Free turf fields open daily at Kilbourne Run Sports Park
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther announced that the newly completed turf soccer fields at Kilbourne Run Sports Park will be available to the public at no cost, reversing a $250 two‑hour rental fee that had kept many local families from playing.
The fields will be open from noon until 9 p.m. each day, with specific slots rotating monthly; in July fields three and four are slated for free use, and from August through May 31, field two will be the designated free space.
City officials will also foot the bill for up to 200 children to join the municipal youth soccer league, and the park already boasts free playgrounds, walking trails and other amenities that aim to make the space welcoming for all residents.
The initiative traces back to a 2018 "Save the Crew" agreement that promised a community sports amenity as part of the Columbus Crew’s stadium negotiations, a pledge that Mayor Ginther says he is finally honoring after a delayed ribbon‑cutting ceremony.
Mohamed Ali, a Northeast Side resident who led the lobbying effort, expressed pride that children who once could only watch from the sidelines will now have a place to kick a ball, underscoring the power of grassroots advocacy.
The city will celebrate the park’s grand opening on July 29 at 1 p.m., marking the culmination of a multi‑year effort to secure a site after the original plan to build near Historic Crew Stadium on the Ohio Fairgrounds was thwarted by the state’s refusal to sell the land.
Looking ahead, Columbus plans to introduce grass soccer fields within a year and will reassess the program’s impact, with Mayor Ginther emphasizing that investments like Kilbourne Run are meant to broaden sports access for youth and every Columbus resident.