If you’re looking for one last hurrah before the kids head back to school, the City of North Royalton has you covered.
A “Movie in the Park” event will kick things off tomorrow, Aug. 20, at 8 p.m. at Memorial Park, located at 14600 State Road. Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz will be serving up hotdogs and popcorn and the showing of “Sonic the Hedgehog” will follow at dusk. The city reminds attendees to bring their own chairs and/or blankets. This event is free and open to the public.
A two-day celebration, “Summerfest,” will kick off the next day, Aug. 21, at Memorial Park, and continue Aug. 22, on the City Green. The weekend event features a car show, live music, food trucks, children’s activities and fireworks. “Summerfest” is not meant to rid and replace the yearly Community Festival event, a city staple for nearly 140 years, but rather provide residents with an opportunity for family fun during the challenges of the pandemic, said Ward 2 Councilperson Linda Barath. The yearly Community Festival is organized and sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and last occurred in 2019. Planning for the three-day Community Festival begins at least ten months in advance. Covid guidance and restrictions made the required advance booking and planning impossible for the last two years, but with the lifting of Covid restrictions, the beloved Community Festival and Parade will return next year.
“When we learned the Chamber of Commerce wasn’t organizing the Community Festival this summer again due to Covid, we put our heads together with the mayor and decided to create another alternative,” Barath said. “We don’t know if Summerfest is going to be a one-time thing or if it will continue. It depends on how successful it is.”
The fun begins with a car show from 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 21 at Memorial Park. Organized in partnership with BlueLine Classics, the car show will include entries for up to 125 cars and trucks and 12 judging classes, said Jackie Canter of BlueLine Classics. Winners will receive plaques and prizes. Judging categories include Car and Truck Best of Show, Oldest Car, Spectator’s Choice, 1920s and older, 1990s and newer, and 1930s through 1980s with a winner chosen for each decade, Canter said.
Car Show participants are encouraged to pre-register for the Aug. 21 event by emailing jackie@bluelineclassics.com or texting Canter at (216) 701-5905. Day-of registration can be done between 1 and 3 p.m. Aug. 21, but pre-registration is preferred in advance of the Aug. 21 event.
Plaques and prizes will be awarded at 4:30 p.m. The judging panel, comprised of “people well-versed in classic cars and cars in general,” will be assigned various categories, Canter said. A yet-unnamed celebrity judge will also be in attendance. The “Spectator’s Choice” award will allow for participation from event-goers picking their favorite entry.
Spectator parking will be made available at North Royalton High School and the City Green, with a shuttle service providing rides to the car show. A 50s, doo-wop-style band will keep the crowd entertained and food trucks like Bronco’s Western BBQ, Stateside Provisions and Kona Ice will be on-site selling food and snack items, along with refreshments for purchase from the North Royalton Lions Club, Barath said.
The next day, Aug. 22, “Summerfest” continues on the City Green beginning at 5 p.m. and concluding at dusk with a vibrant fireworks display. Food trucks will again be on-site.
The evening promises nonstop entertainment for families and anyone who enjoys hometown fun, including:
– Hip-hop dance lessons from 5-6 p.m. led by the experts at Dance Arts by Regina
– A magician performance from “Magic Rick” at 6 p.m.
– Balloon art from 7-9 p.m.
– A performance from the Community Band at 7:30 p.m.
– Displays by the North Royalton Fire Department and a visit with the North Royalton Police K-9 dog
– Face painting from NRHS art students
Attendees to “Summerfest” are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs.
“We are really proud of the weekend we’ve put together,” Canter said. “We’re a big city but some still consider us very rural and our goal with this is to provide those hometown-type events that people can really enjoy.”
For more information and event details about “Summerfest,” visit northroyalton.org.

By SARA MACHO HILL
Contributing Writer