This Week's Edition
The Official YoTown Summer Bucket List
Good Dog Roll Call
Bucket List Item #1: Pedal the Park
The Sweetest Saturday of the Year
New in Town: The Bakehouse Buzz
Race Day Is THIS Sunday
Operation: Golden-Hour Skin
The 60-Minute Brain Vacation
Check "Spotless House" Off the List
House Hunting Season Is Officially Peaking
The Bucket List Killer: A Busted AC
20 Minutes Now, Zero Headaches in July
Local Eats Spotlight: Patio Season at Magic Tree
Good News Around the Valley
More Scoop Between Issues
The Weekend Event Guide: 70+ Things To Do Around the Valley
You know that feeling around mid-August when you realize summer's almost over and you never actually did the stuff you swore you'd do….
Not this year. This week we made you a bucket list — the YoTown edition. Strawberry picking, a triathlon to cheer at (or race in, if you're feeling brave), a brand new bakery worth a Saturday drive, e-bikes through Mill Creek, and a weekend guide stacked with things happening within a short drive of home.
Print it. Screenshot it. Stick it on the fridge. Then start checking boxes.
☀️ YoTown Scoop: Summer Bucket List
Here it is — ten boxes to check before Labor Day, all doable without leaving the Valley. A bunch of these are checkable this weekend:
☐ Ride an e-bike through Mill Creek Park
☐ Pick strawberries (and make jam) at White House Fruit Farm
☐ Cheer on (or race in) a local triathlon
☐ Try a restaurant that opened this year
☐ Catch live music at Westside Bowl
☐ Eat ribs in a mall parking lot (yes, really — this weekend)
☐ Watch fireworks downtown
☐ Take a head spa "brain vacation"
☐ Hit a small-town festival you've never been to
☐ Spend a whole Sunday in the park doing absolutely nothing
✨ GOOD DOG ROLL CALL ✨ Good Girl Edition!
This week's Good Dog Roll Call comes courtesy of the Mahoning County Dog Warden — go scroll their page, fall in love, and maybe check "adopt a best friend" off a bucket list we didn't even put on the list.
🚴 Bucket List Item #1: Pedal the Park
If you only check one box this month, make it this one.
Cruise the Creek E-Bikes lets you cover the whole gorgeous sprawl of Mill Creek Park without arriving anywhere sweaty. The bikes handle the hills. You handle the views.
Date night, family outing, solo ride to clear your head — all valid. All highly recommended.
🍓 The Sweetest Saturday of the Year
This Saturday morning, White House Fruit Farm hosts its Strawberry Jam Session — you pick the berries in the field, then process and prep them into three pints of fresh jam to take home. They'll walk you through the whole thing, so you leave with jam and a skill.
It's $50 per person (ages 4+, everything included), and it starts at 8 AM — which sounds early until you taste June strawberries at peak ripeness.
📍 9249 State Route 62, Canfield 🕒 Saturday, June 13 at 8:00 AM
🥐 New in Town: The Bakehouse Buzz
Boardman's got a new spot for your sweet tooth. The Youngstown Bakehouse on South Avenue celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting, and owner Christina Fowler is doing "elevated classic flavors" in a calm, sophisticated space — which is a fancy way of saying the baked goods are gorgeous and you should go.
Locally owned, freshly made, and exactly the kind of new business we love seeing put down roots here.
🏊 Race Day Is THIS Sunday
We've been telling you about it for weeks — now it's here. The Spring Classic Sprint Triathlon goes off Sunday, June 14 at 7:30 AM: a 500-yard pool swim, 14-mile bike ride, and 5K run, open to individuals and teams.
Registration caps at 135 athletes, so if you've been on the fence, hop off the fence and onto a bike. And if racing isn't your thing, come cheer — there's genuinely nothing like watching your neighbors push through that final stretch.
Want to keep the momentum going all summer? The Steel Valley Triathlon Club connects local athletes with group swims, rides, and runs across Northeast Ohio and Western PA.
✨ Operation: Golden-Hour Skin
Summer is the season of being seen — patios, parties, reunions, and approximately one million photos you didn't know were being taken.
Skin Solution MedSpa in Boardman can help you actually love those photos. Their medical aesthetics and skin services are built around real plans, not guesswork — brighter, smoother, tighter-looking skin, with results you can see in as little as three months.
Start now and you're golden (literally) by the heart of summer.
Skin Solution MedSpa is located at 755 Boardman-Canfield Rd., Suite D1 in Boardman.
