File Photo Last year’s Dean Martin Hometown Festival included a performance by Deb Scalissi and looked back on the days of Martin and the Rat Pack during a show inspired by the annual MDA Telethons hosted for many years by Martin’s comedic partner, Jerry Lewis.

STEUBENVILLE — He was born more than 100 years ago and died more than 30 years ago, but his life and work remain relevant.

“He’s timeless — his music is timeless, his movies are timeless — you can watch a Rat Pack movie today and be in the moment. I have eight grandchildren, and they all love him,” Cindy Williford said while talking about Dean Martin.

The president of the Dean Martin Association of America was remembering one of Steubenville’s favorite sons while discussing plans for this year’s Dean Martin Hometown Festival, which will take place June 18-20.

“He had a very recognizable voice, he’s fun and he always makes you feel like he’s singing directly at you. It’s the timelessness of what he does,” she said.

This year’s festival will be special, she explained, adding organizers are working hard to make sure the 30th-annual event maintains its character while adding new items to the lineup. It’s a formula that keeps drawing fans from around the world to the city where Martin was born as Dino Paul Crocetti on June 7, 1917.

Williford and the association are in the second year of organizing the festival. She said last year’s event went well, and they want this year’s to be even stronger.

One of the items that is being added to the lineup is the 1917 Supper Club of Steubenville series. It will be a family-friendly event, she explained, and will allow people of all ages to enjoy a meal at a local restaurant while watching a live performance. The idea is to recreate the club experience.

“You know, people don’t always realize this, but when Martin was working his way up, he often performed at supper clubs, and we’re trying to give people a taste of that,” Williford said.

She added that it will be a way for parents to get their children involved, adding that when they are finished with dinner, they can leave their children with a sitter and then head out to the later presentations that are geared toward adults.

Another signature event will be the second-annual golf scramble. Scheduled for a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. June 19 at the Steubenville Country Club, proceeds from the event will go to charitable causes.

“The golf scramble captures a side of Dean that many people connected with — relaxed, loyal and surrounded by friends,” Williford said. “We’re excited to grow this event into something that becomes a lasting tradition within the festival.”

Martin was 78 when he died on Christmas Day in 1995. He was one of the rare entertainers who was able to succeed across all platforms — reaching the top as a singer; an actor on stage and in the movies; a live performer; and on television. Williford said that’s a feeling the festival is looking to capture.

“I don’t know what he didn’t do,” she said. “He was multitalented. I guess the popular word people use to describe what he did was ‘effortless.'”

Another event Williford is excited about is the amateur hour talent contest that will be hosted by the Sycamore Youth Center. She said it will serve as a tribute to Martin’s involvement with the Muscular Dystrophy Association telethons that he and his former performing partner, Jerry Lewis, were involved in.

“You can dance, you can twirl, you can play an instrument — it will look just like an MDA telethon,” she said.

It’s a very appropriate part of the festival, she explained, and will be a connection to Martin’s early life.

“We found a newspaper clipping that talked about an event Dino Crocetti did when he was 17,” she explained. “It was an amateur hour event at the Capitol Theater that was sponsored by the Hub Department Store. He won the talent contest as a singer and dancer.”

While the theater, which sat Fourth and Adams streets, and the Hub, which was located at the of corner of Fifth and Market streets, are just memories, paying tribute to what the town looked like then is an important aspect of the festival, Williford explained.

“We’re trying to bring things to Steubenville that Dean was involved in,” she said.

There will be plenty of other events and activities, she added, including the Dino Dash 5K and Walk, which will be held in Beatty Park and will begin at 9 a.m. June 20, and a special presentation that will be part of the Ohio Goes to the Movies Series — Bob Fermanek will discuss his company’s 3-D restoration of the Martin and Lewis film “Money from Home.” Produced by Hal B. Wallis and directed by George Marshall, the 1953 movie was the first the team shot in color and their only 3-D movie. The presentation will include a screening of their 1950 film “At War with the Army.”

And of course, there will be live performances and other activities that festivalgoers have come to expect.

“Martin carried the heart of Steubenville with him and referenced his hometown throughout his life,” Williford explained. “This festival is not only about honoring his accomplishments, but about bringing families, fans and the Steubenville community together in celebration of music, history and generosity.”

She said portions of festival proceeds will support charitable organizations, including muscular dystrophy, cancer-related initiatives and local community efforts.

Sponsorship opportunities remain available, she said, adding that participation will help the event continue to grow. The information is constantly being updated, she added, and can be found at dmaofamerica.org or the 2026 Dean Martin Hometown Festival Facebook page.

Martin continues to be remembered as one of the rare entertainers whose work has been able to stand up across decades. A big part of his enduring character can be traced to his upbringing in Steubenville.

“You read about other artists who are always changing the people they work with — Dean was loyal,” Williford explained. “That Italian loyalty really came out. He didn’t shake things up, he didn’t change anything. When you look back and see the people on his list — the producers, the musicians — there was a chemistry, a loyalty he had with those people.

“He never did anything to outshine anybody — when you watch his shows, and he is singing in a duet or just goofing off in a skit, he never does anything to show off. He always let other people shine.”

Performing was something he truly enjoyed, she explained.

“He had just one of those calming voices,” Williford added. ‘He wasn’t out there seeking attention or to be noticed. He was just out there doing what he loved doing, what he had been doing since his early days in Steubenville.”