Saturday afternoon, I was shutter-happy in downtown Meadville, taking photos of everyone and everything at Thunder in the City. Below are my favorites from the event. Check out more photos on GoCrawfordCounty.com’s Thunder in the City gallery.

Couple sporting "Thunder in the City" T's watching The Earthquakers on the main stage in Meadville.

“Skin grows back, paint doesn’t,” said Meadville bike and car enthusiast John Limber to his wife.  When harsh weather had threatened one of his beloved bikes a few years ago, Limber had encouraged his wife to shield the bike with her body until they wheeled it inside.

With that kind of passion, it comes at no surprise that the couple spent their weekend at Thunder in the City, Meadville’s 3^rd Annual Classic Car and Bike Show, held August 5-6.

Proudly standing by his 1977 Honda GL1000 Goldwing motorcycle on Chestnut Street during the event, Limber boasts, “I can say without reservation, I have the biggest garage in the City of Meadville.”

The garage can fit nine cars, three across, three deep. A passing neighbor agrees, “Yep, largest in Meadville.”

Thunder in the City started Friday night with bike night, complete with a cornhole competition, contests, and music. Saturday, classic cars lined up around Diamond Park, for the public to see. Registered cars could also cast their vote for the best in show in the city. Saturday also featured the Rusty Hanaway Memorial Bike Run, where bikes paraded up Park Avenue into the downtown.

More than just roaring engines and flashy metal, the event brought something for everyone, with plenty of kids’ activities in Diamond Park, music on multiple stages, and vendors all over the downtown area.

Helping East End Elementary raise money for their playground--with a baseball bat--at the Car Bash.

East End Elementary School raised money for their playground in a unique way—the Car Bash. For $1, participants had 30 seconds with a baseball bat against an old, black car. Want to know where you left your mark? Bash organizers spray painted your initials where you left your mark on the exterior.

Kids’ activities also included inflatables, balloon animals, and face painting.

Now in its 3^rd year, Thunder in the City is attracting a loyal following. The Presque Isle Corvette Club, who had about 18 corvettes from the club attend the event, said they juggled their schedule to come.

PI Corvette Club president, David Mays said, “To fit in as much as we can, we moved our Polka Run to last week, because we wanted to be here at Thunder in the City.”

Find this article in print in GoCrawfordCounty.com on Friday!  

Looking for your picture? Check GoCrawfordCounty.com’s Thunder in the City gallery! Watch videos from the event on the video player. Follow me @GinnyTonkin for GoCrawfordCounty.com updates.

Do you have photos from Thunder in the City? Post them on GoCrawfordCounty.com’s community album. Just click on “submit your photo.”

Thanks for all the positive response to “The ‘Q:’ Open for you.” For all those interested in where to find Queen City Cafe & Gallery, head to this address: 106 North Kerr Street, Titusville, Pennsylvania 16354.

Close to the University of Pittsburgh-Titusville and down the street from the elementary school one way, and the high school the other, the “Q” is nicely situated as a central hub or meeting place.

Find directions to the “Q” on their Google maps place page, and check their facebook page, regularly updated by “Q” staff for specials, information, and events.

Save the date for Queen City’s “Grand Opening,” August 11th. Live music and activities will be held from 5 to 8pm.

Have you been yet? Comment below and let us know what you think!

A four-year-old handler and her calf at the Cochranton Community Fair. Check out the photo album for more pictures!

From August 1-6, the Cochranton community rallies together to celebrate the Cochranton Community Fair. Live entertainment’s every night, and also features tractor pulls, a pet parade, and even a people pull.

Throughout the week, show hands exhibit animals from horses and cows to rabbits and poultry. Check out photos from the Fair and the Cattle Show on Wednesday.

Unfortunately, the arena was too muddy for showing, so organizers formed a makeshift one just outside the ring.

Check out GoCrawfordCounty.com’s homepage for video: Heather Morrell and Lisa Wright ready their cows for the show, while Skylar Morrell says why she likes showing her calf.

“Cochranton Fair is a good opportunity for the young showers, because it’s so small,” said Nicole Morrell, who was watching her daughter show. “It’s good practice before the Crawford County Fair.”

Wednesday’s “Life is but a Dream” parade kicked off at 6:30 in the evening, but by mid-morning, folks had already set up camp, lining chairs along the main route.

I was sad to have missed the parade, an event I’m told is the tops for Cochranton. Did you take pictures at the parade? We’d LOVE to see them! Submit them to our community album, just click on “submit a picture.”

