What’s Your Community’s Opening Day?
It is 11AM on a Friday, and the Blarney Irish Pub in downtown Toledo is full. There’s a DJ spinning everything from “Hot in Herre” to “Come On Eileen” while patrons clink glasses of beer and Bloody Marys.
The weather outside is less than ideal (it’s pouring rain with thunderstorms forecasted), but that hasn’t stopped the crowd from growing. People stream through the doors, shaking the water off umbrellas and rain jackets, apologizing for taking so long to finish up work for the day and ordering rounds of Guinness to make up for their tardiness. It is not yet noon.
Tim hard at work.
At the country bar down the street, the scene looks the same, but with whiskey sodas and High Noons instead of Guinness. The place is packed with people drinking and dancing. The party isn’t limited to the bars, either: in parking lots and closed-off streets throughout the city, tents have been set up for sponsored block parties and company BBQs, with live bands, drinks, and impressive spreads of food.
The occasion for this citywide party? It is Opening Day for the Mud Hens, Toledo’s minor league baseball team.
If you’ve been to (or even lived in!) other minor league baseball cities, it’s possible you didn’t even know the name of the team, let alone when their season starts. In Toledo, the Mud Hens’ gorgeous stadium is right downtown, built at street level so it feels inviting, not exclusionary, and the start of their season has become a defining event for the whole region. Residents plan their Opening Day itinerary weeks in advance, and it feels like a coming out party for the whole community: Spring is here. The sun is (metaphorically) out. Let’s play ball.
On a recent visit to Toledo, the RoleCall team had the chance to experience Opening Day for ourselves. It was So. Much. Fun.
But it was so much more than a big baseball-themed party. It was also a perfect encapsulation of so many of the qualities that make Toledo special.
We’re working with the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce on a comprehensive talent attraction project right now, which means we’re looking at different ways the city can communicate why it’s a great place to live and work to people across the country. Toledo has so much to offer new residents, and so many of those things are beautifully showcased on Opening Day:
Warm, welcoming community: At every party we went to, it felt like everyone knew everyone, but there was also a sense of openness and willingness to welcome newcomers in. That’s how Toledo is as a city, too.
Celebrating small things in a BIG way: The Mud Hens are a minor league team, but based on the way they’re supported and celebrated by the community, you’d think they were a major league team that has won every World Series since 1903
Rallying support: When we talked to people who had started businesses or brought their ideas to Toledo, they all mentioned the level of community support they’d received. This is a place that is eager to cheer people on and contribute to shared success.
Local pride: You could feel the love for the city and community in every conversation, cheer, and toast.
Fun and Playfulness: Toledo doesn’t take itself too seriously. The entire city basically shuts down to cheer on a team called the Mud Hens, for goodness sake. That is so silly! And so wonderful! This is a place that values fun and joy and playfulness. Who wouldn’t want to join this party?!
Very serious hot dog hats for a very serious event.
If someone came to Toledo on Opening Day, even with absolutely no previous notion of what this place was like, they would be able to feel the heart and soul of the city and clearly envision their place in it. That’s an “Oh, I Could Live Here” moment. That’s talent attraction magic.
So here’s our question for you: What’s your city’s version of Opening Day?
What’s the event, tradition, season, or institution that not only connects and convenes your community, but captures and communicates your city’s values and spirit? What’s the local experience that a newcomer could have in your place that would instantly make them GET IT?
And once you know what your Opening Day is, how are you going to share it with potential residents? How are you making it part of your story? How are you helping newcomers to see your Opening Day not just as a cool one-time event, but a doorway to an exciting, welcoming community where they can grow and thrive?
We’d love to help you answer these questions and more.
Let’s play ball.