Delaware’s Boardman Arts Park is lining up two very different ways to spend a summer evening: one with pop anthems dressed in orchestral clothes, and another with Shakespearean chaos under the open sky. The back-to-back August events put the park’s new performance space firmly in the Central Ohio entertainment conversation.
WSYX reports that Boardman Arts Park leaders Roxanne Amidon and David Hejmanowski are inviting the community to spend the remaining summer weeks with live music and theater in Delaware.
A Symphony With A Pop Playlist
Next Saturday, the Central Ohio Symphony will bring “Symphony Pops” to the Whimsy Venue, with a set built around recognizable hits from Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars and other popular artists. A July 22 announcement from Boardman Arts Park says the free event will feature doors at 5 p.m., a comedy preshow at 5:30 p.m. and the symphony at 6:30 p.m.
The concert is free, though attendees are asked to RSVP in advance to help organizers plan. Food trucks, drinks, face painting and local shopping will be available, while optional picnic blankets and VIP seating offer a more structured version of the classic lawn-concert setup.
The Central Ohio Symphony describes the August performance as a celebration of America’s 250th birthday and the country’s musical innovations. Destination Delaware County lists the concert at Boardman Arts Park from 5 to 6 p.m., though the park’s event announcement provides the fuller evening schedule.
Shakespeare Gets The Lawn
Two weeks later, Arena Fair Theatre will stage “Comedy of Errors,” William Shakespeare’s fast-moving farce of mistaken identities, mixed-up twins and the sort of family confusion that makes a group chat look organized. The August 22 production will begin at 6:30 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m.
Lawn seating costs $20 in advance, children 12 and younger attend free, and the event will include food from The Backstretch along with beer, wine and seltzer for purchase. 1808Delaware notes that the performance is part of a broader 2026 calendar designed to mix music, family programming, festivals and outdoor arts events.
Whimsy Venue Gives The Park A Bigger Stage
The two August shows also spotlight the park’s Whimsy Venue, a 2-acre performance area designed for concerts, theater, dance and other large community events. Boardman Arts Park says the venue is part of a larger effort to transform its 2.2-acre green space into an outdoor arts destination with walking paths, installations and recurring events.
For Delaware residents, the appeal is fairly simple: a free symphony night next Saturday, followed by Shakespeare, lawn seating and food trucks later in the month. It is a schedule with enough range to make the park feel less like a backdrop and more like one of the area’s summer stages.
