CRESTLINE, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—A longtime business in town is bringing in live entertainment to celebrate another longtime tradition – the Crestline Harvest Festival.
Checkers Pizza, 101 S. Seltzer Street, has lined up three local bands to perform September 12-14 in conjunction with the city’s 50th annual Harvest Festival downtown.
“Crazy Gringos” will perform from 7 to 10 p.m. September 12, while “Never Surrender” will take the stage September 13 from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. “Baker 47” will perform September 14 from 8 p.m. to midnight.
“We’re staying open late for these guys,” said Erin Jones, one of the partners in Checkers. “They’re all pretty popular. We’re excited to have some bigger bands coming.”
All three groups will entertain on the eatery’s brand-new stage, which is on the outdoor patio, Jones said. The restaurant will offer its regular dining service through 11 p.m. each night.
The “Crazy Gringos” of Galion play everything from classic rock to country. “Never Surrender” of Ashland is a tribute band of 70’s and 80’s music, while “Baker 47” of Crestline is known for its easy listening tunes, she said.
Jones, her husband John, and friends Bart and Katy Scarbro bought Checkers in February. Since then, they have moved to a larger location, beefed up the menu, and introduced live music on weekends.
A new specialty pizza – hot chicken – recently made its debut, Jones said. On August 27, Checkers also launched “Kids Night,” a weekly Tuesday event featuring personal pizzas and children’s movies.
“We’re hoping to give families a place to hang out,” she said. “It’s just a thing to give families a place to go during the week and ease the burden of parenting a little bit.”
Checkers is also selling commemorative Harvest Festival T-shirts for $20.
“People aren’t used to Checkers and music. They’re just used to Checkers,” said Jones, always a fan of the pizzeria’s prized pies. “So we want to have more live music next year.”