🧖 The 60-Minute Brain Vacation
Your calendar's full, your group chats are chaos, and your brain has 47 tabs open. Youngstown Head Spa in Boardman is the close-all-tabs button.
Their Signature Head Spa Experience covers scalp detox and exfoliation, stimulating massage, aromatherapy, warm steam therapy, and neck-and-shoulder tension relief. It's the deepest exhale you'll take all month — no plane ticket required.
🧹 Check "Spotless House" Off the List
(Without Lifting a Finger)
Real talk: Nobody's summer bucket list says "spend Saturday scrubbing baseboards."
Worth Checking Off: What if your home just... stayed clean?
Every week (or every other week, or monthly — you pick), you walk in the door and it's done. Floors gleaming, bathrooms fresh, that faint lemon scent in the air. And you never touched a sponge.
That's the whole point of our routine cleaning service. It's not just about a clean house — it's about getting your Saturday mornings back.
Why our clients never go back to DIY:
Same cleaner, every time. No strangers rotating through your home. Your tech learns your house — how you like the pillows, where the dog toys live, which room needs extra attention.
Zero scheduling effort. They show up like clockwork. No calls to make, no calendar reminders, no "wait, was that this week?"
No checkbook scramble. Billing runs automatically. You come home to a fresh house, not an invoice.
Heads up: their routine slots are filling fast — their team is booked solid with deep cleans through July, and recurring spots are limited. Book on their website to lock yours in.
Your home, always guest-ready. Your weekends, finally yours.
🏡 House Hunting Season Is Officially Peaking
Mid-June is when the local market really moves — listings are fresh, curb appeal is at its absolute best, and the right house doesn't sit long.
Whether you're buying your first place, hunting for a bigger backyard, or selling before the fall slowdown, Hailey Ditullio knows the Poland, Boardman, and Canfield markets inside and out — and she makes the whole process feel doable instead of dizzying.
Even if you're just in the "let's see what's out there" stage, a quick conversation now beats a scramble later.
🔧 The Bucket List Killer: A Busted AC
You know what's not on anybody's bucket list? Sweating through a heat wave waiting on a repair, or watching a clogged drain cancel your pool party.
1-800-Plumber +Air Youngstown handles plumbing, drain cleaning, leaks, water heaters, heating, cooling, and emergencies — so one bad afternoon doesn't eat your whole weekend. Get the AC checked before the first real scorcher.
🛡️ 20 Minutes Now, Zero Headaches in July
Road trips, boats, pools, grills, home projects — summer is basically one long list of things your insurance should already cover. Should.
Moore Family Insurance in Canfield (your local Allstate agency at 545 N Broad St.) does quick coverage reviews on auto, home, renters, motorcycle, business, and life. Twenty minutes with Preston Moore now could save you a very expensive, very un-fun phone call later.
Bucket list bonus box: a golden-hour dinner on a good patio. Tucked into Boardman, Magic Tree Pub & Eatery is serving elevated pub fare with a menu that changes just enough to keep you coming back — crispy, creative flatbreads built for sharing, stacked burgers locals swear by, and a rotating tap list that'll make any beer nerd happy.
The patio is prime real estate on warm evenings. Get there early, or get there patient.
🎉 Good News Around the Valley
Because we only have nice things to say — and this week there's plenty:
💪 $250K for the next generation of makers. The Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition landed a $250,000 state Industry Sector Partnership grant — their fifth time winning it — funding youth outreach and training that connects local students with real careers at Valley manufacturers.
🏆 BBB Torch Awards shine on locals. Sweet Memories Vintage Tees, Gordon Brothers Water, and Raphael's School of Beauty Culture are being honored for Marketplace Trust, the Canfield Fair board for Civic Leadership, and Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning Valley for Nonprofit Excellence. Take a bow, all of you.
💚 New doors opening on Glenwood. ReNew U Therapy & Wellness, an outpatient mental health and wellness center, cut the ribbon on its Glenwood Avenue facility — welcoming neighbors in to tour, meet the team, and see what modern behavioral health care can look like right here in the Valley.
📲 More Scoop Between Issues
The newsletter hits once a week. But the Facebook group is where we share quick updates, extra events, and local conversation all week long.
📣 Want Your Business in the Scoop?
Summer in the Valley moves fast. People are making plans, booking services, choosing where to spend their money. If you run a local business, being visible right now matters.
📧 Hit reply or call
📞 330-482-8466
📅 THE FULL WEEKEND EVENT GUIDE
70+ things happening this weekend in the Mahoning Valley and surrounding areas. Organized by day.
