Musical entertainment for Arts in the Park will be provided by Smoke Daddy and the Crawfish.

After ten years, ‘Arts in the Park’ will have a new face.

Long time Uncle Sam Ralph Strippel, master of ceremonies for the event since it began, is retiring. Taking his place will be well-known radio personality Carman Harman.

Arts in the Park will be held from 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, July 4, at Bruce Park, sponsored by the New Martinsville Parks and Recreation Department, the Monroe Arts Council and ArtsLink the arts council for Wetzel and Tyler Counties.

Arts and crafts demonstrations and exhibits by artists and craftspeople from Wetzel and Tyler Counties in West Virginia and Monroe County, Ohio, are planned. Many items will be available for sale.

Entertainment will be provided by Smoke Daddy and the Crawfish. Lots of games will be offered for the kids. Admission to the park and the festival is free of charge.

Carman Harman, at right, takes over as Uncle Sam at Arts in the Park on July 4 at Bruce Park in New Martinsville.

Free soft drinks and popsicles will be furnished by the New Martinsville Parks and Recreation Department. The New Martinsville Lions Club will be selling hot dogs and other goodies.

ArtsLink is committed to providing universal accessibility wherever possible. Persons with special needs may contact ArtsLink at 304-455-2278 to request assistance. This festival is supported in part by the Ohio River Border Initiative, a joint project of the Ohio Arts Council and the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.

For further information, please contact Barbara Vincent at 304-652-2939.