Junk Fries. Delicious. Nutritious? Wouldn't bet on it. Have you tried them?

I also had my first experience with “Junk Fries” at the Fair. Walking past me, someone carried a paper boat that caught my eye. I couldn’t decide if I was seeing an edible heart attack or my next mouthwatering lunch snack.

Guess? I had to ask him where he got them. Loaded with cheese, onions, ranch, olives, tomatoes, and meat, these “Junk Fries” have it all. A vegetarian, I opted for a meatless boat of fries, and added plenty of ketchup, salt, and pepper.

Fairs offer a unique kind of food fare that you would never consider eating anywhere else, let alone get anywhere else. I’ve seen deep fried cookie dough, doughnuts, candy bars, and I’ve even heard you can get deep fried butter at the Indiana State Fair. What’s the strangest fair food you’ve tried?

Fireworks on Saturday night will make a great way to end the fair. What’s your favorite part of a community fair?

My next stop is Thunder in the City on Saturday in Meadville. Come see classic cars and motorcycles of all kinds parade around, hear some music, and check out the open vendors in downtown Meadville.

Want to get word out in the community? It takes less than five minutes. On GoCrawfordCounty.com, just click on “submit an article.” This is your community, and GoCrawfordCounty.com is a tool to let your voice be heard. Let me know if you have any questions, or need any help submitting your material.

Stay up to date with Community Connection by following me on Twitter @GinnyTonkin.

Heads up drivers en route from Meadville to Titusville: Highway 27 is closed just after the Titusville Airport. Driving from a meeting with the Meadville AM Rotary to chat with the Titusville School District, I met with this detour just miles before my GPS was bound to calmly say, “You have reached your destination.”

Thankfully, the detour on 408 is quick and simple, and the people in Titusville are super helpful and friendly. Calling to update my appointment that I would be delayed, I was successfully directed to my destination.

I even got my first introduction through Hydetown, population 605. The 408 detour takes you right through the town into Titusville, past the Walmart.

Has anyone else been affected by roadwork in the area? In Erie, it seems that August should be re-named “construction.” How about Crawford?

Queen City Café & Gallery, affectionately nicknamed the “Q,” aims to be not just your next stop for lunch, but Titusville’s new community gathering place, a hub to get the town’s creative juices flowing.

One quick look around the café, and one can see the Q is serious about local creativity.

Hand-painted tabletops showcase local students’ artistic flair, art from regional artists hangs on the walls, and a small stage holds a stool, waiting for Titusville musicians to step up to the mike.

The “Q” is the brainchild of Tambra Warner Sabatini, who also runs the Titusville Council on the Arts. A stop in a Mexican bistro on vacation in Puetro Vallerta inspired her. Also hosting an art gallery, the bistro incorporated artwork as décor.

“I thought it’d be fun to create a place that was more than just a place to eat,” said Warner Sabatini.

She kept the idea in the back of her mind, but this spring, she partnered with friend Kitty Freeze to make her dream a reality.

Submitting a full business plan and a vision of how the Q would benefit and involve the community, the pair won “Downtown Titusville’s Next Entrepreneur Could Be You” competition, and received a prize package valued at $5,000 from the Titusville Chamber of Commerce.

“We want to be a clearing house for community information,” said queen of the kitchen, Kitty Freeze, who manages the menu and the staff. ”

Freeze trains her staff to be knowledgeable about community events, so that when outside visitors come in, Q staff can help circulate information about the community. She also stresses hospitality with Q staff. Instead of “Your welcome,” Q City staff responds to thanks with, “It’s my pleasure,” a response that Freeze says helps people feel invited.

“If you have the right attitude, that’s what makes the difference,” said Freeze.

The pair also wants Q customers to feel like they can move at their own pace with a fast-casual dining style, and free wifi encourages visitors to utilize the community space.

Warner Sabatini says they have the perfect location to reach into multiple segments of the Titusville community, including the nearby middle and high schools and the University of Pittsburgh-Titusville.

“Where do you go after an event if everything is closed except McDonalds and Perkins,” said Warner Sabatini, “We want the community involved.”

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Find “The ‘Q:’ Open for You” in Friday’s GoCrawfordCounty.com. Don’t forget to add your own articles, photos, and events directly online!

Adamsville and Carlton post offices have been tapped by the United States Postal Service as centers possible to close in the next year. Facing a loss of $8 billion in 2010, the USPS has proposed closing more than 3,600 branches throughout the country, including those two in Crawford County.

