Editing Athens, Ohio (section)

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Athena Cinema, Athens, Ohio.jpg|thumb|right|The Athena Cinema]]
[[File:Athens OH 1st Presby PHS850.jpg|thumb|City Hall and the First Presbyterian Church on a pre-1923 postcard]]
Athens has a long musical tradition that includes local acts and events for touring musicians, performing at Ohio University and festivals in Athens. The folk song "Athens County" - words by [[Joe Dolce]]; music by [[Jonathan Edwards (musician)|Jonathan Edwards]] - refers to Athens, Ohio, where Edwards & Dolce attended college in the late 60s. Edwards went on to have a Number 2 hit song nationally with 'Sunshine' while Dolce moved to Australia and had an international Number 1 hit with [[Shaddap You Face]]. Dolce is now an established poet and essayist in Melbourne. Bands hailing from Athens include [[The Headstone Circus]], [[The Snapdragons]], Appalachian Death Ride,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistart.com/adr/ |title=Appalachian Death Ride Home Page |publisher=Escapistart.com |access-date=2013-03-30}}</ref> She Bears, [[Southeast Engine]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://southeastengine.com/|title=Southeast Engine|website=Misra Records|access-date=2010-04-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420062600/http://www.southeastengine.com/|archive-date=2010-04-20|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Ridges and the metal band [[Skeletonwitch]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Un |url=https://www.myspace.com/skeletonwitch |title=Skeletonwitch &#124; Gratis muziek, tourneedata, foto's, video's |publisher=Myspace.com |access-date=2013-03-30}}</ref> Athens native Steve Reis, a founder of the Columbus, Ohio-based band [[McGuffey Lane]] named his band after a street in Athens.{{Citation needed|date=February 2017}} 

Several theater companies have operated in Athens over the years. Studio for Young Actors, aka Drama Club Youth Academy was a youth theater which operated from 2000 to approximately 2010. They performed both original and published plays and musicals featuring young actors. Their main venue was Stuart's Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio<ref>{{cite web |last=Staff |first=Athens NEWS |title=Lord, what kids these actors be! Youthful troupe tackles Shakespearean comedy |url=https://www.athensnews.com/news/local/lord-what-kids-these-actors-be-youthful-troupe-tackles-shakespearean-comedy/article_e1f2d85d-462f-5813-ba96-5bfccca794b2.html |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=The Athens NEWS |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Staff |first=Athens NEWS |title=Youth theater sees changes, progress in wake of rec center razing |url=https://www.athensnews.com/news/local/youth-theater-sees-changes-progress-in-wake-of-rec-center-razing/article_f4070d6b-0c95-500e-957c-8c29367bf5ea.html |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=The Athens NEWS |language=en}}</ref> They subsequently moved their performance venue to Arts/West<ref>{{cite web |last=SURFACE |first=RANDY |title=ARTS/West harbors homegrown imagination |url=https://www.athensmessenger.com/news/arts-west-harbors-homegrown-imagination/article_a2dbe414-4a94-5331-b381-0095fc2bb348.html |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=The Athens Messenger |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Staff |first=Athens NEWS |title=Scrooge goes from grumpy to happy at ARTS/West |url=https://www.athensnews.com/news/local/scrooge-goes-from-grumpy-to-happy-at-arts-west/article_08bec221-32f0-5e67-bddf-d2be7e6a9928.html |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=The Athens NEWS |language=en}}</ref> a community arts space in Athens, Ohio, operated by the City of Athens.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arts West {{!}} Athens, OH - Official Website |url=https://www.ci.athens.oh.us/535/Arts-West |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=www.ci.athens.oh.us}}</ref> A university park on Richland Ave was designed by Athens' own [[Maya Lin]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2017}}

===Museums===

* Athens County Historical Society and Museum DBA The Southeast Ohio History Center: Historic items relating to life in Athens County
* The Dairy Barn Arts Center: Contemporary arts and crafts.
* Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University: Major collections include Southwest Native American textiles and jewelry. Contemporary prints.
* Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery: Interactive children's center.