🎫 Salem Super Cruise
📍 657 E State St — Salem — OH
🕒 June 11–14
Four days of classic cars, cruising, food, and small-town fun.
🎫 Shoot Like A Girl
📍 Bass Pro Shops — Niles — OH
🕒 Saturday & Sunday
Free hands-on archery, firearm, and bow experience empowering women.
🎫 YSU Summer Music Camp
📍 547 Wick Ave — Youngstown — OH
🕒 Through June 12
Young musicians wrap a week of immersive performance training.
🎫 Friday Flea Market
📍 Rogers Community Auction, 45625 State Route 154 — Rogers — OH
🕒 7:30 AM
Hunt vendors, produce, antiques, and treasures at Rogers' famous market.
🎫 ALSF Lemonade Day at Berk!
📍 1554 Thomas Rd SE — Warren — OH
🕒 11:00 AM
Fighting childhood cancer one ice-cold cup of lemonade at a time.
🎫 LIVE MUSIC – Riley Burke
📍 2400 NE River Rd — Lake Milton — OH
🕒 6:00 PM
Acoustic live music with laid-back lake-area weekend energy.
🎫 June "DAD" Trivia at Paladin
📍 Paladin Brewing, 6520 Mahoning Ave — Austintown — OH
🕒 6:00 PM
Dad-joke-approved trivia night with craft beer and friendly competition.
🎫 Paint Your Jeans!
📍 Crafting Elegance — Columbiana — OH
🕒 6:30 PM
Turn plain denim into wearable art at this creative workshop.
🎫 Owl Prowl
📍 Mosquito Lake Amphitheater — Cortland — OH
🕒 7:30 PM
Evening guided walk listening and looking for wild owls.
🎫 Rock, Pop, and Roll
📍 Cedars West End — Youngstown — OH
🕒 8:00 PM
High-energy night of rock and pop favorites downtown.
🎫 Strawberry Jam Session
📍 White House Fruit Farm — Canfield — OH
🕒 8:00 AM
Pick berries and make three pints of fresh jam.
🎫 Mr. Darby's Trunk Sale
📍 7386 Market Street — Boardman — OH
🕒 9:00 AM
Pop the trunk and shop bargains, vintage, and resale finds.
Teams of two toss for prizes ahead of Dad's day.
🎫 Strolling @ the Gardens
📍 Fellows Riverside Gardens — Youngstown — OH
🕒 11:00 AM
Guided garden stroll through Mill Creek's most beautiful blooms.
🎫 Live Music: 1988 🎵🎤🎸
📍 La Palma, 16736 Milton Ave — Lake Milton — OH
🕒 11:00 AM
Live music, express menu, and lakeside Saturday fun.
🎫 Kick-off Summer Cookout
📍 14480 Washingtonville Rd — Washingtonville — OH
🕒 12:00 PM
Free food, fun, and good company to launch summer.
🎫 The American Chestnut
📍 520 W Main St — Cortland — OH
🕒 2:00 PM
Learn the history and restoration of a legendary tree.
🎫 Cornhole and DJ Slice
📍 110 W State St — Salem — OH
🕒 3:00 PM
Bags fly and beats drop during Super Cruise weekend.
🎫 WPATPA June 13th Pull
📍 Lawrence County Fairgrounds — New Castle — PA
🕒 4:00 PM
Tractor pulling horsepower and dirt-flying motorsports action.
🎫 Live Music by Cosmo's Cats
📍 CharBenay's Wine on the River — Warren — OH
🕒 6:00 PM
Riverside live music paired with local wine pours.
SUNDAY, June 14 — Flag Day 🇺🇸
🎫 Dog Dad & Me 🐾
📍 18 W Broad St — Newton Falls — OH
🕒 11:00 AM
Photos and paw-print crafts celebrating dog dads everywhere.
🎫 Chicken Swap
📍 3850 Elm Road — Warren — OH
🕒 12:00 PM
Buy, sell, and swap poultry and backyard farm friends.
🎫 Meet n Greet @ The Barnyard
📍 7954 Orangeville Kinsman Rd — Kinsman — OH
🕒 1:00 PM
Meet friendly farm animals at this family-fun barnyard afternoon.
P.S. — Father's Day is NEXT Sunday, June 21.
Next week's issue is your full Dad's Weekend game plan.
Don't panic-buy a tie. 🎁
Know something we should cover?
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Made with ❤️ in Youngstown, Ohio