There are so many fun and unique events at this year’s Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival. The 3rd annual Kiwanis Club Pie Auction is back for 2026!
WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart talks with Alice Hutzel, Vice President of the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon about all the details for this year’s event. Click HERE to hear the full conversation or click on the picture below.
You are invited to join in this Americana traditions and bid on your favorite pie. There are 15 pies up for bid including cherry, blueberry, strawberry rhubarb, dutch apple caramel, peachy peach and many more flavors! All proceeds from the auction will support Children’s Literacy in Knox County. The Auction is Saturday, 8/15 at 3:30pm on the Public Square in downtown Mount Vernon. Thanks to Auctioneer David McDowell for his service.
Click HERE for more information about this event and the overall festival.
WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart talked with JoAnne Graham, Co-Chair of the Flower Show at this year’s Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival.
Click HERE to hear the full conversation or click on the picture below.
JoAnne shares the excitement of this year’s theme – “Celebrating America’s 250 through Artistic Designs”. She gives highlights of the different classes and what judges look for in a “Best of Show” entry. The Flower Show will be at The Living Center, 201 N Main Street in downtown Mount Vernon.
Stop by and see the displays: Friday 8/14 – 6pm – 8pm Saturday 8/15 – 10am – 8pm Sunday 8/16 – Noon – 4pm
Click HERE for more information about the Flower Show and this year’s festival.
This week for our Friday Favorites, The Morning Thing hosts celebrated the 2026 Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival. They each shared their favorite event on this year’s schedule. We hope to see you in downtown Mount Vernon this weekend!
Click HERE to hear from Marcy, Olivia, Eric, Ethan and Daniel.
KidsFest is returning to the Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival with a wide variety of activities designed to give children a place to create, move, learn and have fun.
WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart talked with festival board member Noella Nzishura about this year’s KidsFest and what families can expect throughout the weekend.
Nzishura has been involved with the festival for three years. She began as a volunteer before joining the board and is now helping lead KidsFest after learning from the person who previously oversaw the area.
This year’s activities include fruit kebabs, cookie decorating, fitness activities, African drumming and opportunities for kids to dress up and take part in different experiences. Returning favorites include succulents, princesses and bounce houses.
Kids can also pick up a passport and work through different activities, with an opportunity to earn a T-shirt.
KidsFest will be located on Vine Street behind Park National Bank. Nzishura said the area will include tents and bounce houses while creating a welcoming environment for children and their families. Bouquet making will also be offered through one of the businesses on Vine Street.
KidsFest opens at 11 a.m. each day. Activities continue into the evening Friday and Saturday, while KidsFest wraps up at 2 p.m. Sunday.
There is no cost to participate and no advance registration is required.
Nzishura said one of the things she is most looking forward to is seeing children try activities they may not have experienced before and discover skills they did not know they had.
Volunteers are still needed to help with KidsFest. Anyone interested can visit MVMAF.org and complete the festival’s volunteer form.
Nzishura encouraged families to simply come downtown, take part in the activities and enjoy the experience together.
Click HERE to learn more about the Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival!
WNZR shines the spotlight on the 2026 Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival this week. WNZR’s Josiah Styer talked with Board Member, Jacob Francis about event logistics. Click HERE to hear the full conversation or click on the photo below.
Jacob serves as the Site and Logistics Director for the Festival. He shared details about this year’s map and festival layout, along with news about when streets will close. He also shared the good news that 3 favorite events will return. Listen in for details about the 6th annual Car & Motorcycle Cruise-in, the Wood Challenge Auction and the 3rd annual Chalk Competition.
Click HERE for more information on the festival and to see the full schedule.
Did you know the “Biggest Little Fair in the World” is close to home and going on this week? YES! The 2026 Hartford Fair is this week! Eric Brown from The Morning Thing talked with Fair Manager, Roger Smith about this year’s event. Click HERE to hear the full conversation or click on the photo below.
Roger shared schedule highlights, the history of the fair, new events and how to get tickets. This is the 168th Hartford Fair! You can see the Big Blue Crew tonight along with Monster Trucks and a Fantasy Drone show!
Click HERE to see the complete schedule and all details about this year’s Fair.
A broken clock, an old typewriter or even a treasured antique does not necessarily have to end up in the trash.
