Families flock to public square for Medina Fest

MEDINA — Michael Rhodes ducked under a black hood, peered through a viewfinder and adjusted his focus. Then, using his camera, he transferred the image of his subjects onto a sheet of metal. It's called tintype photography, and it's similar to the process used by Mathew Brady in his Civil War battlefield photos, although Brady used glass plates instead of metal. "Michael has always been fascinated by the history of photography," said photographer Julie DiFilippo, who works with Rhodes at Michael Rhodes Photography in Strongsville. "He goes to Civil War reenactments, which is the crowd most interested in this type of photography." Rhodes and DiFilippo were taking their tintype photos Saturday at the annual Medina Fest in Medina Public Square. The daylong event featured local bands and musicians, including Found Sounds Steel Pan Trio, the jazz trio Michael Eric Schirch, Latin jazz guitarist Victor Samalot and American folk and fiddle group Down the Road. Food trucks circled the square at Medina Fest. Families competed in cornhole and children played with giant Legos. Akron Children's Museum set up mural and art projects. The Medina County District Library parked its Bookmobile on Court Street. Businesses set up booths to promote their products and services. One of those businesses was Yoga & Barre Studio in Wadsworth. Owner Jamie McDaniel brought mini trampolines for guests to try. She said her studio offers bounce training as a cardiovascular workout. "I can do this for ages," shouted Michael Bice, 6, of Medina, as he bounced on a mini trampoline for the first time in his life. "It's so much fun." Students at Kim's College of Martial Arts, in Medina and Sharon, demonstrated their skills at Medina Fest. Alyssa Washburn and Desmond Pischel, 6, practiced attacking and blocking with staffs. Angela Shaw, a Medina resident, said she regularly attends the weekly Medina Square Farmers Market, which was part of Medina Fest on Saturday. Medina Fest was a bonus for her. "I enjoyed watching the kids having fun," Shaw said of the event. Jason Rismiller attended Medina Fest to support his wife, Lauren Hartman Rismiller, and her business, TuTu Adora-Bow, which specializes in hair bows and headbands. She had a booth at the festival. "It's just nice that everybody is getting together again and interacting again," Jason Rismiller said. Contact reported Bob Sandrick at areanews@medina-gazette.com.