It took 30 years, but Toledo’s UpTown is arguably one of the coolest areas of downtown Toledo. Whether you want to shop DIY items, sip craft beers, enjoy late-night eats, shop for local food, or hang out a park, the area of Adams Street from 11th street to Collingwood has most of what anyone wants.
This is all thanks to Toledo’s UpTown Association, which which has been committed to developing and reinvigorating the neighborhood since 1986. Introducing everything from organized neighborhood clean-ups to the completion of a two-million dollar, 2.5 acre park called UpTown Green, the Association has spent 30 years helping to transform UpTown into a hub of business and social activities.
Now, the time has come to celebrate a bit. On Friday, September 16, the UpTown Association will be throwing a birthday party in honor of its three decades of working to revitalize the neighborhood.
The Greatest Weekend
Coordinating with the Toledo Metroparks' "Greatest Weekend" festivities, UpTown Association's 30th Birthday Party, Tours and Celebration will begin at 6pm. on the 16th with a shindig at The Attic on Adams, with $5 admission, and events will include food, live music and entertainment. Following the opening, tours of UpTown hotspots will begin at 7pm.
"We had a meeting with some representatives from the Metroparks, and from the warehouse district, and there's a lot going on this weekend," said Julie Champa, Executive Director of the UpTown Association. "They've got some events going on and they wanted to bring UpTown into the fold and try to market these events together as one big weekend event. And we thought that was a great idea.
"We've been talking about having some sort of a 30th [anniversary] recognition, because 30 years is a heck of a milestone, especially in this non-profit world. So it all just kind of fell together."
See what’s happening
A central part of the celebration will be tours that showcase many of the improvements the UpTown Association has fought for over the past 30 years, as well as an introduction to the businesses of the neighborhood, from to mainstays like the Ottawa Tavern to relatively new arrivals like ProMedica's Market on the Green.
"We've got a lot of new businesses that either have opened or are close to opening that we really think should be highlighted, and people should come down and check 'em out, and be able to see the goods that they're selling, and to sample some of their items. We just thought it was a great idea to get people down so they can see what's happening," Champa said.
"From a community development perspective, we're a little different than other community development organizations that are focused solely on residential. Uptown, right now, is really more commercial, which is great, although our focus as we move forward is going to be residential, because there's a need out there."
The party on the 16th is not the only planned celebration of the UpTown Association's Pearl Jubilee — Champa said that there are talks about an even bigger event to be held in commemoration of the anniversary before the end of the year, but could not share any details just yet. But for now, she expressed hope that Toledoans would come and sample the changes that her organization has worked so hard to instill in the community.
"They can get a really good feel for all the progress that's been happening in the neighborhood. Sometimes, we are our own worst enemies when it comes to promoting ourselves, and this is a good opportunity to promote the good work that UpTown Association is doing, but, really, that all the businesses are doing by investing in the neighborhood."
UpTown Association's 30th Birthday Party begins at 6pm on Friday, September 16 and will last until midnight.
For more information, visit uptowntoledo.org or RSVP on Facebook.
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