July 4th Planning. EMWTTSFM With Steak and Eggs. The Grape Report.
Fireworks On Cleveland Avenue with New Road Closure for 2025 Celebration
Westerville is gearing up for a full day of Independence Day events on Friday, July 4, with a morning run, a hometown parade, family-friendly festivities, and a professional fireworks display — but this year, residents should take note of a significant traffic change.
For the first time, Cleveland Avenue will be closed from Hanawalt Road to County Line Road from 2:00 to 11:00 p.m. to accommodate evening activities at the Westerville Sports Complex. The closure is expected to impact traffic flow and parking throughout the area. Heritage Park will also be closed to vehicles, and public parking at the Sports Complex will not be available.
The Westerville Community Center parking lot, located on County Line Road, will open to the public at 4 p.m. ADA-accessible parking will be available at the Westerville Senior Center. Attendees are encouraged to check signage at nearby businesses for overflow parking availability.
July 4th Parade
The day begins early with the Vets 5K Run/Walk at 7:30 a.m., including a kids’ dash and pre-race ceremony featuring the Westerville Honor Guard. The traditional parade steps off at 10:30 a.m. from Old County Line Road, traveling south on State Street to Electric Avenue. State Street will close between County Line and Electric at 9 a.m. and reopen once the parade concludes.
Evening festivities begin at 5 p.m. at the Westerville Sports Complex, featuring lawn games, patriotic performers, inflatables, and a variety of food trucks. The City’s free Fun Zone will feature activities like a bungee run, Hungry Hippos game, and a giant inflatable slide. A concert series will run in conjunction with the food truck festival throughout the evening.
The fireworks show will begin at 10 p.m., with the Westerville Sports Complex listed as the best viewing location. The fireworks will be launched from Heritage Park, which will be closed to the public starting at 7 a.m. on July 4. The display will proceed rain or shine, unless thunderstorms force a delay. Updates will be posted on the City’s social media accounts.
Residents are reminded that the use of personal fireworks remains prohibited in Westerville, despite changes in state law. The City has maintained its local restrictions in the interest of safety.
Best Saturday Market Breakfast Ever?
Food Review by Gary Gardiner
This breakfast was home cooking at its best. Steak, eggs, taters, and strawberries, all from local farmers and cooked traditionally, into well-seasoned cast-iron skillets.
The only thing on the plate that wasn’t in a cast iron skillet was the strawberries from King’s Farm.
The rib-eye steak from Tier Three Heritage Products was room temperature, then generously seasoned with salt, pepper, and a small amount of fresh chopped garlic. It was then placed in an extremely hot cast-iron skillet and cooked for three minutes on each side. The result was a perfect sear: crispy and slightly blackened on the fatty edges, cooked to medium rare, and moist after resting off the heat for several minutes. It was easy to slice with a steak knife and nearly melted in the mouth.
The home fries were also from King's. Their small new red potatoes were each cut into bite-sized pieces to expose more surface area to the skillet. Cooked in a combination of bacon grease and a bit of butter, the fries had a crispy exterior and a soft interior. They were seasoned with salt and pepper, and a touch of Lawry's hot seasoned salt added extra spice.
The eggs from Truest Farm were the last to be added to a cast-iron skillet that had been coated with melted butter and bacon grease. Seasoned them with salt and pepper to taste. Used a low heat setting for the eggs. Waited until the butter had stopped bubbling, then gently stirred the eggs into the pan. I use an old wooden spatula to keep the eggs in constant motion. Continued stirring until they began to firm up, then carefully slid them onto a plate that was already set with the steak and potatoes. The plate will have warmed up with those two items, and the eggs will continue to set slightly while you pour yourself another cup of coffee or a glass of orange juice.
Where Do You Begin?
I always start with the steak. It would be shameful to let it sit any longer. The first bite will be the richest in flavor, having retained its moisture after the quick sear. The salt, pepper, and crispy fat will awaken the palate for the rest of the meal.
Next, I enjoy the eggs, savoring their creamy texture and the delicious taste from the butter and bacon grease used in cooking them.
What comes next is a matter of personal preference: the home fries or the strawberries. Both options offer different textures and tastes. One is sweet and juicy, and both can be delightful if the potatoes are cooked properly. The strawberries, on the other hand, provide a cool contrast to the warm ingredients.
For the remainder of the meal, I recommend starting with the strawberries, then the potatoes, followed by the eggs, and finally another bite of the steak.
It would be best to eat one of the fatty foods before taking another bite of the eggs. Consuming strawberries or drinking orange juice can alter your palate, which diminishes the intensity of the egg flavor. The ideal approach is to have the strawberries followed by a sip of strong black coffee before eating the eggs.
It’s up to you to decide. It’s your meal and your palate. But, it better be steak, eggs, potatoes, and strawberries. And, black coffee.
The Green Grape Report
Food Review by Gary Gardiner
Fresh Thyme - Polaris Parkway
Brand - Green grapes from Mexico.
Price - $1.99 a pound.
Appearance - Bright color with very few flaws.
Size - Much larger than last week’s, with a grape weighing an average of 9.2 grams, slightly less than twice the weight of last week. The average length measured from ten grapes is 30mm.
Crispiness - Good.
Taste - Sweetest yet of the Mexico grapes.
PLU Code - 4498
The Review
This week’s Grape Report comes from the outlier, Fresh Thyme on Polaris Parkway.
I was stopped by a friend at Meijer who remarked about always seeing me grocery shopping. Never mind that we see each other grocery shopping. It isn’t a one-way street.
I lamented how disappointed I‘d been while shopping for the grape report, as the prices were very high, and the flavor and size seemed ordinary and certainly not worth $3.29 a pound at Kroger.
His daughter, when asked where I should try next for good grapes, suggested Fresh Thyme instead of the triads. I’m going to consult with her every Sunday as I shop for grapes, as she was right on the money.
The grapes at Fresh Thyme are the largest Mexican grapes of the season, very firm, sweet, and a welcome departure from the previous weeks.
Prices at the Major Triad of Kroger, Meijer, and Market District on the north end of the city were as high as $3.29 a pound at Kroger and $1.99 a pound at the other two.
The Minor Triad on the south end of the city had Aldi at $1.75 a pound, with Marc’s and Walmart at $2.99. Kroger is excluded from the Minor Triad as it is included in the Major Triad. The Aldi grapes, although the cheapest of the day, were no different than last week’s selection.
I’m hoping that the significant increase in size and flavor this week is the sign of good things to come as the Mexican crop matures.
The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.
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