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.
Today, we have a special Friday Favorites for you! The Morning Thing hosts shared their favorite ice cream flavor and their favorite way to eat it! You can catch the Big Blue Crew at the Utica Ice Cream Festival is this weekend!
We got to chat with sisters Luconda and Joanne Dager, the President and Vice President of Velvet Ice Cream, as well as Whitney Priest, the Utica Ice Cream Festival Director! The amazing ladies share with us about everything the festival has to offer! They also give us some insight on what it is like to create new ice cream flavors and products.
They will be giving out over 4,000 ice cream products at the festival this weekend! It’s a great way to spend memorial day!
Here are the topics highlighted:
The history of Velvet Ice Cream, the Utica Ice Cream Festival and the Dager family legacy
A look into the operation of the Ye Old Mill
How long it takes to create a new ice cream product
Some statistics on how much ice cream they need to make and give out at the festival
ALL the details of the festival including
Where?
When?
Parking
Event schedule
Ice cream eating contest!
And just for fun we get to hear some of the ladies favorites!
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.
The Morning Thing featured several special guests this week as we prepare to go to the 24th Annual Fredericktown Christmas Walk. Click HERE to hear the conversations. We talked with committee members about this fun event for families. They shared schedule updates, event highlights, how long they have been involved and what they are looking forward to experience at this year’s event. The Walk benefits the Salvation Army and Interchurch Social Services in Fredericktown, along with the Fredericktown Community Relief Fund.
Enjoy the conversation with: Robin McClay – entertainment and the scrumptious live auction Jamie Sanders – NEW Christmas Tree Trimming Contest Carolyn Fergus – ornaments and inflatables Joely Lepley – Committee Chair, schedule highlights Cecelia McClelland – arts and craft vendor at the Presbyterian Church Ellen Hoam – Santa’s visit, good places to park and how to get involved with the event
For full details Click HERE for their Facebook page.
Each Friday, The Morning Thing hosts share their “Friday Favorites”. Sometimes we have a theme. Sometimes we just share something great that happened during the week. Today, we shared about trips to Nashville and Fredericktown. Click HERE or on the link below to hear from Marcy, Xander and Shawn. Are you looking for the blessings all around you today? What is your Friday Favorite?
The Church at Chapel Hill is bringing back their Fall Festival for this weekend. You are invited to this fun and FREE family event. Pastor Jon Whisner and Connie Jackson stopped by The Morning Thing to share details of ALL the activities. Click HERE to hear the full conversation.
The event is from 4pm – 7:30pm. The church is located at 7530 Johnstown Road in Mount Vernon. Click HERE to see a complete list of activities.
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!
For our Friday Favorites this week, The Morning Thing hosts shared their favorite songs from artists coming to Sonfest 2024! We hope to see you on the campus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University on Saturday! Gates open at Noon!
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
Rise and Shine 