Youngstown Street Dance to feature Yankthecover on stage, classic cars, Kids Corner & plenty of vendors

By Terry Duffy

Editor-in-Chief

It’s another neat event in northern Niagara.

Following last weekend’s Flag Day parade/community faire in Ransomville and the Plant-O-Rama gardeners extravaganza in Youngstown, next up on the events calendar is the 16th annual Beginning of Summer Street Dance and Classic Car Show, Thursday, June 25, on Main Street. Starting at 6 p.m., this family-fun happening celebrates the end of another school year and the joys of summer. It is presented each year by the Youngstown Business and Professional Association, the Village of Youngstown and Town of Porter.

“We are getting ready,” YBPA’s Cheryl Butera said. “We will have live music, a classic car cruise, plenty of food vendors, a kid's corner for hula-hoops and chalk-painting and face-painting, too! There will be pony rides offered by Lakeside Quarter Horses, free popcorn offered by the Youngstown Lions (and) Youngstown Volunteer Fire Co. provides a real fire truck presentation for children. We will have vendors, YBPA offers a 50/50 split contest. Niagara Clown Alley's Donuts D Clown provides balloon animals and face painting!”

“The beach balls have been ordered,” announced YBPA’s Mark Butera to members at last week’s get-together in Bandana’s Bar & Grille. He revealed that YBPA has signed on “a great local band” for this year’s Street Dance entertainment.

Known as Yankthecover, this premier cover band entertains all ages with its “eclectic mix of classic rock, R&B, top 40 and country music.” The band features Sal Durante on lead guitar/vocals; Youngstown’s Shelly Durante (lead vocals/percussion/flute); Don Kwiatkowski (rhythm guitar/vocals); Rick Fandl (bass guitar/vocals); Rick Daminski (drums/percussion); and Howard Orlando (keyboards/vocals). Yankthecover performs a decades-long mix of cover favorites at a host of WNY events and venues, with sets from Beatles medleys to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker to Johnny Cash, CCR to Chuck Berry, the Doobies, Allman Brothers, Cheap Trick, and much more.

Also be sure to check out the many vehicles expected at the event’s classic car cruise presented by afficionados Albert McFadyen, Dennis Ketch and Town of Porter Councilman Tim Adamson.

“We’re going to have a wonderful car cruise,” McFadyen said.

Ketch seconded that, telling the visitors, “You can bring any car you want. If you’re proud of your car, you can bring it. It doesn’t have to be a 1920s; it can be your 2015 Covette or whatever. (There’s) going to be a lot of people looking at cars.”

Youngstown Beginning of Summer Street Dance and Classic Car Show file photos.

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And for the younger set there’s plenty to do, too, Mark Butera said: “We’ll have Donuts D Clown again doing ballons and animals for the kids. The Kids Corner, it’s all set, (and) the Youngstown Fire Co. is going to have a truck for the kids to learn about fire safety.”

As far as vendors, the expected list includes the Griffon Brewery; the Youngstown Marketside Café; the Ontario House (Jug); the new Tom Towers Farm Market, which will team with Three Little Hens Baking Co.; and new YBPA member Grazing Buffalo. Returning favorites include the Youngstown Lions Club with free popcorn; the Youngstown Garden Club, which will hand out roses; the Youngstown Free Library with freeze-pops for the kids; the YBPA’s 50/50 split table; Lakeside Quarter Horses; Petey’s Treats, which will be open with ice creams; plus, goodies from the Youngstown Village Diner.

All said, it sounds like a fun evening to be in Youngstown. Check out the YBPA page on Facebook or visit the village online at www.youngstownny.com for more.