CHRISTMAS in July: Santa's Summer Bucket List in Youngstown! - YoTown Scoop
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July 23, 2026

CHRISTMAS in July: Santa's Summer Bucket List in Youngstown!

Ho-Ho-Hot enough for ya?

CHRISTMAS in July: Santa's Summer Bucket List in Youngstown!

Ho-Ho-Hot enough for ya?

Author

Jacqueline Nash
July 23, 2026

Hi YoTown Friends! 🎅☀️

String the lights, chill the eggnog, and crank the AC — it's Christmas in July in the Mahoning Valley! This week we're unwrapping the merriest way to beat the heat, with a save-and-share guide to CIJ sales, cool-off spots, and festive fun across Mahoning, Columbiana, and Trumbull counties. Every event name is a clickable link to hours, maps, and more. Plus a fresh way to explore Mill Creek and a delicious local lunch spot.

💡 Tip: bookmark this one — Santa's making his mid-summer list, and you'll want to check it twice.

This Week's Edition

  1. 🎁 Christmas in July Guide: Where to Celebrate in Youngstown

  2. 🐾 Good Dog Roll Call: Who's on the Nice List?

  3. 🍽️ Local Eats Spotlight: Urban Tap (Warren)

  4. Make It a Weekend: Campground Picks

  5. The Gift of Great Skin

  6. Unwrap One Quiet Hour

  7. The Gift That Doesn't Go on a Wish List

  8. Tips for a Clean House for the Holidays

  9. The Only Cold You Want This July

  10. Home for the Holidays — Even in July

  11. Unwrap an Adventure at Mill Creek

  12. Want Your Business in the Scoop?

  13. The Ultimate Weekend Guide

  14. P.S.

📣 Good News Around Here…

The World's Biggest Steam Engine Rolls Into Struthers

Union Pacific's "Big Boy" No. 4014 — the largest operating steam locomotive on the planet at 133 feet long — is making a rare 30-minute stop in downtown Struthers on July 12 as part of its cross-country tour for America's 250th birthday. The city is throwing a daylong festival with live music and an expected 4,000 visitors, and folks can get within 25 feet of the historic engine. Mayor Catherine Cercone Miller called it "a once in a lifetime opportunity for the city."

photo courtesy of Business Journal

🐾 Good Dog Roll Call: Who’s on the NICE List?

Sidekick on your Christmas in July Wish List?

These three sweeties are ready to have holiday/summer fun in their furrrever home.

📍 Mahoning County Dog Warden 
1230 N Meridian Rd, Youngstown, OH 44509
📞 330-740-2205 ·
🔗 Check their Facebook page »

Perfect for Christmas in July Fun

⛺ Weekend Campgrounds

Mosquito Lake State Park Campground
Lakeside sites minutes from the beach.
📍 Cortland  ·  📞 Reserve: 866-644-6727

 Guilford Lake State Park Campground
Quiet, family-friendly lakeside camping.
📍 Lisbon  ·  📞 Reserve: 866-644-6727

 Mill Creek Camping at Berlin Lake (U.S. Army Corps)
Wooded lakefront sites for boaters and swimmers.
📍 Berlin Center  ·  📞 Reserve: 877-444-6777

🚲 Deck the Trails: Trade the Sleigh for Two Wheels

You've walked Mill Creek — this summer, ride it in full Christmas-in-July spirit. Cruise the Creek rents electric bikes that make the hills melt away like snow in July and the miles fly by faster than Santa's sleigh — perfect for merry date nights, family outings, or finally unwrapping the far corners of the park.

🛷 Trailside Journey — flat, fast, paved bikeways, smooth as a fresh snowfall. Great for first-timers & families.

⛄ Unleash Your Adventure — wooded trails & hilly terrain for confident riders ready to sleigh it.

