Your Cincinnati Parks End-of-Summer Bucket List

The backpacks may be waiting, but summer isn’t over yet. Before school routines return, make the most of these last days with a few more adventures in Cincinnati Parks.

Get soaked at Smale.
Nothing says summer like running through a sprayground. Smale Riverfront Park’s three spraygrounds are open daily from 10 a.m.–9 p.m. through Labor Day. Add a walk along the riverfront and you have an easy summer afternoon downtown.

Pick a park and play.
Visit the new playground at Ault Park, pack a picnic and explore the trails and overlooks. Stick around for Much Ado About Nothing with Cincinnati Shakespeare Company on August 14 or the free Ault Park Summer Music Festival on August 20.

Lace up your skates.
Make a day of it at Sawyer Point. On Sunday, August 16, families can join a free Learn to Roller Skate class at 2 p.m., followed by a Motown Matinee at the Riverfront Rink from 3–6 p.m.

Trade screen time for green time.
Explore the lake and hiking trails at Burnet Woods, wander among the trees at the 30-acre Mt. Airy Arboretum or simply choose a park you’ve never visited before. Sometimes the best summer adventure doesn’t need an itinerary.

Leave your park a little better.
Turn a park visit into a family service project. Cincinnati Parks Foundation’s obLITTERators will be at Inwood Park on August 16, with supplies provided for volunteers helping remove litter.

Squeeze in one more summer night.
Bring the family to Smale Riverfront Park on August 22 for free live music at the Castellini Esplanade, or simply grab a picnic dinner, find a favorite overlook and watch the sun go down over Cincinnati.

Two weeks can hold a lot of summer. Pick a park, try something new and make a few more memories before the first school bell rings.

Explore upcoming events and programs through Cincinnati Parks and Cincinnati Parks Foundation.