Ashland Access Summer Kick-Off Set for Saturday with Cornhole, Live Music, Pizza, Pups and Flying Pies
ASHLAND — A night of food, music, friendly competition and whipped-cream revenge is coming to downtown Ashland this Saturday as Ashland Access hosts its 3rd Annual 2026 Summer Kick-Off at Foundation Plaza.
The event will take place Saturday, June 13, beginning at 5 p.m. at 78 E. Main Street in Ashland, next to Ohio Fire. The evening will feature a Dine to Donate with Ohio Fire, a cornhole tournament, live music by Sarah Blu, adoptable dogs from the Ashland County Dog Shelter and the return of the popular Pie in the Face Fundraiser.
Ashland Access representatives Sunny McCarty and Ashley Williams said the event is shaping up to be a fun-filled evening for the community.
“We’re super excited,” McCarty said. “We have our cornhole tournament starting at 5 p.m. We’ve got nine teams signed up, so we’re really excited about that. It’s looking to be a great event.”
The cornhole tournament will be double elimination, with prizes awarded to the top three teams. Check-in and practice begin at 4:30 p.m., with games starting at 5 p.m. The cost is $50 per team, and teams are allowed to bring their own bags.
But the biggest laughs may come later in the evening when the pies start flying.
This year marks the 2nd Annual Pie in the Face Fundraiser, following last year’s successful event that raised about $6,000 with three teams. This year, Ashland Access has doubled the fun with six teams competing to raise money.
Each team’s goal is to raise $1,000 for Ashland Access. If a team hits that mark, they earn the right to pie their opponent in the face. If they raise $2,000, their opponents get to return the favor.
“Pies are flying at 8 p.m.,” Williams said.
Teams include:
Sunny McCarty and Dr. Kevin Priest — Team “Flossy Posse”
Travis Pickering and Brandon Carpenter — Team “Haul’er Back”
Renae Beck and Deputy Kyle Pidgeon — Team “License to Pie”
Ashley Williams and Lane Porter — Team “Tow-the-Line”
Shelly Jones and Phillip Bennett — Team “Polish & Purpose”
Gabe and Chloe — Team “Young and Sassy”
Williams said Ashland County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Kyle Pidgeon and Renae Beck’s team has already been doing very well, with their team closing in on the $3,000 mark.
“Kyle’s been a great team player this year,” Williams said. “He has been all over the county.”
Those who want to donate can visit the Ashland Access Facebook page, where QR codes and links are posted for each team. Donations will also be accepted at the event before the pie contest begins.
The evening will also include live music by Sarah Blu, Ohio Fire pizza, and horse-drawn carriage rides by Stickler Family Percherons from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., weather permitting. The Ashland County Dog Shelter is also planning to bring several dogs to the event in hopes of helping them find homes.
Ashland Access provides temporary housing for homeless women and families in Ashland. McCarty said the organization has continued to grow and has also seen more single fathers come through the program this year.
Ashland Access now has a staff of five and has moved to Maple Street. The organization also has five foundational growth units, which help individuals and families transition after shelter by putting learned life skills into practice, including budgeting and daily responsibilities.
“All that money is going directly to the Ashland Access program to help us keep it going and keep helping the people in the community that are in need,” McCarty said.
Community members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, enjoy the food and music, cheer on the cornhole teams and be ready for a night of laughter when the pies start flying.
