On Saturday October 14th I attended the 22nd DeBord's Halloween Festival. For the first time it was held at Lock 3 in downtown Akron. Here's some of my photos.
After I took this guy's photo and told him I was a big Star Wars fan, he handed me a 501st Legion coin!
DeBord's Annual Halloween Festival is a massive FREE family friendly event that features TV's big Chuck and Little John, Son of Ghoul, 12 bands, 4 dance groups, 115 clubs and vendors, drum circles, hay and train rides, wrestlers, roller derby girls, costume contest, trick or treat, pizza eating contest, SCA group, Ghostbuster clubs, food vendors, costume characters, kids games, DJ's and so much more. I hung out there for a couple of hours on Saturday. Here's some of the stuff I saw.
Way back in November, I got an email from Gray & Company, Publishers. They are publishers of the best books about Cleveland, Ohio. They had seen my blog and wanted to know if I'd like to have a preview copy of their book "Big Chuck! My Favorite Stories from 47 Years on Cleveland TV" by Chuck Schodowski with Tom Feran. Of course I would! I grew up watching Hoolihan and Big Chuck and then Big Chuck and Lil' John on Friday nights. It's taken me awhile, but I've finally finished reading it. I highly recommend it for anyone who grew up in northeast Ohio or is a fan of horror hosts. Two thumbs up. You can order the book from the Gray & Co. website or from Amazon.com. They also included a couple of other books, "Ghoulardi: Inside Cleveland TV's Wildest Ride" and "The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio." I can't wait to start reading those.
From the back of the book --
Big Chuck was on camera, behind the scenes, or in the director's chair for an amazing 47 years, starting in 1960. He collaborated with Ernie Anderson on the groundbreaking "Ghoulardi" show, and continued to host a late-night show with popular co-hosts Bob "Hoolihan" Wells and then Lil' John Rinaldi across four decades--the longest such run in TV history.
He worked alongside a wide range of talented people, from Tim Conway to Burgess Meredith to Muhammad Ali. He wrote and directed two thousand hilarious sketches featuring characters like the Kielbasy Kid and Certain Ethnic Guy; they were watched by adoring fans, including Drew Carey, Tom Hanks, Meat Loaf, Don King and even two of NASA's top astronauts. His honors are almost too many to mention: dozens of Emmys, film and television festival awards, a Grammy nomination (for a polka record--what else?). He even fought heavyweight champ Mike Tyson!
Chuck's stories are packed with juicy details. They'll entertain fans of all ages--and anyone who enjoys behind-the-scenes tales of television and celebrities. So slip on your white socks, heat up some kielbasy, and get ready for great stories from the man who made Cleveland laugh for 47 years!
. They also included a couple of other books, "Ghoulardi: Inside Cleveland TV's Wildest Ride" and "The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio." I can't wait to start reading those.
