CLEVELAND — Market Square Park in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood is getting a fresh look just in time for the area’s second annual Oktoberfest celebration.
On Wednesday, Ohio City Incorporated and volunteers from The Home Depot’s Steelyard Commons location spent the day giving the park a makeover.
Volunteers planted flowers, restored flower beds, picked up litter and repaired park furniture. They also spruced up the areas around RTA shelters and added new landscaping near the park’s stage.
The work was supported in part by a $5,200 Community Impact Grant from The Home Depot Foundation.
Mia Basit-Hightower, volunteer and community outreach coordinator at Ohio City Incorporated, said it feels good to give back to people who live and use the area.
"At Ohio City [Incorporated], we’re between the government and the people who live here, so our mission really is to represent the residents and really just make the neighborhood as beautiful as it can be," she said. "And activating the park spaces is really one of our biggest goals, and it’s especially important to be out here in Market Square Park, which is one of the biggest transit hubs in Cleveland, to really get families coming back here and really just refresh the neighborhood’s perspective and let them know that this is still their park."
Ohio City Incorporated said the grant will also support other neighborhood improvement efforts, the creation of a future Community Tool Library and volunteer-driven projects throughout the neighborhood.
Market Square Park hosts a variety of public activities throughout the year, including live music and concerts, pop-up vendor markets, community gatherings and, from time to time, protests.
The Ohio City Oktoberfest at Market Square Park
The event, located at the intersection of Lorain Avenue and West 25th Street, runs from noon to 8 p.m. and will feature beer, food, a kids zone, games and live music. Organizers welcome people of all ages to visit.
More information can be found online.
Damon Maloney is a Cuyahoga County and We Follow Through anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @DMaloneyTV, on Facebook DamonMaloneyTV or email him at Damon.Maloney@wews.com.
