For many Kenyon students, the quaint, neighboring town of Mount Vernon is a place for fast food, Walmart runs, and off-campus activities. For me, it’s also the place where I grew up. My classmates sometimes ask me what it was like growing up in Mount Vernon and whether or not I liked it. I get a little embarrassed when I say that I did like it, because Mount Vernon is pretty small in comparison to the big cities a lot of my classmates come from, to the point where “City of Mount Vernon,” as it’s commonly called, can be a misleading title. But there are lots of places that make Mount Vernon special to me, and I’d like to share them so that other Kenyon students might find them as special as I do.
The Square
Downtown Mount Vernon is my favorite part of the city. It’s closer to the area where I grew up and is home to a lot of special places. The town square is the center of Mount Vernon’s annual festivities, from the Christmas lighting celebration in the winter to the Music and Arts Festival in the summer. Not only that, but it’s also where First Friday celebrations take place on the first Friday of each summer month. On those days, the square is bustling with activity, filled with food vendors, booths advertising local businesses, music, and a car show. Some of my favorite summer memories include walking down to the square with my family and getting a corn dog or an ice cream cone to eat in front of the fountain.
The Restaurants
While Mount Vernon can be lacking in food options compared to other towns and bigger cities, it has some local restaurants that I always enjoyed visiting growing up. My favorites are Southside Diner, Dave’s Cosmic Subs, and Whit’s Frozen Custard. Southside Diner is located in downtown Mount Vernon and is a homestyle, 50s-themed diner decorated with antiques. Dave’s Cosmic Subs is a rock n roll themed sub shop (I always love walking in to hear rock music blasting over the radio, and the wall art is really cool), and Whit’s Frozen Custard is the perfect place to stop for a sweet treat in the warmer months. My go-to order is strawberry shortcake! Growing up, my family and I would walk to Whit’s together, and we’d always eat our frozen custard by the Kokosing River. It was a lot more peaceful than sitting outside of the restaurant by the noisy South Main traffic.
The Memorial Theater and Woodward Opera House
The Memorial Theater hosts speakers, concerts, and excellent plays put together by MTVarts. Some of my favorite plays performed in the past were Elf, Junie B. Jones, Beauty and the Beast, and Wonka, and there are always more to come, so they’re definitely worth checking out! The Woodward Opera House is another theater located in downtown Mount Vernon and hosts concerts. It has a fascinating history as America’s oldest 19th-century theater still standing today, and it was restored and renovated for the public to enjoy. A couple of years ago, the Woodward hosted Ace Frehley from the band KISS. When I first saw the posters for the event, I thought the musician was an impersonator and not the real guy, because why would such a big-name musician come to my small town? But, no, it was actually him. I’ll always regret having missed the event.
Ariel Foundation Park
Ariel Foundation Park has an interesting history. A repurposed industrial park, it sits on the former site of a glass-making factory. If you venture into “The Ruins” area of the park, you’ll get to see some of the preserved remains of this glass-making factory. It’s really fascinating to see it in person, and if you make the climb up the Rastin Observation Tower, you’ll not only get to see a beautiful view of the park, but a beautiful view of Mount Vernon as well. I think it’s definitely worth checking out!
The Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County
The library is where the bulk of my summers seemed to take place while growing up. I loved doing the summer reading programs and the Teen Writing Program. Even after outgrowing these programs, I always find myself coming back here. It’s a great place to volunteer and take advantage of the literary programming available!
The School District
Mount Vernon City School District contains six elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. I loved my experience at East Elementary School, and it’s a good place to volunteer, similar to Wiggin Street Elementary. I remember when I was in first grade, my class was assigned to write to a penpal from another first-grade class in Wiggin Street Elementary. At the end of the year, we got to visit Wiggin Street Elementary to meet our pen pals. It was a Friday afternoon and the tornado test sirens went off at noon, just like they always do even today. I remember being surprised by the sound because I’d never heard the sirens so loud! It’s funny how some things don’t change.