Growth in Downtown Arts and Culture Events - Fall 2026
Something is growing in downtown Steubenville: a community of artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers, performers, and audiences who are increasingly finding a home downtown.
This fall offers two particularly good examples—one continuing a developing downtown tradition and another arriving for the very first time.
The Sense & Sensibility Ball Returns Downtown
On Saturday, October 24, the ballroom above Leonardo’s Coffeehouse will once again fill with live string music and English country dancing for the 2026 Sense & Sensibility Ball, organized by BookMarx.
Held on the third floor of the historic Renaissance Building, the Ball celebrates the anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen’s first novel with an evening of traditional dance, music, and community. No previous dancing experience is necessary: an instructional hour begins before the Ball, and an optional practice session is offered the evening before.
The event is family-friendly, with Regency attire encouraged but not required. It runs from 7:00–10:00 p.m. on October 24, with instruction beginning at 6:00 p.m.
Tickets and information for the Sense & Sensibility Ball
BookMarx owner John Byron Kuhner recently wrote about the Ball and the larger idea behind events like it: creating opportunities for people to gather around music, literature, dance, and beauty while building a stronger cultural life in Steubenville.
Read John Kuhner’s piece on the 2026 Sense & Sensibility Ball
The Ball has become part of a growing calendar of cultural activity centered around North Fourth Street. Leonardo’s and its restored ballroom provide a remarkable setting for dances, concerts, receptions, and gatherings, while BookMarx has become a place not just to buy books, but to build events around them.
And just a short walk up Fourth Street, another major cultural event is about to make its debut.
A New International Film Festival Comes to Downtown
On November 6 and 7, the Sycamore Center will host the inaugural Steubenville International Film Festival, bringing filmmakers and audiences together downtown for two days devoted to film and storytelling.
The festival will feature narrative and documentary films from both local filmmakers and artists from around the world. Categories include feature and short narrative films, feature and short documentaries, and a youth category for filmmakers 18 and younger. Organizers also envision panels, workshops, and opportunities for filmmakers and audiences to meet and exchange ideas.
The Downtown Steubenville Business Association is proud to be a sponsor of the inaugural festival and to support a new event that adds to the growing arts and cultural life of downtown.
The Herald-Star recently highlighted the story behind the festival, which grew from a conversation between festival director Kate Stapleton and Sycamore Executive Director Bobbyjon Bauman. The article also places the festival within Sycamore’s broader commitment to the arts: since opening, the downtown center has hosted programming in music, dance, theater, visual arts, and other creative fields.
Read the Herald-Star: “Steubenville International Film Festival dream becomes reality”
The festival’s own description captures the connection between filmmaking and downtown Steubenville particularly well, describing a community with a rich industrial and cultural history and “a Renaissance of arts” rising in its streets. The festival seeks to give Ohio Valley stories a place to be told while also bringing stories and filmmakers from around the world to Steubenville.
Learn more about the Steubenville International Film Festival on FilmFreeway
Find the Steubenville International Film Festival on Facebook
