Today, City leaders announced the third year of Summer in Cincy, sharing expanded violence reduction programming, specifically among youth, to proactively address gun violence in Cincinnati this summer. Cincinnati Recreation Commission, Cincinnati Parks and Cincinnati Police are working collaboratively to positively engage with kids of all ages and provide fun, safe spaces while they are out of school. In particular, City departments are focusing on weekend programming for the teen population. All of this information is captured in one, easy-to-navigate page on the City’s website called “Summer in Cincy” (cincinnati-oh.gov/summerincincy). Community members will also find resources like summer food locations, emergency shelter options, rent and utility relief, and mental health resources.

“We know that unfortunately violence spikes when the weather is warmer and school is out,” said City Manager Sheryl Long. “We can’t ignore that reality, and we can’t police our way out of that reality—we have to offer something constructive, positive, and safe to the kids and young people who might otherwise turn to violence. Summer in Cincy is one of many ways we do that.”

The Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC) is building on the success of last summer’s Rec at Nite initiative, a program specifically designed to engage teens with meaningful, safe activities on Saturday evenings. This year, CRC is excited to announce Rec at Nite will return this summer with expanded programming at two locations every Saturday, beginning June 7, at Lincoln Recreation Center in the West End and Hirsch Recreation Center in Avondale.

These evening events will complement CRC’s robust array of summer offerings, including day camps, youth sports leagues, and regular pool operations. Both Hirsch and Lincoln Rec Centers will be open every Saturday from 5–10 p.m. with teen-focused programming and themed nights that offer fun, safe, engaging spaces for young people to connect and thrive. Additionally, CRC is proud that all 24 pools and 9 spraygrounds across the City will be open to help families beat the heat and enjoy the season together.

“We are proud to continue doubling down on our violence reduction strategies, because we have seen the positive difference they can make,” said Mayor Aftab Pureval. “Our Administration and partners will continue listening to what the data and our residents are telling us, and we will continue investing in the interventions that are driving progress.”

Cincinnati Parks is hosting skating for teens at Sawyer Point every Friday Night starting May 30 through August 29 from 6-10 p.m. This is made possible thanks to partnership from Skate Downtown Cincy. Cincinnati Parks caters to the needs of families and children through summer camps, neighborhood parks events and community events like guided hikes. They also provide job training opportunities through their Green Team workforce youth readiness program, providing summer jobs in our beautiful parks to our kids.

All of this information can be found here.