Release Date: June 13,2024
Akron200 Launches New Bicentennial Website
Akron200.Org is Live Now
Akron, Ohio, June 13, 2024 — Today, Akron 200 Inc. launched a new website, www.Akron200.org. Akron 200 is the non-profit organization set up by the city and the Akron Bicentennial Commission to help plan and execute the City of Akron’s 200th anniversary celebration. The new website features an events calendar, ways to participate, sponsorship opportunities, Akron history, board and commission information, and coming soon will be an online shop for official Bicentennial merchandise. Anyone can sign up to volunteer or submit an event or vendor application on the site. Those interested can also sign up for updates or follow along with the Bicentennial’s official social media pages.
On December 6, 1825, General Simon Perkins filed the plat of Akron at the courthouse in Ravenna. Akron’s 200th year begins December 6, 2024, and will kick off with Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday, December 11th at the Akron Civic Theater. Events are planned throughout 2025, and will include a Bikeathon, Bicentennial Parade, Homecoming Celebration, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, an outdoor drama at Waters Park, and a production of the first Rodgers and Hart musical, Dearest Enemy, which received its world premiere in Akron’s 1925 Centennial. Special events and Closing Ceremonies will also mark Dec. 6, 2025, Akron's actual 200th anniversary.
In January 2024, the Akron Bicentennial Commission and Mayor Malik announced the Commission was forming a non-profit, “Akron 200 Inc.” and appointing Mark Greer as Executive Director to implement plans for the city’s 200th anniversary celebration.
“I’m excited to see the progress of Akron’s 200th anniversary celebration,” said Mayor Malik. “This new website, Akron200.org will help keep our residents, businesses, and visitors up to date on the latest news surrounding the Bicentennial and will encourage folks to get involved. There’s a lot more to come including exciting events so follow along for all the information on Akron’s Bicentennial.”
“The Bicentennial is a call to Akronites, both near and far, to come together as we celebrate the legacies of our past, and look forward to the opportunities of the future,” said Mark Greer. “Our mission is to engage every neighborhood, community, and sector of our city, in a yearlong celebration of Akron’s 200th Anniversary, like none other. With the launch of our website, visitors will find out how to join in the festivities, submit their ideas, register events, and learn more about Akron’s rich and diverse history.”
Other key Bicentennial initiatives include the unveiling of the Akron History Center, a free exhibit that chronicles Akron’s 200-year history, set to open the first of October 2024, the publication of a new anthology of Akron history by the University of Akron Press, and the development of an Akron history curriculum for students in grades 3-11, in consultation with Akron Public Schools.
Learn more and get involved at Akron200.org.