Target Is Planning a Store on Dublin’s Border

Local News

If you went to the Dublin Irish Festival this year, you probably remember that the weather didn’t exactly cooperate.

Now we know what that meant for the numbers.

The city says about 72,000 people attended this year’s festival, according to figures released as part of its August report.

And apparently, we can put much of the drop on Saturday. Friday actually had its best attendance since the festival returned after COVID, but afternoon rain and evening storms caused Saturday attendance to fall 35% compared with last year. Sunday was down another 8%.

The good news is that the money held up considerably better than the crowds did. The festival brought in about $2.25 million in revenue, down 15% from 2025 but still the third-highest gross in Dublin Irish Festival history, behind only 2025 and 2023.

And there was one other interesting number buried in the report: Visit Dublin sold a record number of Irish Festival hotel packages this year. Those visitors came from 21 different states, with the farthest making the trip all the way from Washington state.

So the weather may have kept some of the crowd away. But apparently it takes more than a few storms to stop someone from flying across the country for the Dublin Irish Festival.

Local News

If you’ve driven past Sandy Corners lately and wondered when all that construction would finally be finished, we have a date.

The city expects the new Sandy Corners Playground to be complete Friday, Sept. 18.

And this isn’t just a case of replacing a few old swings. Dublin is building a larger playground, with completely new equipment and surfacing designed for kids ages 2 to 12.

The new space will include a play structure, playhouse, swings and slides, with the playground designed to be inclusive for children of different ages and abilities.

Construction is now nearing completion, and the city says it plans to share new photos once everything is finished.

So, barring any last-minute delays, Sandy Corners should have a brand-new playground by next weekend.

Local News

If you’re one of those people who already makes regular Costco runs on State Route 161, there could soon be another reason to head that way.

Target is planning a new store immediately west of Costco, according to Marysville Matters.

And here’s where things get interesting. The Target would technically sit in Jerome Township, right on our border, but Marysville Matters reports that project backers say Dublin opposes the larger development.

Apparently, that’s possible because a small piece of the proposed Gateway Crossing development crosses into Washington Township, where questions over zoning and water and sewer service still haven’t been resolved. Project backers say they don’t need Dublin utilities and don’t believe Dublin should be able to hold up the project.

So for now, don’t expect a Target sign to go up next to Costco anytime soon. But there really is one planned for that property — if everyone can figure out how to get it approved.

Marysville Matters did a great job digging into the surprisingly complicated story behind the project. You can read their full story here.