WNZR’s Eric Brown recently talked with Mark Tillack, founder of Repair Café Knox County, about a program that brings neighbors together to see if those broken items can be put back into service.
Tillack said the Repair Café concept began in the Netherlands in 2009 and eventually made its way to Knox County. The local program started in November of 2018 and now holds repair events four times a year.
People have brought in everything from bicycles, fans and vacuum cleaners to VCRs, paper shredders, clocks and unusual antiques. Tillack said volunteers will take a look at just about anything that can reasonably be carried through the door.
There is no charge for the repair service. A donation jar is available to help cover expenses such as replacement parts and printing flyers. Visitors are encouraged to bring along any loose parts, manuals or other information that might help volunteers understand the item.
The program has become increasingly popular. Tillack said a typical event once handled between 17 and 32 repairs, but the May Repair Café saw about 52 items come through the door and, for the first time, a line formed outside.
That growth has also created a need for more repair volunteers.
Tillack stressed that volunteers do not have to be professional repair technicians. The program is looking for people who enjoy fixing things, understand how things work or simply like the challenge of figuring out why something is broken. Volunteers can participate in one event or all four during the year.
The next Repair Café will be held Saturday, August 15th, from 1 until 4 p.m. in the basement of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church hall in Mount Vernon. The church is at the corner of Gay and High streets, with access to the basement from the Gay Street side. Signs will be posted to help visitors find the entrance.
Tillack recommends bringing items closer to 1 p.m. when possible so volunteers have as much time as they can to diagnose and repair them before the event ends.
Beyond fixing things, Tillack sees the Repair Café as an example of “neighbor helping neighbor.” Many of the items people bring have stories behind them, and sometimes the value of a repair has little to do with what an object would cost to replace.
He also hopes to introduce more young people to the idea of repairing instead of immediately replacing broken items. Tillack is exploring interest in a Repair Café in the Classroom program that would give children an opportunity to learn how repairs work and develop basic problem-solving skills.
Those interested in volunteering or learning more can contact Mark Tillack at mtillack44@gmail.com or 330-377-4387.
Click HERE to see more on the Repair Knox County Facebook page!
Several members of TAC of Knox County talked with WNZR about their annual Color for a Cause Race. This very colorful event is held every year to raise awareness of the Teen Advisory Council and their initiatives. Indra, Amaiyah, Madelyn and Truth shared their passion for reaching their peers throughout the year.
Click HERE to hear their conversations or click on the picture below.
TAC is a Knox County youth-led prevention team powered by passionate high school students committed to empowering their peers, engaging their schools and communities, and encouraging healthy choices, respectful relationships, and positive change. TAC members raise awareness, spark conversations, and lead initiatives to prevent dating violence, substance misuse, and suicide—before they begin. As ambassadors of healthy lifestyles, TAC youth use their voices, creativity, and leadership to influence their peers and promote safety, respect, and wellness. TAC is where teens build confidence, plan events, advocate for change, and prove that young people aren’t just the future—they are leaders right now.
Enjoy the conversations and see how these young leaders are living out these 3 goals – Empower. Engage. Encourage. TAC – Teens Leading Positive Change in Knox County. Click HERE to find out more about TAC and stay connected to their activities.
Lacey Filkins, Executive Director for Experience Mount Vernon, stopped by The Morning Thing to talk about tonight’s exciting event – August First Friday.
She shared a highlight of all the fun activities and how the downtown business district will celebrate this theme – Paws On Parde!
Lacey shared details on parking, food, entertainment, the Experience Mount Vernon Passport and how your family can have fun tonight. We also shared all the details of WNZR’s Annual Costumed Paws on Parade.
WNZR will be there tonight! Look for Big Blue near the Dog Fountain on South Main Street. Don’t miss your chance to register for some amazing prizes. We have prizes for humans and DOGS!
Click HERE to hear the full conversation or click on the picture below.
Click HERE to find all the details about tonight’s event.
For our Friday Favorites, The Morning Thing hosts are celebrating DOGS – in honor of our annual Dog Costume Parade at August First Friday. The hosts share their favorite memories with their family dog.
Click HERE to hear stories from Marcy, Olivia, Eric, Daniel and Ethan.
Or click the picture below.
We hope to see you and your 4 legged friends in downtown Mount Vernon tonight! Click HERE for all the details about August First Friday and our Costume PAWS on Parade!
