Pat Marinaccio—Champion of the Arts—to be Inducted into Festival Hall of Fame

Bittersweet.

It’s a feeling that Lee Marinaccio knows all too well.

Lee lost his father, Pat, mid January shortly before his dad would have celebrated his 93rd birthday.

That’s the bitter part that Lee lives with. Losing a parent is a tragedy that stares into the face of thousands on a daily basis, but for each person that loss is something personal, something that no one else can possibly understand.

Then, a sweet surprise came in the form of a Festival Hall of Fame induction that will honor Pat Marinaccio’s Festival legacy forever.

You see, Marinaccio was a part of the festival for decades. He was chairman of the juried art show from the Festival’s beginning until he “retired” in 2008. Lee said he became involved in other parts of the festival as well.

This photo taken on June 27, 2000, shows Pat Marinaccio, center, making festival plans with other committee members Lynn Jones, Mikel Britt (standing), and Tom Martz.

“Pat was involved since the very beginning of the Festival,” said Festival Chairwoman Raylene Boots referring to Marinaccio as one of the Festival’s founding members. “He was very involved with the Ellwood City Art Club and promoting the arts in Ellwood City. His involvement with the Festival was a big part of this.”

He used his skill as an AutoCAD draftsman, with the assistance of a surveyor, to make a computerized layout of the Festival grounds, with exact dimensions, tree locations, etc. that was used to determine vendor tent placements,” Lee said. “That was a huge project.”

Lee remembered his father’s dedication to the Festival when he saw a section about the first round of hall of fame honorees and invited nominations for this year.

“I nominated my dad shortly after last year’s Festival. We were told they would be choosing at the Aug 5th Festival meeting,” Lee said. “We never heard anything back, and assumed he was not selected.”

Pat Marinaccio stands with Best of Show winner, Chandler Beatty, in the juried art show for the 20th annual Ellwood City Arts, Crafts and Foods Festival.

Lee went about his business and didn’t give it a second thought. Then he received word a week after his father’s passing in January that he was going to be an inductee.

“It was a week later that I was informed that my dad was selected back in August—so he never knew,” Lee said.

Although Pat Marriaccio will never know that his legacy will forever be recognized in Elwood City history, his family will cherish his honor.

“It is a great honor to have him recognized for his countless hours dedicated to the Festival,” Lee said. “I only wish he could have known.”

There were many memories made during Marinaccio’s 27 years of Festival service, but Lee said he will remember his father’s social skills the most. Lee said he was quite a fan of seeing people he knew from the neighborhood.

“I think my dad’s favorite part of the Festival, like most, people, was running into old friends, coworkers, relatives and neighbors,” Lee said.

The Festival’s Hall of Fame Induction will take place at 1 p.m. on June 29.