This story has been updated with a new time for the bicentennial time capsule opening at 3 p.m. July 5.
We are entering the midway point of 2025, otherwise known as the year the city of Akron celebrates its 200th birthday.
While there are events planned year-round for Akron’s major milestone, this week is the Akron Bicentennial Signature Celebration Week, which will be a big week for festivities. The week will include a parade, a festival as well as a “Feature the Future” exhibition, presented by Bridgestone.
Here’s a look at the events that will take place during this signature celebration week.
Heart of Akron Festival
This festival will take place July 3-5 in Locks 3 and 4 along Main Street in downtown Akron from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day. The event, which includes free admission, will have music, food and drinks, as well as a fireworks celebration on July 4 starting at 9:45 p.m.
Festival vendors include: The Smoothie Stand & Co, Southern Comfort Kitchen, HomeMade Delites, Grill Masters, The Food Depot, Lady T’s Soulfood, After Hours BBQ, Pigfoot BBQ, Tray Dog, Blue BBQ, Akron Pickle, Buzzy Bee Ice Cream, Bubblegum Concessions, Eddie’s Cheesesteaks, DonutNV, Novelty Ice Cream and more.
Festival attendees can also check out the “Sample the City” food tasting event on July 5 from 2 to 6 p.m. Tickets cost $40 and attendees have access to bite-sized signature dishes from 20 food vendors that represent the best of Akron’s local cuisine.
Vendors for the “Sample the City” tasting include Soul Bowl 330, Prepped By Sharina, Tasteful Expectations, The Juice Hive, Cookies BBQ, Epiphany Mushroom, Authentic Nigerian Kitchen, Bob’s Hamburger, Majestic Tails, Merriman Valley Pizza, The Peanut Shoppe, Buzzy Bee Rolled Ice Cream, Gurka Curry House, Double T’s BBQ, La Reina Boricua, Akron Pickle, Hartville Chips, and Stray Dog.
Tickets for Sample the City available at https://ayrs.io/pED5Kh or at the door.
The following is a day-by-day breakdown of the entertainment lineup for the festival:
Thursday, July 3
Friday, July 4
Saturday, July 5
Akron Bicentennial Downtown Parade
The bicentennial parade will last from 10 a.m. to noon on July 5. The parade begins at the corner of Market and Main streets and will proceed east on Market Street, south on High Street, west on Buchtel Avenue and north on Main Street. The parade will finish its route at the roundabout at Main and Mill streets by the Rubber Worker statue.
The parade is being touted as Akron’s biggest in 50 years.
You can view the parade from either side of High Street between Market and Buchtel Ave, on Buchtel between High and Main, or along Main Street between Buchtel (Canal Park Stadium) and Cascade Plaza.
Bridgestone Bicentennial Homecoming ‘Feature the Future’
This exhibition, which will be held July 5 from 1 to 6 p.m. in Lock 3, will highlight the technologies, innovations, advancements and opportunities from a variety of industries and sectors in Greater Akron. Exhibitors will also highlight available jobs/internships and opportunities for investment and development.
Akron RubberDucks Bicentennial Bobblehead Night
On July 5, the 1,000 attendees to enter Canal Park will receive a bobblehead doll of Judith Resnik, an Akron native and astronaut, who died in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
This night is part of the Bicentennial Bobblehead Series with the RubberDucks, which honored Akron’s founder, General Simon Perkins, on May 24, with a bobblehead. Rita Dove, the first African American Poet Laureate, will be honored with her own bobblehead on Aug. 23.
In one word, how would you describe Akron?
In honor of the city’s bicentennial, the Akron Beacon Journal has been asking community members and city leaders what one word they would use to describe Akron.
Beacon Journal staff asked public officials, community leaders, residents and celebrities with Akron origins for their one-word descriptor. We also visited a variety of places to engage people from all walks of life in the discussion.
Participating residents were asked to write their word on a poster board using a permanent marker, then hold it up and get their picture taken.
Words have ranged from “funky” to “resilient.” Our story with a full list of descriptors will publish on BeaconJournal.com July 1.
Be sure to visit our exhibit at the Akron History Center at 172 S. Main St. July 2-5 and July 9-12. There, you can check some of the participants’ posters and submit your own word to describe our city.
You can also fill out the short form below to submit your word to describe Akron. Your responses could be included in a future Beacon Journal story.
New book celebrates Akron’s 200 year history
A new 427-page publication, “Akron at 200: A Bicentennial History,” will be available for purchaseat the Akron History Center (172 South Main St.).
Hours for sale are as follows:
The hard cover book is listed at $50 but will be available for purchase during Akron’s Bicentennial week at a discounted price of $35.
To learn more about Akron’s Bicentennial celebration, visit www.akron200.org.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: What to know about about the Akron Bicentennial Signature Celebration Week
Reporting by Anthony Thompson, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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