The American tradition of a community picnic returns with Canalway Partners’ Picnic in the Park, an America 250 celebration with food, entertainment, and lots of Cleveland history.

Picnic in the Park takes place at Canal Basin Park on Saturday, June 27 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The picnic will have food trucks, a beer garden, live music, family-friendly activities, and history tents. Picnic in the Park is run in tandem with the Canalway Partners’ annual Veterans Memorial Bridge Tours, running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Come to Picnic in the Park on Saturday, June 27 at Canal Basin Park.Local music
On top of the food trucks and beer garden, guests can enjoy plenty of live music from three bands. The live music starts at 11:30 a.m., shortly after the picnic begins.

Thicarus kicks off the musical entertainment from 11:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. The Cleveland-based band specializes in upbeat, brass-dominated music.

Next up, AJ & The Woods take the stage from 1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Established in 2015, the band blends Appalachian folk, Americana, and blues with modern rock. In addition to performing at Picnic in the Park, fans can catch AJ & The Woods later on Saturday, at 7 p.m., at the South Euclid Food Truck Park.

Mars Express will wrap up the live music from 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Originally from California, band members Sara “Smile” Remington and Marcelino "Mars" Quiroz uplift their audiences with inspirational lyrics that inspire critical thinking around social norms, while paying tribute to favorite musicians. The band relocated to Northeast Ohio in the early 2020s, where they have been performing their jazz, neo-soul, and funk music ever since.

Kid-friendly festivities
All ages are welcome to come celebrate Cleveland history at Picnic in the Park. There will be an America 250 activity tent and lots of other fun activities for children to enjoy.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District will host Touch-a-Truck at the Canal Basin Park Pump Station. This hands-on event allows kids to see the inside of important utility vehicles while also learning about how the water in the Cuyahoga River is maintained.

The Freshwater Institute, Cleveland Water, and the Cleveland Metroparks will have stations to educate the community on the importance of freshwater and environmental protection.

From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., professional bubbleologist Dr. U.R. Awesome will be at Picnic in the Park showing off his massive bubble creations. This Cleveland-based bubble entertainer has won more than 15 Guinness World Records for his bubble tricks.

Finally, to celebrate America 250, there will be a “Treat Toast” on the main stage from 2:30 to 3 p.m. Guests are able to raise a chocolate pretzel sparkler (while supplies last) to celebrate America’s anniversary.

Come Picnic in the Park with Canalway Partners at Canal Basin Park on Saturday, June 27.Historical significance
Picnic in the Park is the final event of Canalway Partners’ Cleveland History Days.

As guests will learn at the event, the history of Canal Basin Park runs deep into the roots of Cleveland and Ohio.

Meghan Tinker Paynter, director of communications at Canalway Partners, says that Canal Basin Park is the perfect place for this event since it is the historic location where the Ohio and Erie Canal met the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie in the 1800s.

The Erie Canal was completed in 1825 and linked the Hudson River with Lake Erie. This significantly boosted the economy. Ohio leaders soon recognized the need for a canal system that would connect the rest of the state to these growing trade routes.

The Ohio and Erie Canal was designed to create a passageway from Cleveland to Cincinnati, so the rest of the state could reap the rewards of a national transportation system. The project was completed in 1832. The effects were immediate.

Ohio’s population more than doubled in the first 30 years after the canal was finished, says Tinker Paynter. The state's population of 580,000 people in 1820 rose to a staggering two million people in 1850—largely because of increased economic prosperity, new job opportunities, and a rise in imports and exports.

A National Park Service photo from its collection, of a family on a canal boat in the 1880s in Valley View, Ohio.“The Ohio and Erie Canal can really be credited [as] one of the biggest booms to Ohio and Cleveland success,” says Tinker Paynter. “We really think it's the perfect place to mark this anniversary of America and also allow us to talk about Ohio and Cleveland's role in the growth of our nation.”

Canal Basin Park plays a huge role in this pivotal moment in history. It is both home to one of Cleveland's first business districts and one of Cleveland's first residential neighborhoods.

Tinker Paynter says that because the canal itself no longer exists in Cleveland, its story often gets overlooked. In the Flood of 1913, the Ohio and Erie Canal was damaged and rendered irreparable.

The Ohio and Erie Canal may be a thing of the past, but its legacy lives on. Picnic in the Park will share and celebrate the profound impact that Canal Basin Park has had on Cleveland.

Since the Veterans Memorial Bridge tours will also be held that day, event organizers advise that guests plan for the crowds, whether that means taking the RTA or leaving extra time for parking.