===Annual festivals===
[[File:ASH Cow Barn Athens OH USA.JPG|thumb|right|Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center]]
* Athens is home to the annual [[Athens Ohio Halloween Block Party|Halloween Block Party]], a massive international spectacle that draws attention from news media across the world each year. Ohio University's citation as the world's most haunted institution of higher education by the British Psychical Institute; Athens's citation as one of the 10 most haunted American cities; and the annual Halloween celebration, have dually added to Athens's reputation as one of the 10 most terrifying places on Earth and the "World Capital of Halloween".<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2012/10/24/americas-10-most-haunted-cities/1655281/|title= America's 10 most haunted cities|newspaper= USA Today |date=24 October 2012|access-date=10 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url= http://listverse.com/2010/07/07/10-most-terrifying-places-on-earth/|title= 10 most haunted places on Earth|publisher= Listverse |date=7 July 2010|access-date=10 October 2014}}</ref> Athens was vaunted as one of the top fifteen most haunted cities in America on the Fox Family Channel special "Scariest Places On Earth" that aired on October 23, 2000. Locals with knowledge of the history of [[Athens Lunatic Asylum|The Ridges]] criticized the Fox portrayal as sensationalistic and misleading on details of the situation.<ref>Evans, Chris. "Fox ghost story more of a fish story. " The Post. Wednesday, 25 October 2000. Accessed April 20, 2010.</ref> The block party has welcomed more guests each year, and festivities and security have grown in it for that reason. The event caters to roughly 20,000 to 30,000 dressed up partygoers on four closed blocks of uptown streets.
* Blackout Fest is held annually at The Union Bar & Grill and features many local, national, and international indie rock acts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.athensnews.com/culture/arts_and_entertainment/dozens-of-bands-to-play-blackoutfest/article_ddb72c39-76d8-51e7-8fb8-11174c72bfc7.html|title=Dozens of bands to play Blackoutfest|last=White|first=Diane|date=April 11, 2012|work=The Athens News|access-date=March 11, 2017}}</ref>
* The Athens Community Music Festival is held each August. In 2017 two dozen local bands were involved.<ref>The Athens News [https://www.athensnews.com/culture/arts_and_entertainment/athens-community-music-festival-features-two-dozen-bands-artists/article_1647b764-829d-11e7-a648-231ba9445bd5.html] August 16th 2017</ref>
* Concert "Under the Elms" is held on the OU College Green from June until early July with the 'Communiversity Band' (made up of OU faculty, students, alumni as well as community members)
* For many years, an annual Springfest was held on the OU Campus. Primarily due to changes in state alcohol laws, it was replaced by an annual event at Ervin's Big Red Barn (and field), a private "party-farm" just outside the city.{{Citation needed|date=February 2017}} After the move, the festival was called Derby days. The organization who coordinated the event was removed from campus in 2003.{{Citation needed|date=February 2017}} Starting in 2004, Ohio University Seniors Dominic Petrozzi and Timothy Kehoe created One Fest. The festival name is changed each year to represent the number of years it has been held (for example, 2011 was 8Fest). As of 9 Fest, the event has been held at its new location on West Union Street, just outside the campus. It has become one of the largest independent collegiate music festivals in the country, boasting previous performances by national recording artists such as Mike Posner, Machine Gun Kelly, Timeflies, Chip Tha Ripper, Wiz Khalifa, Kendrick Lamar, Steve Aoki and more. in 2008, the name of the festival was changed to "The Number Fest" with an updated "edition" for each year it takes place. Number Fest - 14th Edition will be held on April 16, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thenumberfest.com/|title=#FEST|website=thenumberfest.com|access-date=2015-12-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112072528/http://thenumberfest.com/|archive-date=2016-01-12|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
* Lobsterfest is an annual free concert hosted by the university's All Campus Radio Network.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://acrn.com/2017/04/13/the-lobsterfest-2017-promo-is-here/|title=The Lobsterfest Promo is here|last=ACRNMedia|first=ACRNMedia|date=April 13, 2017|website=ACRN.com|access-date=6 October 2017}}</ref>
* Since 1983, the 970WATH-Power 105 Chili Bowl has been an annual event and each year raises money for a charity. Currently it takes place in October, at The Market on State.
* Hookah in the hills, an annual festival held twice a year at Poston Lake Music Park in the Spring and Fall, featuring the Columbus-based band Ekoostik Hookah, as well as other local bands.{{Citation needed|date=February 2017}}
* The annual Athens International Film and Video Festival is one of the few festivals that are on the official list of Academy Award-qualifying festivals.
*Ohio Brew Week, founded in 2005 as a way to increase commerce in the town of Athens while students were away for summer, has grown into a nine-day festival including dozens of Ohio craft breweries and hundreds of beers. Notable attendees have included Brooklyn Brewery president Steve Hindy and co-founder of Great Lakes Brewing Company Pat Conway. Events typically include keg tappings, live performances at local venues, and the "last call" street festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ohiobrewweek.com/events/ |title=Events |publisher=Ohio Brew Week |date= |accessdate=2022-07-19}}</ref>