7 Things to Look Forward to in 2018

Don't let the cold get you down! There are so many things to look forward to in 2018. Get ready for an exciting year in the Glass City.

1.) Concerts in Promenade Park

Get ready for concerts as construction completes this spring at Promenade Park. In the recent past, Promenade Park has hosted acts such as Steve Tyrell, Cyrstal Bowersox and Maddie and Tae. Bring a blanket and enjoy food trucks and music under The Tower of Light illuminating Promenade Park.

2.) Festivals

Mini Mansion with the Largest Turret in the Old West End

June: The Old West End Festival features Victorian, Edwardian, Queen Anne, Romanesque, Arts and Crafts, Neoclassical, and Colonial Revival homes from the 18th and 19th century. The Old West End Festival is known for its famous events such as the King Wamba Parade, housing tours, art fairs, vendors, entertainment, Stampede 5K, and food. It is also a great time to visit the Toledo Museum of Art, one of the top attractions in Ohio, located in the neighborhood.

August: The German American Festival is the largest festival in Toledo. There is something for every family member including live music, authentic German folk dancing, a pretzel eating contest and an extensive German beer selection. The German American Festival is located close to Maumee Bay State Park, so you can enjoy the lakefront and festival, all in one weekend.

2015 Toledo Pride Parade

August: Toledo Pride is one of the largest LGBT festivals in the Midwest, attracting close to 20,000 people each year. The mission of Toledo Pride is to raise awareness and promote unity for the Northwest Ohio LGBTQ community and its allies. Toledo Pride showcases entertainment, a 5K glow race, drag shows and unique vendors. In 2017, Toledo Pride partnered with Village on Adams, the largest brunch crawl in Northwest Ohio.

October: Last year Toledo's UpTown neighborhood broke the record for largest gathering of zombies in the world. The previous record was set in Minneapolis in 2014 with 15,458. The bars encompassing the Village on Adams hosted over 18,000 zombies for the Zombie Bar Crawl, defeating the previous record.

3) Opening Day

Mark your calendar for April 12th, Opening Day for the Toledo Mud Hens. This is a favorite celebration of downtown Toledo. Opening day is the start of baseball season and a reminder that summer is around the corner. Join the rooftop party in Hensville as the Toledo Mudhen's take on the Pawtucket Red Soxs. Dress in layers for this one as Ohio weather is unpredictable.

4) New Toledo Area Metropark

"The N.W. Ohio Spot" located in Oak Openings Metropark

Howard Marsh Metropark is located in eastern Lucas county between Maumee Bay State Park and Metzger Marsh. It is projected to open in 2018. The Howard Marsh Metropark was previously a farm along the shores of Lake Erie. In early 2018, the park will be restored as a 1,000 acre wetland. It will feature a 6 mile kayaking and canoeing trail as well as 5 miles of hiking trails. 

5) New Hotel Construction Downtown

Top: Rendering of Hilton Garden Inn/Double Tree (Courtesy of Lucas County)
Bottom: View from The Marriott Renaissance

Over $50M in new hotel construction and renovation coming to downtown Toledo in 2018.

The Park Inn is anticipating a boom in downtown Toledo travel. The hotel owners are intending to invest between twenty to thirty million to renovate their units and conference space. The former Seagate Hotel will soon be known as a dual branded Hilton Garden Inn/Double Tree Hotel.  Construction on the new hotel will begin this year to meet the demands of convention goers. This will be the first dual branded hotel in the Toledo region. Research from The Downtown Toledo Plan estimates downtown will need at least 600 hotel beds to meet the demand for major conferences. 

6.) More Residential Construction

Progression of the Nasby Building

Fort Industry Square and the Nasby Building are two of downtown Toledo's most iconic buildings. Both buildings were purchased in 2017 with the intention to revive them into mixed-use developments. Commerce Paper Building is located next to The Bartley Lofts in downtown Toledo's Warehouse District neighborhood. The Commerce Paper was purchased by an Italian developer in 2017, who intends to turn it into new loft-style market rate apartments. 

According to The Downtown Toledo Plan there is still a need for 1,200 residences to fulfill the current demand. There is no end in sight for downtown development.

7) The Toledo Farmers Market

The Toledo Farmers Market features almost 100 vendors every Saturday during the summer. The downtown Market is iconically known for Flower Day Weekend, which is the unofficial kick-off to the farmers market summer season. The downtown market also has an enclosed winter market every Saturday from 9am to 1pm.