Joe Ferrara is no stranger to the stage, and that charisma and charm is what made him the perfect person to lead and organize the entertainment at the Festival.
Ferrara one of the Festival’s founders was there from day one and even before that.
Festival Chairwoman Raylene Boots revealed a little history and told a story of a pre-Festival entertainment event that Ferrara helped to organize. It was a musical revue thought up by 2018 Hall of Fame Inductee Mary Wiley. She presented the idea to Denny Schill and Ferrara, who gave a thumbs up. She suggested that the revue be titled “Ellwood City, USA.” Joe Ferrara wrote the script entitled “A Stroll Through the Park.” The Revue was held at the Lincoln High School Auditorium on October 17 and 18, 1980 and was a success—netting $1,400. Schill, Wiley, Ferrara, Roy Meehan, and Ben Pellicano pondered what to use the money for and came up with the idea of having a Festival in Ewing Park during the 4th of July holiday. The $1,400 was used to organize the very first Festival.
“Joe was instrumental in the development of the Festival,” Boots said.
Joe Ferrara and his daughter Lauranne enjoying the Festival.
That among many other reasons is why Lauranne Ferrara’s nomination of her father Joe turned into an induction.
“The Festival meant a lot to him because he was involved from its inception,” she said. “He and my mother participated in the initial program at Lincoln High School that brought about the Festival. He was so proud that the Festival got bigger each year and that it attracted more and more people. It also meant a lot for him to hear how much people enjoyed the entertainment.”
Lauranne remembers the dedication her father had to the Festival. And much of the expectation and standard of great festival entertainment is thanks to Joe.
“Entertainment Chairman wasn’t just a title to him,” She said. “He did the best he could to have an entertaining line up of acts that would please everyone.”
Lauranne said her dad made phone calls year round to contact potential acts and to set their dates and times. She said there were always cancellations (some at the last minute) and he’d have to get someone else. Many acts came year after year, according to Lauranne, but he was always looking for new ones as well.
“He was at the Festival every day from morning till night making sure that all the acts were there, that they went on stage on time and that all went smoothly,” she said.
Joe was not a shy man … taking to the stage himself to announce acts and play emcee. And although the Festival was a lot of work for Ferrara, he also found enjoyment in the long days and nights. Lauranne has fond memories of her dad at the Festival.
Joe Ferrara with the 1987 Festival Committee.
“They would play music in between acts and he and my mom would get up and dance,” she said. “It was heartwarming seeing them enjoying themselves and just having fun.”
Memories mean the most to Lauranne, and she and her family beam with pride not only during the Festival but year round and everyday. His years of volunteer work have helped mold the festival into what is today: Famous, Fun, and Full of entertainment.
“Our family has always been proud of his accomplishments, but this induction is special because we know how much the Festival meant to him,” Lauranne said. “It was a ‘labor of love’ and he would have been very touched by this if he were here.”
Ferrarra has had a lasting impact on the Festival by not only giving the larger headliner acts time on the stage, but also recognizing the talent of the local youth. It was his idea to have a local dance studio highlighted each of the three days of the festival. You will also see other local talent featured, a tradition that had carried on beyond Joe Ferrara.
“The entertainment has a real local flavor,” Boots said in speaking about Vic Rangel the current chair of entertainment’s efforts.
Joe will always be an eternal showman.
“He always loved being on stage!” said Lauranne. “But I would also say that he loved when everything was running smoothly and he could look out at the crowd and see how much they were enjoying the entertainment. That was when he knew he accomplished his job.”
Job well done, Joe Ferrara.
The Festival’s Hall of Fame Induction will take place at 1 p.m. on June 29.
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