📍 Pickup at Kirk Road (6685 Kirk Rd, Canfield) or Bears Den (Scholl Recreation Pavilion, Youngstown)

Text to reserve: 330-406-9686 
·  🔗 cruisethecreek.com/rentals 
·  Facebook

🍴 LOCAL EATS SPOTLIGHT

🎄 Merry, Bright & On Tap
Urban Tap Distillery & Restaurant

Skip the fruitcake and gather 'round the tap. Christmas in July calls for a feast, and Urban Tap in downtown Warren delivers — Smokehouse Smash Burgers, the famous Urban Tap Mac (beer cheese, pulled pork & BBQ), Boom Boom Shrimp, and a craft cocktail poured just for you. Consider it the season's best gift: no cooking, no dishes, just great food, cold drinks, and live music. Hosting your own July merriment? Their private parties and catering packages have you covered. So raise a glass — 'tis the season to eat, drink, and be merry, no snow required. 🥂

🌐 tapwarren.com ·
📞 (234) 806-0409 ·
 📘 facebook.com/UrbanTapWarren ·
📍 439 East Market St, Downtown Warren, OH 44481 

Item #1 on Santa's List: Treat Yourself

Skin Solution Medspa

Even Santa needs a summer glow-up. If "treat yourself" is on your bucket list this Christmas in July, check it off at Skin Solution Medspa. Ohio summers are rough on your skin — sun, sweat, and sunscreen leave it dull and congested, so a facial hits the reset button. Rethinking an old tattoo? Ask about laser tattoo removal — new season, clean canvas. ✨ And the merry part: gift cards are available, so you can spoil yourself or the person who does everything for everyone. Free consultations, too. Ho, ho, glow.

Try our Turkey Neck Rescue for just $399

🌐 skinsolutionmedspa.com
📞 330-977-5788 (call or text)
📘 facebook.com/skin.solution.medspa
📍 755 Boardman-Canfield Rd, Suite D1 & D2, Boardman, OH 44512

🧦 One Peaceful Hour (Santa's Secret Wish)

Youngstown Head Spa

Between the toy lists and the summer chaos, even Santa needs to unplug for an hour. Put "actually relax" on your bucket list and let Youngstown Head Spa handle the rest. Picture it: a warm cleanse, a scalp massage that melts the week away, and one quiet hour where nobody needs anything from you. 🌿 It's the reset the person who does everything for everyone never books for themselves — so this Christmas in July, be their Santa and gift them the calm. Gift cards make it easy. You've earned the nice list.

🌐 youngstownheadspa.com
📞 330-967-1709
📘 Youngstown Head Spa on Facebook
📍 755 Boardman-Canfield Rd, Suite D2 West, Youngstown, OH 44512

The Gift That Keeps the Fun Rolling

Moore Family Insurance

Santa's summer bucket list is packed — boat days, camper trips, cookouts, road trips with a full sleigh. But before the fun starts, make sure it's all covered. Preston Moore at Moore Family Insurance handles the boring-but-important stuff so you don't have to think twice when you're out making memories. 🛥️ Boat, camper, home, auto — he'll walk you through what actually fits your season and your budget, no pressure. It's not the gift that goes on a wish list, but it's the one that lets you enjoy every other item on yours. Peace of mind — wrapped and ready.

🌐 agents.allstate.com/moore-family-insurance
📞 330-533-3555
📘 Preston Moore: Allstate Insurance
📍 545 N Broad St, Canfield, OH 44406

🎄 Deck the Halls (Then Skip the Cleanup)

🎄 Christmas in July: Quick Tips for a Fresh, Clean House

  • Freshen the air: Empty trash, air out the house early, and use a light citrus or pine scent.

  • Keep it cool: Lower the thermostat before guests arrive, run ceiling fans, and close blinds on sunny windows.

  • Clean what guests see: Focus on the entryway, kitchen counters, sink, dining area, and guest bathroom.

  • Declutter fast: Clear countertops and tables. Use a laundry basket to quickly stash shoes, mail, toys, and other clutter out of sight.

  • Refresh the guest bathroom: Add a clean hand towel, refill soap and toilet paper, empty the trash, and wipe the mirror.

  • Last-minute reset: Vacuum high-traffic areas, start the dishwasher, turn on lamps, light a candle or diffuser, and put on a Christmas playlist.

A home that feels cool, fresh, and clutter-free will always feel cleaner and more welcoming than one that's perfectly spotless but chaotic. 🎅☀️

All Spruced Up Cleaning Co

Nobody puts "scrub the baseboards" on their summer bucket list — but a spotless home makes every other item better. Whether the guests are coming for a Christmas-in-July cookout or you just crave that fresh-start feeling, All Spruced Up Cleaning Co is the gift you actually want to unwrap. 🧼 They'll handle the deep clean so you can handle the fun. One heads-up from the North Pole: they book a few weeks out, so grab your spot before the calendar fills up. Give yourself the gift of a clean house — it's the present that greets you at the door every single day.

