MANSFIELD — Lee Tasseff, president of Destination Mansfield, promised an exciting event celebrating Mansfield’s best known landmark on Wednesday.
At the organization’s first themed annual meeting and the second since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tasseff took the opportunity to look back at the history of the Ohio State Reformatory before and after “The Shawshank Redemption” movie.
“Our annual meetings previously have been like launch parties, but with the 30th anniversary of Shawshank releasing, I thought a history lesson was relevant for this year,” Tasseff said.
The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society (MRPS)officially incorporated in 1994 after the state of Ohio closed the prison in 1990.
“Massive kudos to them for having the foresight to take control of a big scary old prison that nobody in Columbus really wanted to deal with,” Tasseff said. “It was bound for the wrecking ball and MRPS stepped in to save it.”
Destination Mansfield plans ‘victory lap’ for 30th anniversary
The Shawshank Redemption is the best-rated movie on IMDb.
The Shawshank Trail invited actors and director Frank Darabont back to Mansfield for a roundtable and other events in 2019.
“Unfortunately, the pandemic stamped that victory lap we were ready to take,” Tasseff said. “But stay tuned for August. There are some actors who are coming that weren’t here five years ago, and you’ll want to be there.”
The “Return to Shawshank” 30th anniversary celebration is scheduled for Aug. 9-11. Movie fans can visit 14 filming sites in Richland County, Ashland and Upper Sandusky. More details will be available on shawshanktrail.com and on social media pages as the date approaches.
Also at the annual meeting, Tasseff discussed eclipse traffic that the Destination Mansfield website saw in the months and weeks leading up to the April 8 total eclipse. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, more than 150,000 people watched the eclipse from state parks.
Tasseff said the eclipse landing page on Destination Mansfield took the top spot for the website’s page views leading up to the event. He said analytics showed web traffic was largely coming from Ohio, Virginia, Florida and Michigan.
“Occupancy rates in hotels and lodging the weekend before April 8 were 50% higher than average, and 100% higher on Sunday or the day of the eclipse,” he said.
Tasseff also lauded a TourismOhio program that will place a select number of local attractions in information centers across the state’s highways.
“All attractions are helped by other attractions,” Tasseff said. “We’ve got one of the widest varieties of attractions and recreational activities anywhere in Ohio.
“We’ve made great strides in the last year in moving our region forward.”
The annual meeting ended with presenting a dozen Tourism Awards of Excellence for 2024. The awards recognize new or existing attractions that have added to, improved or transformed their attractions and businesses.
The Tourism Awards of Excellence started in 2005 and have recognized 96 attractions and programs that promote tourism and economic development.
This year’s Tourism Award of Excellence recipients included:
- City of Shelby and the Shelby Community Improvement Corporation for its ongoing work on the Black Fork Commons Plaza and streetscape. By adding new dining and drinking options, Shelby becomes an outstanding evening destination.
- The Historic Ohio State Reformatory’s Shawshank Bus Tours (offered June-October) let travelers ride on a gorgeous new branded coach in comfort on neatly packaged tours of the filming sites from “The Shawshank Redemption,” along with the prison’s “Hollywood Meets History” tour. Since the first busload of travelers rolled out in 2022, more than 1,000 guests have taken 100 tours. This is the 6th tourism award of excellence that the reformatory has earned since the awards started in 2005.
- Buckeye Imagination Museum’s unique second floor strategically targets older kids and parents, allowing them to enjoy the same energy and excitement that many children’s museums offer only to younger children. In addition, Buckeye Imagination Museum was named “Institution of the Year” by the Ohio Museums Association for its outstanding accomplishments and has been recognized by the Ohio Travel Association. Buckeye Imagination also created a special collaboration with the Mansfield Noon Optimist Club.
- BrandRichland is a fully integrated community brand that sectors in all communities within Richland County can embrace and implement to help achieve their goals. BrandRichland includes a full suite of assets, including logos, video and images. These assets, supported by brand story and standards, are accessible at BrandRichland.com and help our communities, organizations and business tell the world what a great place Richland County is to live, work and play.
- Dan Lew Exchange for its success in offering exceptional new culinary offerings in our region and expanding its concepts to benefit both residents and visitors. A wonderful community partner, DLX has developed great events in concert with others in Richland County, such as New Year’s Eve on the Square.
- Inkcarceration Festival, in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents, has taken the festival to new heights. It is recognized for creating the perfect combination of entertainment with a premier venue and coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic with strength and for generating positive economic impact across our county and beyond.
- YMCA of North Central Ohio and its new Splash Pad Park, which won a national YMCA award for its slide, is not just an incredible amenity for our community but the Y has made it accessible to visiting families adding yet another tourism attraction to the region.
- Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course re-paved its track and upgraded its facilities, adding new pavilions for hospitality, and saw the return of IMSA and Superbike Races. One of the area’s largest economic impact generators in tourism, Mid-Ohio puts Lexington and Mansfield on the world stage through the exposure that hosting international motorsports generates.
- Marshall Park has expanded its park and sports facilities including adding turf and lighting for night baseball/softball games. As a result, the park has drawn new tournaments like the MVD Sports Ohio Invitational and the Mid-Ohio Spring Classic (formerly, Wendy’s Spring Classic). The park also hosts regional disc golf tournaments and soccer tournaments.
- Richland Grow-OP Cooperative has garnered media outside Richland County for its unique brilliance. As a supplier to the county’s hospitality industry, it enhances local “Farm to Table” cuisine while providing fresh produce and careers in urban farming in underserved areas. The program also builds work skills and educates young people about where our food comes from.
- Phoenix Brewing Company is one of the area’s best marketers, with creative and consistent messaging. Participating in statewide brewery events and competitions, the Phoenix represents our area outside of Richland County and was featured on the cover and in an article in “On Tap,” a statewide craft brewing magazine.
- Chef Jacques, the world’s tallest bobblehead, stands 35 feet tall, beaconing travelers to Buckeye Express Diner from its high-profile home on State Route 97. This colorful 1950s fiberglass statue has received significant national media attention, not to mention visitor smiles and memories, family photo ops and social media posts that promote the region’s light-hearted fun side.
Sponsors of the Destination Mansfield annual meeting included Alta Florist & Greenhouse, Towneplace Suites by Marriott, Holiday Inn Express, Buckeye Imagination Museum, Mechanics Bank, Park National Bank, the YMCA of North Central Ohio, the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development, and Henley Graphics.