 24 - Wings Over Wheeling and Car Cruise, Wheeling-Ohio County Airport
• June 25 - Lite the Nite (Music/Light Show), Heritage Port
• June 29 - Summer Kick-Off Block Party, 14th St./Nailers Way
• July 2 - 20th Annual Heritage Port Car Show, Heritage Port
• July 4 - 4th of July Celebration – WSO/Fireworks, Heritage Port
• July 8 - Party on the Plaza Music & Food Festival, Market Street Plaza
• July 8-9 - Ohio Valley Pride Fest, Heritage Port
• July 15 - Ratha Yatra – Festival of India, Heritage Port
• July 21 - Buffalo Wabs & The Price Hill Hustle, Market Street Plaza
• July 22 - Moon River Star Watch, Heritage Port
• July 23 - Lite the Nite (Music/Light Show), Heritage Port
• July 26-29 - Grecian Fest, St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church
• July 28-30 - Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival, Heritage Port
• Aug. 5 - Wheeling Arts Fest, WVNCC Campus
• Aug. 11-13 - Heritage Music BluesFest, Heritage Port
• Aug. 18 - Bucket of Puppies, Market Street Plaza
• Aug. 19 - Mountaineer Brewfest, Heritage Port
• Aug. 26 - Moon River Star Watch, Heritage Port
• Aug. 27 - Lite the Nite (Music/Light Show), Heritage Port
• Sept. 1-3 - Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta, Heritage Port