About Downtown Akron Partnership

Downtown Akron Looking Forward to 4 Days of Grillin’ and Groovin’

            Northeast Ohio’s biggest 4th of July holiday party will be in Downtown Akron, featuring food, music, and family- friendly activities.
            The Akron Family Barbeque will be calling grill masters from around Ohio, the Carolinas, and Texas, and all of them will be competing for “best in show” awards for barbequed ribs, pulled pork, and chicken. Nine specialty booths will be set up on South Main Street in front of Lock 3 Park offering charcoal-cooked favorites. Lock 3's five regular food vendors will provide a host of alternate food choices as well.
            Gates open for the week at 11:00am Wednesday, July 4, and will stay open every day through Saturday, July 7, 11am -11pm.
            Admission of $5 will be charged Wednesday and Saturday only. The event is free on Thursday and Friday and there is no admission charged 11am - 1pm Wednesday and Saturday. Children who are less than 48 inches tall are always free at Lock 3 events.
            Children’s rides, fireworks, and four days of live music assure there’s something for every member of the family.
            The Akron Family Barbeque is sponsored by the City of Akron in cooperation with the Downtown Akron Partnership. Other sponsors include Miller Brewing, Coca Cola, Hitchcock Fleming Associates, the Akron Beacon Journal and Ohio.Com, Lockheed Martin and the Barley House.
            On Wednesday, July 4, Canadian musicians “Classic Albums Live” will re-create note-for-note on the Time Warner Cable Stage at Lock 3, two records by Fleetwood Mac, “Rumours,” and “Fleetwood Mac Live”
            Wednesday’s headliner at 7:30pm is “Survivor,” best known for the iconic 80’s anthem “Eye of The Tiger” from Rocky III, and will kick off the first night of the Akron Family Barbecue in grand rock and roll style.
            The evening ends with what has been voted as the Akron Area’s “best” fireworks show on the Akron Innerbelt at 9:45pm.
            On Thursday, the Akron Symphony Orchestra makes its Lock 3 debut at 7:30pm, with a program of classic “pops,” and Tchaikovsky’s “Overture of 1812,” complete with cannon fire.
            On July 6, WONE’s free Friday night “Rock the Lock” concert highlights the band “Ohio: A Tribute to Crosby Stills, Nash & Young.”
            Saturday closes out the Akron Family Barbeque week with the best-attended Lock 3 concert every season, “Old School Soul,” with "United We Funk" with Dazz Band, Con Funk Shun & Bar-Kays.
            The Akron Family Barbeque is open daily 11:00am to 11:00pm. Free parking is available in city-owned parking decks and parking lots after 6pm weekdays, and all day Saturday.
            For more information, go to www.lock3live.com.
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Special Traffic Details
            Akron Police Traffic Officers will have the assistance of 250 additional Akron police officers on the night of July 4.
            “We’ve learned from year to year how to improve our handling of traffic and crowds before, during and after the fireworks,” said Captain Daniel Zampelli. “Officers will assist people in getting out of the downtown area as efficiently as possible. We will also improve our handling of crowds after the event including the use of mounted patrols.”
            Handicapped-access parking will be available on July 4 on South Main Street near Lock 3, and on July 7, handicapped-only parking will be permitted on Bowery Street.
            Motorcycle parking will be available on Water Street off West Exchange Street.
            Drivers are urged to consult traffic and parking maps at www.downtownakron.com if they are unfamiliar with where to find the more than 10,000 parking spaces in Downtown Akron.
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07-07-07, A Night to Remember
            The evening of Saturday, July 7 promises to be a history-making night in Akron, one to be remembered by everyone who heads to Downtown Akron for one of the following events, all taking place at the same time:

The Old School Soul Concert at Lock 3, which has attracted up to 5,000 music fans in past years;
The Akron Art Museum Gala, which has 1,500 glittering black tie guests for the first major event at the Museum and John S. Knight Center;
The Akron Aeros will draw some 7,000 baseball fans for their 7pm game against the Erie Sea Wolves, with fireworks at the end of the game;
Akron’s Northside Arts District will be holding its monthly Art Walk, featuring an opening at Mocha Maiden Gallery.

“We could easily have 15,000 people coming to Downtown for one of these events, all at the same,” said Deputy Mayor Dave Lieberth, who heads the Mayor’s Downtown Operations Group. “The city is adding police details to make a special effort to handle increased traffic, but for the evening to be fun, everyone will have to exercise some patience.”
High Street, from Martin Luther King Boulevard to Mill Street will be closed to through traffic. Art Museum patrons only will have access to High Street south of Market to accommodate valet parking at the Market-High deck.

