As the world begins its slow return to a pre-pandemic normal, we begin to look forward to the return of some of our favorite annual traditions: fairs, festivals and concerts. However, one of our favorite on-campus traditions, Summer Festival of the Arts, will look different this year.
The festival has been held on Youngstown State University’s campus since its debut in 1999. This year it will take place in downtown Youngstown at Wean Park.
The park boasts a beautiful 20 acres of green, natural space combined with walking paths for easy navigation for visitors, and it sounds like the perfect natural setting to host this festival.
While we’ll miss seeing the beautiful works of art we have grown up knowing on YSU’s campus, we are also proud of the advances the city of Youngstown has made for the better to improve the safety of the community.
According to a release on YSU’s Summer Festival of the Arts webpage, university president Jim Tressel and Youngstown Mayor Jamael “Tito” Brown are supportive of the change.
“We hope this move will help further grow the festival and will also help further introduce the community to this beautiful new downtown recreational area,” Tressel said.
Brown called the festival a “perfect fit” for the park.
We hope the move to downtown will draw even more vendors, artists and students than ever to the festival. We look forward to the enriched blending of cultures and creative expression unique to our area.
