The 45th annual Ohio Sternwheel Festival is having their final checks and inspections in preparation for the start of the fun later tonight along the Ohio River. Front Street from Butler to the river is closed and Greene Street from 2nd to the Lafayette is also closed.
WMOA News spoke with Marietta Fire Chief CW Durham earlier today to talk about what is still needing done safety wise before tonight.
"We are down here inspecting the food vendors to make sure it is safe for the vendors and the public. We are also down here checking on some things with the site itself. Making sure the hydrants are clear and that everything is safe to have a good weekend with the festival."
Vendors are moving in nicely downtown. Opening ceremonies will be tonight at 6pm and the spot that is literally the best seat in the house is right along Ohio Street. The Levee House Bistro at the corner of 2nd and Ohio is ready for a great weekend.
"We get everyone from Marietta, which is awesome because we love everyone in Marietta. It's just the friendly neighborhood bistro. Nothing pretentious, nothing crazy, perfect water spot, and perfect spot to see the fireworks."
We didn't count all of them but an estimated couple hundred chairs are already set up along the bank of the Ohio in preparation for tonight's entertainment which includes Steve and Beverly Pottmeyer at 7 followed by Queen Genevieve and the little Miss and Mr. Sternwheel pageants at 7:30. Then at 8 the Desert City Ramblers will perform before A Thousand Horses take the stage at 9:30
Just across the bricks from the Levee House Bistro is the famous Marietta Tiger Lemon Shake Stand. Jim Goeller was on site and spoke with us prior to the busy weekend of sugar and lemons.
"Going fairly well, this is our first fundraiser of the school year so we are trying get this thing kicked off and trying adjust with the cost of everything but it's going well so far."
Marietta City School students will be making the shakes throughout the weekend. The Sternwheel Festival is the 2nd event that the brand-new Marietta Tiger Booster Trailer will be used. The trailer came from a company in Georgia and is striped up in Tiger orange and black and features the famous Marietta Tiger to make sure locals know where to be for a lemon shake.
