BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) — There is less than a month until the official start of summer, but the Southern Park Mall has already started its seasonal events at Debartolo Commons.
Classic cars filled the parking lot at the Debartolo Commons, while kids were learning the game of flag football at the soccer fields.
This is the first summer since the Debartolo Commons opened and they’re still learning what events they could put on.
“There’s nothing set in stone unless it’s on the calendar. So if there’s an opening on the calendar, we’re willing to talk about it,” said Souther Park Mall General Manager Brian Gabbert.
Just some of the scheduled events include live bands like The Clarks, Hinder and Living Colour, what they call a ‘summer sweat series,’ with the YMCA, Relay for Life and their second annual ‘Summer Sauce Showdown.’
“We have 10-12 restaurants out on the green under a tent. We’ll be able to sample different kinds of sauces and we’ll have celebrity guest judges and all those types of things,” said Gabbert.
If you’re looking to be active, you can score a goal at the soccer fields. A 7-on-7 soccer tournament is being set up for next year, but if that’s not your style, they have places to eat and have a drink, all of which help the local economy.
“I think it also drives a lot of traffic to our center and says, ‘Let’s go eat at Double Bogey’s’ or ‘Let’s have a beer or a cup of coffee at Steel Valley,'” said Gabbert.
But if you like to plan events, the Southern Park Mall would like to hear from you.
“Really excited to be able to offer this to the community and say ‘Hey, if you’ve got an idea about something you want to do bring it out here, we’d love to talk to you about it,'” said Gabbert.
You can submit ideas on their website.