Things to do in downtown Toledo for Jeep Fest and Solheim Cup
As we continue towards inoculating our community and practicing safe habits, events are starting to return. We want our events to be exciting, so we have two huge ones on track! Toledo Jeep Fest will once again take over our downtown streets from August 6-8 for a weekend-long celebration of Toledo’s favorite automobile, the Jeep. Just a few weeks later, begins the LPGA’s Solheim Cup. The Solheim Cup is a biennial golf tournament contested by teams representing Europe and the United States. While the tournament will be held at Inverness Club, all off-course festivities will be held in downtown. Opening Ceremonies are on Friday, September 3 with the tournament ending Monday, September 6.
The first Toledo Jeep Fest, celebrating the newly updated Wrangler JL, was a one-day celebration held in 2016 that brought an estimated 40,000 people into downtown. Due to the success of the first Jeep Fest, it in 2018 and 2019 for a weekend-long celebration seeing more than 60,000 people in downtown from across the country and the world for the occasion. The estimated economic impact for the 2019 event was $5.6 million. Toledo Jeep Fest includes a Jeep parade, live music, historic and unique Jeeps, Toledo Jeep Fest 4-Miler Race and a vendor midway. Organizers are bringing a radio-controlled Jeep course for attendees to experience in the SeaGate Convention Centre. The event’s ultimate goal to be the largest Jeep-related event in the United States. This year, organizers will proudly showcase Toledo as the heart of the Jeep Country and will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Jeep brand. The weekend of August 6, 2021 will be one for the record books. To learn more about Jeep Fest, check their website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
As soon as Toledo Jeep Fest wraps up, downtown will be busy getting ready for the LPGA Solheim Cup. The golf tournament was named after the Norwegian-American golf club manufacturer Karsten Solheim, one of the creators of the tournament. The Inaugural Cup was held in 1990 at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida. Since then, the tournament alternates between the United States and Europe. Solheim Cup is the equivalent to the PGA’s Ryder Cup. The tournament will be played out at Inverness Club with all the off-course activities happening in downtown. The Opening Ceremony will be held Friday, September 3 at Promenade Park followed by a huge concert to keep the party going. Every night after each day of tournament play, there will be a celebration in the streets of downtown. In addition to the night-time fun, there will be plenty to keep you busy during the day. The following institutions in and around downtown will have special activations just for the Solheim Cup:
- Imagination Station
- Imagination Station is a hands-on science museum located right on the Maumee River and has over 300 exhibits and 58-foot wide, 4K screen theater.
- Toledo Museum of Art
- TMA is a world-renowned art museum with 45 galleries and a collection of over 30,000 objects on its 40-acre campus.
- Metroparks Toledo
- Metroparks Toledo is a world-class park system that conserve the region’s natural resources by creating, developing, improving, protecting, and promoting clean, safe, and natural parks and open spaces for the benefit, enjoyment, education, and general welfare of the public. They recently received the National Gold Medal Award for excellence in parks and recreation management, the most prestigious honor in the parks and recreation industry.
- National Museum of the Great Lakes
- The National Museum of the Great Lakes tells the awe-inspiring stories of our Great Lakes through breathtaking photography, over 300 incredible artifacts, a number of powerful audiovisual displays and 40 hands-on interactive exhibits including the 617-foot iron ore freighter James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and the historic Museum Tug Ohio.
- Toledo Library, Main Branch
- Built as part of the New Deal in 1940, the Main Branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library holds an impressive book collection, innovative children and teen space genealogy records and more.
- Toledo Zoo
- Just a quick seven minute drive from the heart of downtown, the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium houses over 10,000 individual animals that cover 720 species. With a large focus on conservation efforts, the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium currently participates in over 80 species survival programs.
To purchase tickets to Solheim Cup and learn more about Toledo’s storied Inverness Club, click here.
Downtown Toledo is the heartbeat of the region and is so thrilled to have such large events to showcase our home. With plenty of retail, over 80 restaurants and a thriving nightlife, downtown Toledo is the place to be this summer. Be sure to grab a drink in a DORA cup and explore the festivities. DORA is the Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area and allows patrons of one of the 30+ participating restaurants, pubs and entertainment venues to carry up to 16 oz. of an open alcoholic beverage in a designated cup outside.
