MANSFIELD – The Richland Community Development Group (RCDG) and the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development have announced they are working with several other partners to host a temporary pop-up park on West Third Street in downtown Mansfield.

“Imagination Park on 3rd Street” will open on Monday, Sept. 20 and run through Friday, Oct. 1. The park is funded by a grant that RCDG received from AARP as part of their 2021 Community Challenge Grant program. 

“We were thrilled to be one of only 244 organizations nationwide to have received a 2021 AARP Challenge Grant,” Jodie Perry, President/CEO at the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development/RCDG. “We appreciate the strong support we have already received from our partner organizations as well as the community at large.

“We encourage people to make time to visit the park sometime during the two weeks that it is open. It is a new day in Mansfield, and we are excited about the future. Imagination Park on 3rd Street will help us to better envision the future!”

One of the ideas in the Mansfield Rising plan was to install a linear park in downtown. A linear park is a long, narrow park that often runs alongside a roadway or waterway. The group hopes that eventually a permanent park could connect the new Imagination District with the historic Carrousel District. The pop-up park will demonstrate how this might look on a temporary basis. 

The park will be set up along the south side of West Third Street between Mulberry Street and Bowman Avenue. Many interactive features are planned such as a bike path, seating areas, lounging areas, entertainment areas, and more. Trees, shrubs, and flowers will help give the area a more park-like feel.

A ribbon cutting will mark the opening of the park on Monday, Sept. 20 at 10:30 a.m. and everyone is invited to attend. The Roaming Donut food truck will be there from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Food trucks during lunchtime include Truckin’ Trav and Gertz Culinary. The Fry Guys and Fresh Eats & Sweet Treats food trucks will be there all day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

On Friday, Oct. 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. a closing celebration will be held with many different family-friendly activities taking place during First Friday Shop Hop in downtown. An interactive public art project will be happening throughout the evening. Deja Food, Smitty’s, and Fresh Eats & Sweet Treats food trucks will be there from 4 to 7 p.m.

Additionally, throughout the two weeks a whole host of programming will occur in the park. Visit imaginationdistrict.com for a complete list of programming, including a schedule of food trucks that will be at the park.

In addition to RCDG and the Chamber, participating organizations include the City of Mansfield, Field9 Architecture, Harmony House, IdeaWorks, Little Buckeye Children’s Museum, Mankind Murals, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, the Renaissance Theatre, the Richland County Foundation, and the Richland County Regional Planning Commission. Dozens of other local businesses are contributing to projects in conjunction with the park.

For more information on the Imagination Park on West 3rd, visit imaginationdistrict.com or call the Chamber at 419-522-3211.