Read Jim Martin’s article in the Erie Times-News to hear more about what USPS Spokesman for Western PA Tad Kelly has to say about the proposed closures.

I will be looking into the issue for more information, but in the meantime, I’d love your input: What do you think?

Do you think the USPS is doing the right thing by closing these branches? How will it affect you and your family? Crawford County?

Comment below, on Twitter @GinnyTonkin, or email me at gtonkin@goerie.com.

Driving the tractor's a big job, but this guy seemed up for the challenge.

Looking for photos from Saturday’s Crawford County Music Fest? They’re now up!

Check out a clip of the Tiger Maple String Band in the player on the GoCrawfordCounty.com homepage.

Have your own photos? Post them in our community album. Just click on “Submit a photo” on hand side of the page.

Tiger Maple String Band kicks it up a notch at the Crawford County Music Fest

On the Sprague Farm and Brew Works, little ones twirled before a stage amped with the twang of local folk and bluegrass. Tents dotted the perimeter in front of the tree line, and feel-good summertime vibes were in.

The Crawford County Music Fest brought more than just great music, fun people, and good times together, July 9, but laid the grounds for what may be a new annual Crawford tradition.

“We’re in the business of being people-people,” said Brian Sprague, who founded the Sprague Farm and Brew Works with his wife, Minnie. “Our goal was to put on a nice friendly event, have people come away saying, ‘That was great, and I want to come back again.”

If all goes well, Fest lovers can expect a second event. Originally, a yearly Bluegrass/American roots festival, the Fest ended in 1991 after becoming too expensive to produce. However, after Brian Sprague came to Tom New of WQLN looking for collaboration for an event, New agreed that the time was right to bring new life to the old beloved festival.

This time, all proceeds go to WQLN, helping them further their public broadcasting mission.

“This is the kind of music that’s not being served,” said New about the sound of the festival. “We’ve got a lot of great regional bands.”

Yellow Lady Slipper swag at the band booth at the Crawfrod County Music Fest.

Mentioning Grove City band, Yellow Lady Slipper, he added, “they play all original music. It’s a band that should be shared with people.”

The Fest line up included regional talent Yellow Lady Slipper, from Grove City, Richie Stearns, from Ithaca, N.Y., Tiger Maple String Band, from Edinboro, and Donna the Buffalo, also from Ithaca.

Referring to Stearns, New said, “we probably have the best claw-handled banjo player in America playing for us right now.”

Yellow Lady Slipper drummer Bill Smith approved of the event. “Seems like they’ve covered all their bases, good brew, shade, nice vibe, being out in the country, good sound system,” he said.

One group of seven friends, who camped out early to claim their “perfect” spot, is making plans for next year.

“(We are) already talking about coming back next year,” said Maggie Jablonski, who drove from Linesville.  “We’re going to perfect this, we’ve got a list of things to remember for next time.”

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Find this in print July 15!

Looking for photos and video? Check back soon to see more from the Crawford County Music Fest. I’ll be posting photos and video soon.

My wandering feet will take me south to Meadville this Saturday for two events: Second Saturday Community Market and Music Fest.

Fruit creation made at Meadville's Second Saturday Community Market.

1) Second Saturday Community Market.

I had fun at last month’s Market in June. It was my first month back stateside and my first week back on the job, and the fair was a welcome piece of Americana to ease me back into the swing of good ole’ neighborly-ness. All booths and vendors are local, offering local food (fresh, baked and prepared), crafts, artwork, and other unique goods.

Entertainment was local, too, with performers from the greater NWPA area. Last month’s “Healthy Living” theme had the Kid’s Corner making edible faces. Anyone know what’s up for “Creative Process?”

If I get a chance to stop by, ask me to take your picture for GoCrawfordCounty.com. Check out last month’s photos here, and my blog post.

2) Crawford County Music Fest

Never have I ever…. been to Sprague Farm & Brew Works. And I think it’s about time. After good hearsay and a trip to their webpage, I’m excited to drop on by the rustic microbrewery to experience the Crawford County Music Fest.

Branded as a mini-woodstock by presenters WQLN, the Fest aims to be the Phoenix reborn from WQLN’s 1970′s annual Bluegrass/American Roots music festival. I’ll be wandering around, gathering photos and video from the event. Flash a smile, do a little dance, and you might just see yourself on GoCrawfordCounty.com.

Check out contributor Tom New’s article for the line up and more information on Music Fest.

Are you going to the Second Saturday Community Market or Crawford County Music Fest? Be sure to say hi! Submit your own pictures and video on GoCrawfordCounty.com.