On Sunday, the three-way intersection of Third and Center streets was blocked off so kids and adults could take paint and brushes to revamp the crosswalks.
One crosswalk was repainted to keep the paper airplane theme, one was painted to look like piano keys and the third was painted to look like gumballs spilling out of a giant gumball machine.
“This is the fourth time we’ve done this,” said Amanda Cleary, of the Third and Center civic group. “It is a way for us to get the children of the community involved in leaving their mark on one of our public spaces.”
The event was supposed to start at 1 p.m. but at 12:30 p.m. around 50 people were painting as younger kids splashed in the fountain to cool off.
“We are really excited to have so many people out here already,” Cleary said.
The initial goal was to bring awareness of the beauty of downtown Ironton, particularly the nearby Rotary Fountain.
“Adding artistic elements to crosswalks has been shown to increase crosswalk safety,” Cleary said. “We just wanted to add some art to the space, make it more inviting and welcoming and hopefully, remind drivers to slow down as they come through this busy intersection.”
This year, Third and Center partnered with the OSU Extension Office, which had an active transportation safety pop-up booth about traffic signs and safety. If a child could properly identify a street sign and tell what the sign was trying to tell a driver, they could win a small prize of a pencil.
“We feel very grateful for that partnership,” Cleary said. “So, the kids are learning as they are arting today.”
One of Third and Center’s upcoming summer events includes the return of Summer Solstice Music and Arts Festival on June 8, which features local and regional bands and vendors. It kicks off with a youth fishing program at 9 a.m. The event is held at downtown Ironton’s riverfront.
All their events are listed at www.thirdandcenter.com.