Rain Beat on Main Street Returns to Blend Art with Education

Once again, unique, hand-painted, one-of-a-kind rain barrels will be taking over the downtown areas of both Loudonville and Ashland next month. And best of all, not only will these beautiful rain barrels help increase awareness of the importance of stormwater, but they will also be available for local residents and businesses to bid on and take home with them.

“I am just really excited with all of the community involvement, let alone the artists!” said Katie Eikleberry, fiscal and education specialist with Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District. “Our artists have so much talent, it is definitely impressive!”

Rain Beat on Main Street is being coordinated by Ashland SWCD, but is a real community-wide effort to increase awareness of stormwater issues and raise funds of water quality education. Last year’s inaugural event featured 10 rain barrel, but this year 15 rain barrels have been sponsored by Ashland County businesses, and fifteen volunteer artists have been working hard to transform the rain barrels from merely functional to absolutely fabulous.

The rain barrels will be displayed in Loudonville’s Central Park from August 2-9, and they will then move to Ashland’s Corner Park from August 10-16. While the rain barrels are on display, residents will be asked to help pick their favorite rain barrel by voting for the People’s Choice Award.

One new addition to this year’s event is a hands-on educational component on Saturday mornings, August 7 in Loudonville and August 14 in Ashland. From 10 am until noon each Saturday, Ashland SWCD will be joined by Ashland County Parks, DARE, Loudonville Public Library, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, Ohio Clean Marinas, Ohio Scenic Rivers and more to provide fun, free, hands-on education about stormwater management to Ashland County residents and visitors.

“We have sponsors from all areas of the county, and we have educational organizations from in to set up in both Loudonville and Ashland,” said Eikleberry. “ It will be fun for the whole family, not only to see the barrel designs and learn about stormwater runoff collection, but also the hands-on activities that will be available.”

The event also takes place during Ashland SWCD’s election period, so voting will be available to elect board members for Ashland SWCD. All Ashland County residents ages 18 and older are eligible to vote.

Plus, Mill Street Grill’s food truck will be on-hand to keep visitors’ tummies full and bodies hydrated. In addition, an online auction will be taking place on the rain barrels. All proceeds raised from the sale of the rain barrels will go toward water quality education projects in Ashland County.

The event would not be possible without the support of the 15 local businesses who answered the call to sponsor rain barrels: Brethren Care Village, Buzzard’s Family Shoes, Columbus Irrigation, Eikleberry & Sons LLC, Elson Farms, Fish My Spot, Gerwig’s White Barn, Loudonville Farmer’s Equity, Mill Street Sweets, Mill Street Grill, Rooks Brothers Farm, Shakely Mechanical, Simonson Construction Services, and Tin Can Chandelier.

And of course, the artists play a vital role as well. This years’s artists are: Brethren Care Village residents, Derick Cooper, Tanner Eitman, Hannah Endslow, Aubree Houin, Amanda Kenscan, Liz Klinger, Loudonville Arts Alive Camp, Gigi Obringer, Grace Ringler, Hailey Spreng, Laura Spreng, Sharon Strimple, Donna Sutherland, and a group project by Jen Bailey and Sydney and Laney Polen

The rain barrels are 65-gallon capacity urn-style barrels with a built-in planter on top, and they normally retail for $165. But after 10 local artists beautify the barrels, they will become priceless, one-of-a-kind works of art.  

Last year’s top selling rain barrel was sponsored by Spreng-Smith Agency and was painted by Jen Wash; it sold for $500. Wash’s barrel also won the People’s Choice award. Proceeds from the auction are used for stormwater education programs in Ashland County.

Stay tuned to Ashland SWCD’s Facebook page for auction and people’s choice award voting details!