Traditional events have been a hallmark of Mercer County life for decades. Unfortunately many of those events, notably the Bavarian Fun Fest and Hoyle Tournament, have met their demise in recent years.

One tradition, however, that continues to bring thousands of people to downtown Sharon came off without a hitch for the 19th consecutive year Friday night as the Small Ships Revue made its way down the Shenango River.

"Time flies when you're having fun, I guess," said Bob Mentrek, vice-president of Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant company, which sponsors the event. "It's one of the few things left in the valley and the community that people can kind of rally around. It's a really good community event and it's nice to see so many people come out with their families."

Among those families were the nine members of the Ron and Luella Hopkins family of Shenango Township.

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