JLDC Approves Funding For Downtown Events
Several events – some that have been held annually and some new – have received funding from the Jamestown Local Development Corp.
Earlier this month, the JLDC approved funding for several events from the Fund of Downtown Programming. City funding of $40,000 has been given to Pat Smeraldo of Collaborative Children Solutions, who is planning to produce four events in the city this year.
The first event will be held June 24 and will focus on family- and child-friendly events, said Crystal Surdyk, city development director. The “Summer Wellness Fair” will feature several different agencies that will provide activities and resources to children as their summer vacation starts. She said there will be a color run, music, sidewalk art, games, contests, a possible petting zoo and the Jamestown Tarp Skunks mascot.
“Approximately there will be 30 vendors to sign kids up for summer activities and youth programs,” she said.
Surdyk said the event will culminate with a Tarp Skunks game and fireworks at Russell Diethrick Jr. Park.
The second event Smeraldo plans to produce is Christmas in July, which will be a two-day event July 22 and 23. Surdyk said this event will take place in Comedy Center Park near the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk behind the National Comedy Center. She said a Christmas village will be created with decorative lights placed along the Riverwalk path. She added there will be craft vendors, Santa, Christmas music and other holiday activities.
“There will be a three-on-three basketball tournament and other games like cornhole,” she said. “There will also be sidewalk art, food truck vendors and a series of Christmas movies playing on screens in partnership with the comedy center.”
The third event will happen in collaboration with an annual Jamestown event. While the annual Labor Day Festival will return to Bergman Park, Smeraldo also plans to have events downtown as well. Surdyk said a children’s race is being planned, along with live music, games and a street party component that will likely include a local craft brewery.
“This event will also be in partnership with Northwest Arena, so depending on the weather, it can be moved inside if it rains,” she said. “This event will correlate with what will be happening at Bergman Park.”
The fourth event Smeraldo will be producing is the annual Christmas parade and holiday celebration, which he produced last year. Surdyk said the parade will happen the first weekend in December and will also take place at the same time there will be a 16-team hockey tournament at Northwest Arena. She said there will also be the “Mistletoe Mile” run and potentially movies shown on the screens outside of the National Comedy Center, along with additional events happening at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts.
The JLDC also approved $6,000 for sound and lights for the 40th anniversary concert of 10,000 Maniacs, which will be held May 21. Surdyk said the $6,000 is in addition to the $25,000 the JLDC already approved for the concert, which is being produced by Doug Sitler of Sitler HQ.
Surdyk said the funding for the concert had been approved before the COVID-19 pandemic, with the actual 40th anniversary of the band in 2021. However, because of the pandemic, the concert was delayed until this year.
The JLDC also provided $50,000 to the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities for its climate technology conference that will be held Oct. 18 and 19. The conference is happening in correlation with a grant the BPU received from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Surdyk said the conference is expected to attract between 300 to 400 attendees.



