Mayor's Report

May marks the beginning of the spring-summer seasons. It also commemorates a solemn holiday. This year we celebrate Memorial Day on May 29^th, and we honor those who have given their lives while serving our country in the military. The Memorial Day Parade will start at 9:30 am at Erie Street/Third Street and ends at Sharpe Ave Cemetery for the ceremony. A second ceremony is at the Willoughby Memorial Gardens Cemetery on Lakeshore Blvd at 11 am. The first Memorial Day was celebrated in 1868 and was meant to honor those that died during the Civil War. I’ve always considered Memorial Day and our country’s birthday on July 4^th as days to honor a nation built on acceptance, tolerance, and cooperation, created and defended by brave men and women.

We are pleased to announce the return of many of our favorite summer events and a few new experiences this spring. The event season starts with the Rib Burn-Off on Saturday and Sunday, May 20^th and 21^st. Next is the DTW Car Cruise-In on Saturday, June 17^th. ArtsFest and the Eastlake/Willoughby Offshore Races Boat Parade is Saturday, July 15^th,  and Last Stop Willoughby is Saturday, August 12^th.

We have three Osborne Park Sunset Concerts planned for June 21^st, June 28^th, and August 30^th. The Downtown Willougby Gazebo Concert series is every Thursday evening from July 6th to August 31^st.

The Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure is a new addition to our summer events, slated for a stop in Willoughby on Tuesday, June 20^th. GOBA is a 7-day tour that explores a new region of Ohio’s friendly towns every year. It is considered Ohio’s premier bicycle event, touring for 34 years, and could bring 1,500 visitors to our city to shop, eat, drink, and explore. We are collaborating with the organizers to ensure that the cyclists know all the exciting things to see in Willoughby, from our lakefront to our historic downtown.

Our local merchants, restaurants, and bars also sponsor events throughout the summer, and we hope you will support them by shopping and dining locally. In addition, these organizations have their own Facebook pages, and we encourage you to like and share their events.

Please visit our website and Facebook page for updates on these and other events in our city, including the lineup for our summer concert series.

We hope you and your family enjoy the fantastic spring weather, and we look forward to seeing you at some of our many exciting events!