On the Morning Thing Thursday, Eric shared a 2025 guide to fairs and festivals in Knox County and surrounding counties. This is a great guide for some Summer Fun from Knox Pages.
Some of the events that Eric mentioned include:
June First Friday in downtown Mount Vernon.
Centerburg Heart of Ohio USA Days
Knox County Fair
Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival
WNZR will also be a number of summer events, and we are also looking for community partners to help cover these events.
Click HERE to find out how to become a partner of On The Road with Big Blue this summer.
Click HERE to see all the events listed by Knox Pages.
On Friday, 1/31/25, Experience Mount Vernon handed out the 2024 Investor Awards. WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart and Eric Brown talked with the winners. Click HERE to hear the conversations.
Congratulations to: Janis Stone – Walter Rudin Award Paragraphs Bookstore – Small Business of the Year TD Landscape – Mid-Size Business of the Year Park National Bank – Large Business of the Year Mount Vernon Arts Consortium – Non-Profit of the Year Knox County Convention and Visitors Bureau – Community Pride Award Emily Morrison – Spirit of Heritage Award
This prestigious Walter Rudin Award honors an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and impact on the Downtown Mount Vernon community. Janis Stone’s unwavering commitment to enhancing our city’s vibrancy through the performing arts and fostering a spirit of collaboration has made her a cornerstone of our community’s growth and success.
Janis Stone has played a transformative role in shaping our cultural landscape through her remarkable dedication to the arts and tireless efforts to enrich Downtown Mount Vernon. Her unwavering commitment to downtown Mount Vernon and various arts initiatives has made high-quality, accessible arts programming a cornerstone of our community. Janis’ leadership and vision have brought unforgettable performances to Mount Vernon’s heart and fostered a deeper connection to the arts for residents and visitors alike.
Janis Stone’s influence extends beyond her work with MTVarts. She has actively engaged with local businesses, collaborated with fellow arts organizations, and passionately contributed to Experience Mount Vernon events, all while advocating for the vibrancy of our downtown area. Through her leadership, countless individuals have been inspired to explore the arts, and Downtown Mount Vernon has become a cultural hub that draws people together through shared creative experiences.
In addition to the Walter Rudin Award, Experience Mount Vernon awarded six additional business and community awards at its Annual Investor & Awards Breakfast on January 31st: ● Small Business of the Year: Paragraphs Bookstore, for its outstanding service to the community and dedication to fostering connections in Downtown Mount Vernon. ● Mid-Size Business of the Year: TD Landscape, for its exemplary work in enhancing vibrancy in Downtown Mount Vernon. ● Large Business of the Year: Park National Bank, for its long-standing commitment to outstanding leadership, community involvement, and a commitment to fostering local partnerships. ● Non-Profit of the Year: Mount Vernon Arts Consortium, for enriching the cultural fabric of our city through innovative programming and tireless advocacy for the arts. ● Community Pride Award: Knox County Convention & Visitors Bureau, for unwavering commitment to enhancing the beauty and pride of Mount Vernon and for promoting Mount Vernon as a top destination in Ohio. ● Spirit of Heritage Award: Emily Morrison, for her selfless volunteerism and a deep passion for capturing our community’s spirit through her photography.
Experience Mount Vernon extends heartfelt thanks to the sponsors who made these awards possible: The Mount Vernon Grand Hotel for the Small Business of the Year Award; Dumbaugh Insurance for the Mid-Size Business of the Year Award; Flappers Bar & Grille for the Large Business of the Year Award; Kidwell & Cunningham for the Non-Profit of the Year Award; Griffin Insurance for the Community Pride Award; CES Credit Union for the Spirit of Heritage Award; and Park National Bank for the Walter Rudin Award. Their generosity and dedication to supporting our community’s leaders and businesses help make this recognition possible.
“Each of these award winners exemplifies the best of what Mount Vernon has to offer,” said Lacey Filkins, Executive Director of Experience Mount Vernon. “Their collective efforts contribute to the ongoing transformation of our community into a thriving and inspiring place to live, work, and visit.”
Experience Mount Vernon is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to enhancing the vibrancy of Downtown Mount Vernon through events, programs, and partnerships that celebrate its unique charm and foster community pride.
For more information about Experience Mount Vernon, visit experiencemv.org.
Lacey Filkins, Executive Director Experience Mount Vernon stopped by WNZR to give us a highlight of Winter in Downtown Mount Vernon. Click HERE to hear the full conversation or click on the link below.
Lacey talked about this year’s theme – A Vintage Holiday Celebration. She highlighted the exciting schedule: Saturday 11/30 – Shop Small Saturday Sunday 12/1: 3:45pm – Annual Holiday Parade 4:15pm – Festive Family Fun 5:00pm – Lighting of the Public Square 5:30pm – 7:00pm – Pictures with Santa at the Mount Vernon Grand Hotel
Lacey shared about the parade route and the best place to be seated. There are 60 different floats signed up for this year! There are 10 different awards including Best Overall, Judges Choice and Best Youth (sponsored by WNZR/MVNU). The parade is a Food For The Hungry collection point. FFTH will push carts in the parade so that people can donate while they walk through downtown. If there is rain, the parade is rescheduled for Sunday, December 8th at the same time and location.
Lacey talks about the Festive Family Fun. After the parade the public square will be filled with the Dogwood Blossoms singing carols. There will be ornament craft tables, letters to Santa, three different food trucks and a holiday market.
The lighting of the public square will take place when it gets dark. Santa and Mayor Star will be there. Santa is in the lower lobby of the Grand Hotel at 5:30-7:00pm. Pictures with Santa are free!
