Grove City Parks & Recreation
Grove City has welcomed several America 250 celebrations already, including the new Historic Bus Tour kicking off in January, a performance of Women of Grove City in March and more.
With the 250th Fourth of July celebration drawing near, Grove City is gearing up for a summer filled with events and initiatives that weave in Grove City traditions to commemorate Grove City alongside the patriotic birthday.
A literature lens
Grove City Parks & Recreation
New America250 banners hang across Grove City this year.
This May brings a brand-new event with the America 250 theme of “Ohio Creates: Art, Culture & Literature,” as the Southwest Public Libraries Grove City Branch kicks off its first-ever Book Festival.
On Sat., May 9, the Book Festival will host workshops with local author panels to discuss trends and perspectives on topics including the art of creative writing, writing for younger audiences, book research and self-publishing throughout the day. Attendees can participate in meet-and-greets with the authors following the workshops to get copies of their books signed.
As an intermission, the Grove City Library will also celebrate its 10-year anniversary at its new location from 1-2 p.m. The ceremony will include comments from some instrumental figures who helped build and design the space, a ceremonial cake cutting and sharing of its limited-edition commemorative sticker. Following the ceremony, visitors can enjoy a commemorative poetry open mic from local poets at 2:30 p.m.
Simultaneously, Town Center Park will extend the literature festivities outside with vendors selling book items, from paperbacks and hardbacks to bookmarks and other accessories.
“It’s going to be a kind of all-hands-on-deck, community-wide celebration of all things literature,” says Amanda DeCastro, Grove City Parks & Recreation Event Marketing and Communication specialist.
A storybook trail will be temporarily installed throughout Town Center Park, with podiums displaying pages of a patriotically themed book. The trail is planned to travel to parks around the city over the summer.
There will also be The Serenity Lounge available throughout the event in the library’s quiet room, which is a no talking, no phone zone to get a sensory break in a low stimulation environment.
City of Grove City
Natural history and environment
As a part of June’s theme of “Ohio Outdoors: Exploring Ohio’s Natural Resources,” Grove City has new initiatives to highlight more about the city’s history and wildlife.
Following the introduction of the Historic Bus Tour in January, a new, self-guided walking tour will be launched on June 1 for residents and visitors to explore Grove City’s history.
Interactive QR codes will be placed at 10 downtown landmarks for the History Hike, including Plank’s on Broadway, Little Theatre Off Broadway and the Grant-Sawyer Home, and showcase several multimedia storytelling aspects. From descriptions and photos of Grove City influential figures and buildings, to original site maps, each QR code helps tell the story of the growth and development of the community.
An additional nine stops are set to debut with the celebration of 175 years of Grove City in 2027.
During Movies in the Park on Fri., June 12, the Ohio Wildlife Center will bring native animal species to Town Center for moviegoers to interact with and learn about.
The summer will also see the opening of Gantz Park’s new park, the Garden of the Five Senses, with a ribbon-cutting slated for June.
“(The garden is) truly meant to come and really dive in headfirst on touch, smell, taste, and it’s really for everybody, very accessible,” DeCastro says. “We’re connecting that to (America) 250 as a brand-new beautiful space for our community.”
Grove City Parks & Recreation
Grove City Parks & Recreation
Patriotic festivities
The Veterans Celebration will begin with its morning car show, exhibiting military vehicles such as a 1943 command car and a Vietnam-era M150-1, before Century Village opens up to more festivities.
At noon, the Sterling Bluegrass Jamboree will begin to play as attendees explore Century Village and the stands of homemade craft vendors with jellies, jewelry, baked goods and more, while bratwursts and burgers are served by The Hotdog Guy as well as sandwiches from a variety sandwich truck. Throughout the event, military reenactors, from a Civil War surgeon to World War II 801st Evac and more, will be in attendance.
There will also be themed raffle baskets auctioned off, with proceeds benefitting the Central Ohio Military Museum.
Jane Dimel is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at jdimel@cityscenemediagroup.com.
