Solstice Steps Celebration a Big Success

Hundreds turned out for the grand opening of Lakewood’s Solstice Steps at Lakewood Park on Friday, Oct. 30.

The city of Lakewood hosted the special event to celebrate the new the $2 million project that reinvents Lakewood’s access to Lake Erie. The event featured food trucks and live music, provided by bands from the Lakewood City Schools and St. Edward High School. The ceremony concluded with a reading from Lakewood’s resident poet laureate Bill Knittel and a bagpipe performance by Kevin Kelley.

Members of Lakewood City Council were on hand to pass out candy to children, many of them dressed in costume.

The Solstice Steps feature an upper and lower promenade, extending from the existing park at the top of the slope, to the waterline with seating in between. The fenced-in grass slope was transformed into cascading stone stairs with grass landings to be planted between each step.

Mayor Michael Summers kicked-off the event with remarks and introduced each performance.

“We see these steps as a pivotal step in increasing access to green space, without changing the footprint of the park,” said Lakewood Mayor Michael Summers. “This enhancement to our community’s green space allows thousands to enjoy picturesque views of Lake Erie, our greatest natural resource.”