MARTINS FERRY — Martins Ferry City Park was the scene of community festival fun as Betty Zane Days officially kicked off on Tuesday.

The festival, named after the legendary local Revolutionary War heroine, opened with live music from Tim Ullom and Jason Tremman, carnival rides and games for children, and plenty of food and craft vendors.

Sponsored by the Martins Ferry Volunteer Fire Department, the festival is organized by firefighter Cody Engleman.

“We started setting up at 8 a.m. Sunday morning,” Engleman said. “The vendors and rides have been setting up nonstop ever since. We are always ready for opening.”

Engleman said many of the vendors have been selling their products at the festival for years, and he appreciates them.

“Our repeat vendors are awesome,” Engleman said. “They are reliable, and they know exactly what to do to set up. They always know what they are doing.”

Dwight Jenewein of St. Clairsville sells gyros and other tasty treats out of his festival food truck and has been exhibiting at Betty Zane Days for over 30 years. He said he sells his wares at more than 40 festivals per year across Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

“We always look forward to this festival. We do OK here,” Jenewein said.

Jenewein pointed out a spot where a tree once grew in the park.

“See that spot? There used to be a tree there and each year I would put a notch in the tree when I would come here. But the tree had to be cut down,” he said.

Engleman said craft vendors have added something new to the event in the last few years that festival-goers appreciate. Sand Chelles Sand Art provides a hands-on craftmaking activity and Lori Wolfe likes to “design smiles” with her custom keychains and hair ribbons. This will be the third year for both vendors selling their products at Betty Zane Days.

Barb Toohey and Michelle Bohandy of Barnesville work the Sand Chelles Sand Art tent at the festival, and said the family-owned business does a craft tent at local festivals about a dozen times a year. The business is also available to provide craftmaking entertainment for birthday parties.

“Kids can choose different sizes and shapes of plastic bottles, and they can layer different colors of sand in the bottles to make their own designs. It depends on the kid and the size of the bottle as to how long it takes them to do the craft,” said Bohandy, whose daughter, Rachelle Davies, owns Sand Chelles Sand Art. “We do really well and have a lot of repeat business at this festival. And they always ask where we go to next.”

Wolfe, who calls her business The Fun Place, makes hair ribbons that celebrate sports teams and other themes, and makes colorful keychains and customized jewelry with lettered beads. She is a resident of Shadyside.

“I like to provide keychains with customized names because there are so many kids with either unusual names or they have names with unusual spellings,” Wolfe said. “I have actually seen kids cry when they can’t find their name on other products that make things with names on them.”

Wolfe uses her products to do fundraisers for local sports teams and other organizations because she likes to give back to the community, and makes school spirit keychains for 40 different high schools.

“I’m a crafter — don’t make a lot of money but I love to give back to the community. I take pride in and love what I do. I consider myself to be a smile designer. The biggest reward is seeing the smiles,” Wolfe said. “I love doing this festival. I get a lot of repeat business and a lot of people track me down from my business here.”

Betty Zane Days continues through Saturday with live music, vendors, rides and more — including a 5K run is today and a “firefighter water battle on Saturday.