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Artist to “perform” for Barbeque Crowds
            Beginning, July 4th, Akron muralist and painter Michael Gearhart will begin to tackle the plywood on the front of the building at 201 S. Main Street, across from Lock 3 Park with a new work of art that will be painted during the week.
            The property, once the home of Downtown’s last remaining adult book store was purchased by developer David Schipper who is marketing the property for retail or office use.
            Gearhart is best-known for his colorful tromp l’oeil pieces at Canal Place and his decoration of Downtown buildings with unique paintings representing the Indian Signal Tree on South Main and an old-time General store on East Exchange Street at High. A previous work of art, “Melting Candy” on South Main at Church Street had to be removed and stored earlier this year as work began on properties adjacent to the Akron Civic Theatre, part of a $15 million project to rehabilitate six buildings for new retail, commercial and residential space.
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Two Couples to Marry on Stage at Lock 3 July 4th
            Two couples, unknown to each other, separately requested Mayor Plusquellic to permit them to marry on the 4th of July at Lock 3 Park.
            Angelo Lewis inquired first about using the date to be wed to Carol Blankenship, since he calls his betrothed his “little firecracker.” They thought the date and the place fit their personalities.
            Andrew Williams and Brandy Lumley made their inquiry after having made Mayor Plusquellic’s acquaintance as a result of Andrew’s service with the U.S. Army in Iraq.
            Pvt. Williams completed an 18-month tour in Iraq as a truck driver last November, and upon his return, presented the City of Akron with a flag that had flown over his base camp.
            The wedding services will take place between sets of “Classic Albums Live” at 5:30pm. The dual exchange of vows will be presided over by Akron Municipal Judge Eve Belfance.

            (Media Advisory:           Lewis/Blankenship may be contacted at 330.983.1323.
                                                Williams/Lumley may be contacted at 330.724.4309.)

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AKRON FAMILY BARBEQUE SCHEDULE
Time Warner Cable Stage at Lock 3:

Wednesday July 4:

            Gates open 11:00am. $5 admission collected after 1:00pm

                                    Music: 3:00pmAccent
                                    4:30pm Classic Albums Live: Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours"
                                    5:30pm Weddings on Stage at Lock 3 (see attachment)
                                    6:00pm Classic Albums Live: “The Best of Fleetwood Mac”
                                    7:30pm Survivor

            9:45pm FIREWORKS!

Thursday, July 5:

Gates open 11:00am. Free.

            Music: 6:00pm Steel Drums
                                    7:30pm Akron Symphony Orchestra (Program attached)

Friday, July 6:

Gates open 11:00am. Free.

            Music: WONE’s Rock the Lock
                                    7:00pm The Cletus Black Revue
                                    8:30pm Ohio: A Tribute to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
                                    10:00pm            Ohio: A Tribute to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Saturday, July 7

            Gates open 11:00am. $5 admission collected after 1:00pm

                                    Music: Old School Soul
                                    3:00pm Rumplestiltskin
                                    4:30pm Sonny Robertson & The Howard Street Blues Band
                                    6:30pm "United We Funk" with Dazz Band, Con Funk Shun & Bar-                                                                     Kays

AKRON FAMILY BARBEQUE
INVITED CHEFS

Old Carolina, Massillon, Ohio, Contact Tim Hug 330-268-6575

Smokin Joe: Columbus, Ohio Contact Joe Jackson 614-323-2961

Ribbins BBQ: Chambersburg, PA Contact Rondel Adams 717-372-0160

Texas Pit: Magnolia Texas, Contact: Ron Conaway 713-208-6441

Two Fat Guys: Massillon, Ohio Contact Dale Foraker 330-837-2371

Cowboys BBQ and Rib Company:
Weatherford Texas Contact Dallas Green 817-320-2702

Carolina Rib King: Moore South Carolina Contact Solomon Williams 864-356-5050

Green’s BBQ: Akron, Ohio Contact Roland Green 330-645-9444

Smokin Joe’s Cafe: Akron, Ohio Contact Smokin Joe 330-338-9900

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Akron Symphony Orchestra Summer Parks Program

PATRIOTIC
Star Spangled Banner

Armed Forces Salute

EARLY AMERICAN
                        Brown              Early American Quadrille

                        Sousa               Semper Fidelis

                        Fillmore            Lassus Trombone

                        Anderson          Blue Tango
SALUTE TO RICHARD RODGERS
                        Carousel Waltz

                        March of the Siamese Children

                        Slaughter on 10th Ave

FILM
Badelt Pirates of the Caribbean

Elfman Spiderman

BIG BAND
                        Ellington            Medley

                        Miller                American Patrol

GRAND FINALE
Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture

Sousa Stars and Stripes