Students and members of the local community attended the Cap City Festival put on by the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks after its return to Maloney Park on Sept. 19 for an afternoon of free food, music, and rides.
The City of Columbus Recreation and Parks department has been hosting multiple free fair events throughout the summer to bring fun, community and resources to neighborhoods all around Columbus for over 10 years
In addition to eating a delicious, provided meal of a hamburger or hotdog, chips, water, a cookie, and ice cream or sorbet, attendees also got to enjoy rides such as a zipline, rock wall and bounce house. For those not into rides, there was also a kite making and flying station, face painting and manicures all free of charge.
The event’s host, Antonio Combs, a member of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, said this event is so important to bring fun to the community for free. “Some of these families that come to these events can’t afford to go spend time in the community at fairs or other events for various reasons,” Combs said. “By making [Cap City Festival] free for all, we can bring food and togetherness into the community of Columbus.”
A local volunteer with the Cosi booth, who also lives just two streets over from Maloney Park, said, “Events like these are what some of my neighbors talk about for days. They look forward to them every year.”
A local mom of five explained how she can’t go to most festivals because of the cost. “I have five kids, so going to a fair is impossible. After tickets to get in, food for all of us, and one ride, I’ve spent over $150. That’s too expensive in today’s economy,” she said.
While Cap City Festival is about free fun for the community, another key aspect to the events is connecting the community to resources they may not otherwise have access to.
“This festival’s theme is ‘Back to School, Back to Basics,’ so we have been collecting school supplies to pass out to kids who need it,” Combs said, “We want to help make sure that all of the students have what they need to start school off right.”
A local police officer who works in the area who was also attending the event explained said, “[Cap City Festival] may be the only time that the community may get to interact with [the police] and get the access to resources they may really need. I’d rather meet them now and give them these resources to help them with what they need than later when we could be at their door.”
This event was the fifth out of a series of six fair-like events that were held this past summer. The final Cap City festival event will be at Westgate Community Center on Oct. 24 from 8–4 p.m. and will be free to the public.
