For the past several summers, the space along the Scioto Mile has been an endless source of activities. The opening of the fountains at Bicentennial Park in 2011 have been a major attraction drawing families with young children to the area. The Milestone 229 restaurant offers lunch, brunch and dining that draws in a crowd to experience the view of the park and river while enjoying fine foods. With the completion of the Scioto Greenways, the park now offers an additional 33 acres of green space, as well as a new one-and-a-half mile trail for walking and biking.
Not only is the Scioto Mile great for spending an afternoon sun bathing in the green grass and splashing in the fountains, but the space is also home to several great events throughout the summer. Weekend-long events such as the Arts Festival (June 10-12) and the Festival Latino (August 13-14) occupy the Performing Arts Stage at Bicentennial Park and both the Main Street and Rich Street bridges.
New to the park this year is the relocation of the Jazz & Rib Fest to Bicentennial, West Bank, and Genoa Parks. The festival was temporarily relocated to the Arena District during the construction along the river, but will be returning to its original home of 30 years this summer, running the weekend of July 22 -24.
Another new activity this summer is Movies on the Mile. Kicking off June 3rd with the movie Inside Out, the movie will follow the park’s Rhythm on the River performance. There will be two other Movies on the Mile throughout the summer: Back to the Future on July 8th and Star Wars: The Force Awakens on August 5th.
Various other activities are held at the Scioto Mile space throughout the summer, such as the Wednesday FountainSide activities for kids and the Saturday Pre-K story time.
The Scioto Mile will celebrate its five-year anniversary this July. Be on the lookout for upcoming events celebrating the park’s milestone.
For more information, visit www.sciotomile.com.
All photos by Randi Walle.