The event starts at 6:00pm on December 14th. They have four different categories. Best Storefront, Best Classic White Light Display, Best Vintage Inspired and Best Light Up the City Display.
The public is invited to vote as well as the assigned judges. The 14th, 15th and 16th are the voting dates.
The winners will be announced on the Experience Mount Vernon Facebook page on the 17th by 5pm. Winners will also be emailed directly.
Lacey wants to thank Park National Bank, Burrata Woodfired, Knox Community Hospital, Dumbaugh Insurance, Shelter Insurance, Ariel Corporation for their sponsorship. She would also like to thank the City Streets Department and MVPD for coordinating the parade. Lacey would like to thank their volunteers and for Santa.
Lacey would like to thank True Cut Landscaping and for volunteers for hanging the lights and ornaments in the square.
Lacey talks about future events that Experience Mount Vernon is planning for 2025. They are already planning their First Fridays. July First Friday will take place on a Thursday in 2025 to plan around July 4th weekend.
You can signup to the Experience Mount Vernon newsletter to keep up to date on all Experience Mount Vernon events. They also post updates on their website and Facebook page. https://www.experiencemv.org/
Lacey Filkins, Executive Director for Experience Mount Vernon stopped by The Morning Thing to talk about an exciting event coming to downtown Mount Vernon. Click HERE to hear the full conversation. Lacey shared all the exciting details of the annual Johnny Appleseed Apple Festival. She shared the schedule, list of entertainment, food choices, festival location, parking options and more. The festival is Friday, 10/4 from 5pm – 8pm on East Ohio Avenue on the block between South Gay and South Main Streets. Lacey also shared a list of upcoming events for the 2024 Christmas Holiday. For all the details of this event and upcoming events – go to the Experience Mount Vernon webpage – HERE!
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is excited to be part of September First Friday. Multiple departments will have informational tables set up on the public square. There will be hands-on, interactive activities for kids of all ages.
WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart talked with several faculty members about the exciting plans for First Friday. They each shared about their roles at MVNU and what they were most excited about for fall semester. They also talked about the latest news from their departments.
Featured Faculty: – Dr. Jennifer Ballenger, Assistant Professor of Youth and Family in the Christian Ministries Department – Dr. Jessica Grubaugh, Dean for the Jetter School of Professional Studies (includes Business, Education and Social Work Programs), Education Department Chair – Dr. LeeAnn Couts, Dean for the School of Natural and Social Sciences, Professor of Psychology and Director of Academic Summer Camps – Dr. John Packard, Chair of the Music Department and Band Director – Dr. Colleen Bryan, Professor of Psychology and Department Chair for Psychology, Criminal Justice, Emergency Management and Homeland Security
Stop by the MVNU tables and have some FUN! Psychology—Coloring books focused on: What can I be? Biology—Creepy Crawly Things and More (Plant and Animal Life) Education—Monster Origami Bookmarks and a gently used book plus some book drawings Christian Ministry—Games, Popcorn and More Music—Make your own musical instrument Nursing—Hands on Nursing Activities Fairbanks Center for Global Engagement—Partnership with Kenyon Admissions Table
At August First Friday, Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr announced the Volunteers of the Year: Janis Stone and Kevin Mishey.
Janis has been involved with theater in our community for several decades. She is a founding member of MTVarts. She has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund the performing arts in Mount Vernon. She has helped to develop many theater options for our community including dinner theater, Broadway musicals, the Classic Series based on American Literature, Arts IQ and youth performances.
Kevin Mishey has been an advisory board member with the Salvation army for over 25 years. He is Chair of the their Maintenance Committee and serves on the Capital Campaign Committee and the Christmas Kettle Committee. He is also an integral part of music here in Mount Vernon – teaching guitar lessons, leading a music program at Danbury Senior Living and providing special music at Faith Lutheran Church. He is a regular performer at Praisestock and other festivals. He is also a member of the Front Porch Concert Committee.
Lacey Filkins, Executive Director for Experience Mount Vernon was a guest on The Morning Thing today. She shared a preview of August First Friday. Click HERE to hear her conversation with WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart. She shared highlights of tonight’s schedule, entertainment, food and activities. She also shares information on parking and road closures. Tonight’s event is from 6pm – 9pm. We hope to see you for a celebration of the “Dog Days of Summer”!
Today for our Friday Favorites, we want to honor DOGS! WNZR’s annual “Dog Days of Summer” Dog Costume Parade is tonight at August First Friday. The Morning Thing hosts shared their favorite memories with their dogs. Click HERE to listen. We hope to see you in downtown Mount Vernon tonight from 6pm – 9pm. The parade starts at 7:15pm.
The Morning Thing talked with Lacey Filkins, Executive Director for Experience Mount Vernon about July First Friday. Click HERE to hear the full conversation. Lacey shared highlights of the schedule, best parking places, live music, food truck options and many fun family activities. The event is from 6pm – 9pm in downtown Mount Vernon. July’s Theme is “Summer Camp”. The Big Blue Crew will be in downtown Mount Vernon tonight. We hope to see you there! Click HERE to see a full list of activities and details about WNZR’s “Drink Up, Soak Up and Frame Up” prize basket. We will give this away tonight before 8pm!
The Mount Vernon Police Department won the award for Large Size Business of the Year. Chief Robert Morgan shares about his department – 34 officers, 40 total employees. Click HERE to hear Marcy Rinehart’s conversation with Chief Morgan. He talks about being connected to Experience Mount Vernon providing safety at the downtown events and also how positive it is to allow his officers connect to kids and families on a personal level. We talk about the K9 unit and how the kids love them and love to see the police cars. We also talk about the PAK United group – Police and Kids events will be coming up in the spring. You can stay connected at the PAK United Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064635570460
Rise and Shine 