❄️ The Only Cold You Want This July

1-800-Plumber +Air Youngstown

Santa's used to the cold — your AC should keep your house feeling a little like the North Pole even in July. If it's wheezing through this Ohio heat, or the plumbing is groaning under a full house of summer guests and cookout dishes, 1-800-Plumber +Air Youngstown fixes it right the first time.

❄️ Licensed, fast, and honest — no naughty-list surprises on the bill. Don't wait for the meltdown mid-heatwave; get ahead of it now and keep the whole season merry and cool. Because nobody's summer bucket list includes "sweat through a broken AC."

🏡 Home for the Holidays

Hailey Ditullio, Realtor (Howard Hanna)

Put "find our next home" at the top of the bucket list, and let Hailey Ditullio make it merry. Serving Poland, Boardman, and Canfield, Hailey knows the Mahoning Valley's neighborhoods and helps you find a home that fits the life you're building — not just a house with a chimney for Santa.

🎁 Whether you're buying, selling, or just dreaming, start now and you could be settled in before the real holidays roll around. No pressure, no rush — just honest guidance from someone who genuinely loves this Valley. The best gift under the tree? A place to call home.

Summer gets locals out and about — and YoTown Scoop helps local businesses stay in front of them all week long. If you want Mahoning Valley locals to know who you are, what you do, and why they should choose you, newsletter sponsorship is a simple way to show up where the community is already paying attention.

P.S. Pick one spot on that list you've never been to — and go this week. The Valley is prettiest with your feet in the water.

📲 More Scoop Between Issues

The newsletter hits Thursdays. The Facebook group? That's where the magic happens all week long — last-minute event adds, reader tips, breaking good news, and the best kind of YoTown conversation.

🔗 YoTown Scoop on Facebook ·
🔗 yotownscoop.com

Events bring people out — but YoTown Scoop helps local businesses stay in front of them all week long. If you want Mahoning Valley locals to know who you are, what you do, and why they should choose you, newsletter sponsorship is a simple way to show up where the community is already paying attention.

Summer gets locals out and about — and YoTown Scoop helps local businesses stay in front of them all week long. If you want Mahoning Valley locals to know who you are, what you do, and why they should choose you, newsletter sponsorship is a simple way to show up where the community is already paying attention.

Makers Market TONIGHT!!

Downtown Youngstown Farmers Market is TONIGHT,
July 23 beginning at 4:00.  Come early as folks begin to sell out around 6:30.

305 Wick Avenue - The Public Library of Mahoning Valley.  We will be out front facing Wick Avenue.  We open at 4 PM.

It's going to be a beautiful evening to buy fresh produce! 

We also have sourdough bread, granola, microgreens, local honey, sweets, teas, and so much more.

Come shop with us!

www.thrivemv.org
305 Wick Avenue - The Public Library of Mahoning Valley. 

The Best CIJ Weekend Guide in Youngstown:

Ho-ho-here we go! The Valley's decking the halls in the middle of summer — plus 97 things to do across July 23–26. Every title links to the full details.

🎁 Christmas in July Spotlight

Multi-Day / Ongoing

  • Homecoming II July 2026

    📍 2538 Middleton Road — Columbiana, OH

    🕰️ Jul 23 – Jul 26

    Multi-day reining horse show and riding competition.

  • Gratefulfest 2026

    📍 Nelson Ledges Quarry Park — Garrettsville, OH

    🕰️ Jul 24 – Jul 26

    Grateful Dead-inspired jam festival at the quarry.

  • CASH4CAMERAS at YM Camera

    📍 YM Camera, 755 Boardman-Canfield Rd — Youngstown, OH

    🕰️ Jul 24 – Jul 25

    Sell or trade in your old camera gear.

  • 🍎 New York City Express - RED-EYE 🍎 Bus Trip

    📍 3500 Union Street — Mineral Ridge, OH

    🕰️ Jul 24 – Jul 26

    Overnight red-eye bus trip to New York City.

  • Christmas in July Craft Show

    📍 154 Fairground Rd — New Castle, PA

    🕰️ Jul 25 – Jul 26

    Holiday craft vendors and handmade gifts, in July.

Thursday, July 23

Friday, July 24

Saturday, July 25

Sunday, July 26

🌟 P.S. 🌟

Some of the best memories are made in the summer sun!

YOTOWN SCOOP PREPARES TO CELEBRATE ONE YEAR with the SCOOP!

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