3CDC Hopes to Revive Downtown Parks with a Fresh Lineup of Spring Events

Fountain Square and Washington Park are at the center of a new effort to drive foot traffic in downtown Cincinnati.
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After a long, quiet year at downtown parks, 3CDC believes it’s time to bring community events at Washington Park and Fountain Square back to life. From pop-up concerts to workouts on the green to paint-and-sip classes, both outdoor venues offer a wide variety of events this season—all while being mindful of social distancing and mask-wearing protocols.

Photograph courtesy 3CDC

Emily Stowe, Senior Events Marketing Manager at 3CDC, guarantees that safety is still top of mind. Socially distanced tables and even spray-painted circles on the lawns make for a outdoor social space that’s not only safe, but enjoyable. “Just like a restaurant,” Stowe says. “We ask that people wear masks while moving about, but once they get to their circles, they’re free to take them off.”

Every weekday, the goal is to bring people into the city center for festivities reminiscent of pre-pandemic times, although the events will be held cautiously. “We’ve noticed that downtown’s been pretty quiet,” says Stowe. “Now that we’re having some nicer weather and people are looking for places to go, we wanted our spaces to be a place for people to do that.”

Photograph courtesy 3CDC

At Fountain Square, alongside various pop-up market events throughout the week, plan on paint-and-sips on Mondays, wine offerings on Wednesdays, movie nights on Thursdays, and concerts on Friday and Saturday nights. At Washington Park, hang out on Mondays for trivia night, Tuesdays and Wednesdays for evening workout classes, and Thursdays and Fridays for live music events, just to name a few options.

“Almost everything’s free,” says Stowe. “There are a few on the Square where you pay for supplies—our paint-and-sip and flower arrangement classes require preregistration and a fee, and wine Wednesdays have discounted ticketing for a few glasses of wine and an appetizer.” These weekly event lineups provide a wide selection of options to fit anyone’s budget.

“I personally love workout on the green. I love being able to get out and do a workout outside, especially right now,” says Stowe, who predicts that the spring lineup, which will range from yoga and Zumba to Tabata workouts, is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. “It just has good vibes.”

3CDC is also hoping that the events encourage visitors to shop locally. “We also want people that visit our spaces to also visit other businesses downtown,” says Stowe, who notes that local foot traffic diminished dramatically in the last year. Come spring and summer, the hope is for an all-encompassing local revival.

Find a full event lists on the Washington Park and Fountain Square websites.

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