Two blimps will take off from Wingfoot Lake Saturday morning, making their way counterclockwise around Akron.
They will start with East Akron, Goodyear Heights and Ellet, then move on, spending about a half hour circling over each section.
“We broke up the city into five sections, and you can imagine that, within each section, the two ships are basically making circles of varying radius throughout the period, so that ultimately everyone has gotten the ship overhead,” said Stephanie Marsh, the city’s spokesperson.
These are among the highlights the city has provided for the first-ever Blimp Day on Saturday, June 6, aimed at celebrating Akron’s unofficial icon. Mayor Shammas Malik announced plans for the event during his recent State of the City address.
“The inaugural Blimp Day is a celebration of Akron’s identity, ingenuity, and pride,” Malik said. “Few symbols are as closely tied to our city as the blimp, and this event is a fun opportunity to celebrate the innovation and history that continue to put Akron on the map. We’re excited to kick off what we believe will become a signature Akron tradition.”
The first test flight of the blimp took place on June 3, 1925, over Akron. Since then, flights of the iconic airships have been commonplace over the city and at major events across Summit County. Last year, Goodyear brought three airships to Akron for a flight over the city to mark the historic milestone.
Malik said Blimp Day will be an annual event, with future festivities possibly including a chance for fans to get “up close and personal” with the beloved blimps.
Where and when can you see a blimp on Blimp Day 2026 in Akron?
The two blimps, Wingfoot 1 and Wingfoot 2, will take off from Wingfoot Lake State Park.
From there, their planned flight path and route is:
9:30 to 10 a.m.: East Akron, Goodyear Heights, Ellet.
10 to 10:30 a.m.: North Hill, Chapel Hill, Cascade Valley.
10:30 to 11 a.m.: Merriman Valley, Fairlawn Heights, Wallhaven.
11 to 11:30 a.m: West Akron, Sherbondy Hill, Kenmore.
11:30 a.m. to noon: University Park, South Akron, Coventry Crossing.
Patricia Porter, Akron’s photographer, will ride in Wingfoot 1 and capture images while the airship cruises over the city.
Mary Joyce, Goodyear’s airship and community specialist, said events are planned on the ground in different areas, including a “Where’s Waldo?” type of image featuring Zippy, the University of Akron’s mascot, and a parade in Kenmore.
After Blimp Day concludes, Wingfoot 2 will head to Detroit for a NASCAR race, Joyce said.
City and Goodyear officials are keeping a close eye on the weather, which could potentially ground the blimps if it’s bad enough.
Right now, the forecast is for cloudy skies with occasional rain showers, according to the National Weather Service.
Akron hosts photo contest for best blimps image
The city plans to hold a photo contest, with a prize given to the person who captures the best image from the ground of the blimps.
Details of the contest include:
The winner will receive an Akron prize package with blimp and Akron merchandise. The prize must be picked up in Akron.
Marsh said bonus points will be given for photos that incorporate “a uniquely recognizable Akron place.” She said submitting photos for the contest will give the city permission to use the image in future marketing materials.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3705.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron announces plans for first-ever Blimp Day this Saturday
Reporting by Stephanie Warsmith, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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