Athens City Council passes summer festival ordinances

While students on Ohio University’s campus are gearing up for the thirteenth annual Number Fest, the city of Athens is preparing itself for different kinds of festivities that will take place after the students leave.Monday night the Athens City Council read twelve ordinances for the first time, all of which were relating to summer festivals in Athens.Boogie on the Bricks, a family music festival, Ohio Brew Week and the Bounty on the Bricks fundraiser all saw amendments being introduced by Third Ward Rep. Michele Papai.Papai said, “The summer festivals here in Athens have a whole different flavor than the fests the city is used to in the spring when students are here.”She said these festivals have law enforcements, like the spring fests the students hold annually, however they do not have the same kinds of problems. Papai said that families normally flock to these street festivals, and they bring people to the city, which is a great way for money to be brought into the city with the influx of people and the vendors being able to sell items on the street.“People bring their kids,” Papai said, “it normally starts early in the morning and the local kids groups play.”The council voted to establish a glass-free drinking container zone during Boogie on the Bricks, Ohio Brew Week and Bounty on the Bricks as well as to suspend the noise ordinance of the Athens City Code during these times.Families may also have something else to brighten up their streets this summer. Barb Kostohryz from Live Healthy Love Athens made a presentation to the council Monday night regarding the flags that run up and down Court Street.The flags normally read “Welcome to Athens” and are seen on light posts on various spots on Court Street. Kostohryz presented an idea to bring local children’s art to the green flags, by holding a contest where children submit pictures of what it means to them to live healthy and love Athens.She said she saw another city showcase children’s art on their flags around town while she was on vacation and thought, “Wow wouldn’t that be cool to do in Athens.”At Large Rep. Steve Patterson called it a great idea, with other members of the council also giving their approval. Kostohryz said the flags would go up sometime in the summer, but she was not sure on an exact date yet. ​