Sweets in Summer serves up sugary fun

Photos by Sue Cook – Jena Hemphill gives out cheesecake samples at Celebrity Day Spa.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

MEDINA – The Medina Business Association began Sweets in Summer to offer a family-friendly option during summer to attract people to downtown Medina.

Many of the businesses served up sweets on Saturday and other organizations planned activities, including concerts, a history walk and other events.

“We’d been looking at some sort of summer event and making it family-friendly so people could bring their kids,” said Cindy Robinson, president of the MBA.

“People won’t even have to leave Medina today.”

The Medina Sandstone Society planned a tour in the afternoon focused on the interpretive panels throughout downtown Medina.

ellen j goods served up mini cupcakes.

Interesting and unexpected desserts were also offered at some locations. Apple Blossom Florist chose to offer cream puffs with edible flowers.

The Bread Basket co-owners Lori Brien and Lissa Stewart chose to serve handmade banana chocolate chip ice cream bread and birthday cake ice cream bread (pictured above).

In the evening, the canal basin hosted The Dave Viterna Group and the Creek Bend Band while The Park Grille served up hot dogs and sausages among other non-sweet items to give people a break from the sugar they’d eaten all day.

“We wanted to make it like a whole day event. You could spend the whole day here and shop, too,” said Robinson.

“We wanted to do something different other than Wine About Winter and Ale in Autumn, but it’s the same concept,” said Mary Lewis, owner of Creekside Floral.

“Instead of alcohol, we wanted to something more kid friendly. We sat down and just came up with a lot of ideas of what we could do.”

Lewis was one of the event organizers and also led the prize drawing for a basket of a dozen gift cards and items at local shops.

Event tickets could be shared. The ticket allowed for 24 tastings, but could be split between multiple people.

Multiple tastings of the same food could also be done at the same location allowing people to pick and choose which desserts they wanted to skip and which ones they wanted more of.

Businesses provided dessert tastings during the event, but also hoped to draw shoppers as well. They were allowed to choose what desserts they gave out which included cookies, ice cream, cakes and more.

Eighteen businesses participated including RG Lama Studios, The English Rose Tea Shoppe, The Bread Basket, Nice Farms, Meggie Moo’s, Ashlee’s Place, East Center Street Stop ‘n Shop, Case-Nic Cookies, ellen j goods, Creekside Floral, Celebrity Day Spa, Shirt Factory Cafe, My Cowboy Transportation, Della’s Chocolates, Rosenkrans, Apple Blossom Florist, ATB Staffing and Double Dips.

“It was a suggestion from one of our friends. She had found this recipe she wanted us to try because it seemed fun and easy,” Stewart said.

“We’re hoping with it being on a nice day and this is kind of a family activity, we’re hoping this turns out to be a good family activity. The concept is nice and inviting,” she added.

Dan Fuller punches tickets at Della’s Chocolates which offered peanut butter cups, milk chocolate minis and a new dark chocolate treat with a peanut caramel coconut center. The new treat is considered being added to the store based on positive response.

Susan Fuller, owner of Della’s Chocolates, was invited by the MBA to be one of the shops serving sweets.

Fuller had a hard time choosing which desserts to serve, so she chose to offer three options instead of just one.

“The MBA wondered what I thought of it because they’re trying to bring more activities to the town to bring more people in. I thought it sounded fun,” she said.

The Medina FFA students offered children a chance to play games in Rotary Park.

The games were designed by the students. A teacher helped to cut the shapes out of wood and then the students painted the designs on them.

The Medina FFA gave kids extra fun during the day. Michael Carson helps Faith Baker-Austin to score big in the chicken coop game.

To get the right shape, the students used a projector on the piece of wood and traced the outlines. They were first designed for use at a convention in May.

The students estimated they’d seen about 40 kids by the halfway point of the event.

Games included Black-Eyed Billy’s Crazy Eye Shootout, Milk Splat Madness, a chicken coop toss game and cornhole. Leis, sunglasses and pencils were given as prizes.

The final ticket sales for Sweets in Summer have not been calculated, but the estimate is between 100 to 200 were sold for the event.

“Our goal was 100 and we had tickets online at the MBA site, here at the English Rose Tea Shoppe and at Creekside Floral,” said Robinson.

The money went back to repaying the vendors for the cost of the desserts and any leftover money will be used toward future MBA endeavors, such as more bike racks and future events.