Cincinnati, Ohio – In 2024, the much-loved Summerfair will return to the famous Coney Island site, which is very exciting for the Greater Cincinnati area. The water park and amusement park will close at the end of 2023, but the site will be alive with the energy of one of the oldest arts festivals in the country.
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and its subsidiary, Music and Event Management Inc. (MEMI), bought Coney Island for $8.03 million on December 29, 2023. This is the start of a new era for the historic site. It is planned to turn the old amusement park and its famous pool into a cutting-edge music campus worth $118 million. The Summerfair Cincinnati will still be held at the venue as usual this summer, though, because of this big plan.
Summerfair Cincinnati’s managing director, Jayne Utter, was excited that she and MEMI had been able to come to an agreement to keep the festival at Coney Island. The event, which runs from May 31 to June 2, promises to keep showcasing the region’s visual and performing arts.
Summerfair has a long history that goes back to 1968, when it was first held in Mount Adams. In 1970, it lived for a short time in Eden Park. In 1977, it moved to Coney Island and has been there ever since. Summerfair moved to the old Riverfront Coliseum for a short time, but it came back to Coney Island in 1985 and has been a regular event there ever since.
People have been coming to the festival for more than 50 years, which shows how popular the arts and community spirit are. The first Coney Island opened in 1870 on the Ohio River, 10 miles east of downtown Cincinnati. Since then, it has changed a lot.
The park has changed a lot over the years. It used to have lots of rides and other fun things to do, but since Kings Island opened in 1972, it has had problems like flooding and less visitors. When all the amusement rides were taken down in 2019, it was the end of an era. But events like Summerfair keep the fun and entertainment going.
People in the area are excited for Coney Island to become a music campus. The return of Summerfair Cincinnati is a reminder of the site’s long history and its role as a place where arts and culture can come together. The festival not only honors artists’ creative skills, but it also brings people from all walks of life together to enjoy the beauty of art in all its forms. It will be a creative hub again this summer at Coney Island, where the best of the Greater Cincinnati art scene will be shown.