Release Date: August 16,2023
City of Akron Hosting First Annual Akron City Festival Celebrating Akron’s Future Leaders on Sunday, Sept. 3
Akron, Ohio, August 16, 2023 — Today, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan announced the first annual Akron City Festival to be held in downtown Akron on Sunday, September 3 from 11am-6pm. The festival will have a family-friendly atmosphere and celebrate our youth as they start a new school year. The festival will include a parade, music, games, talent show, face painting, fashion show, magic show with Chicago magician Gregory "T-Magic" Turner, school supply giveaway, inflatables, and more!
A parade featuring student athletes and extracurricular clubs and organizations will start the event at 11am at Main and Cedar and will travel along Main St. ending at Cascade Plaza. If you have a youth-serving or youth centric organization and want to be part of the parade, please email the city’s Youth and Community Opportunity Director Denico Buckley-Knight at dbuckley-knight@akronohio.gov with a description of your group by August 23.
The festival, hosted by Night Lyfe Entertainment, will kick off at the conclusion of the parade and go until 6pm in Cascade Plaza. The magic show will begin at 3pm, fashion show at 4pm, and talent show at 5pm. There will be food trucks, a live DJ, games, giveaways, informational vendors for our youth, and fun for the whole family.
Night Lyfe Entertainment is hosting casting calls on Sunday, Aug. 20 and Sunday, Aug. 27 at Buchtel High School (1040 Copley Rd.) auditorium for the fashion show portion of the event. Kids ages 6-16 are welcome to participate. Ages 6-11 years old can come between 1pm-3pm. Ages 12-16 years old can come between 2pm-4pm. Participants are encouraged to wear black. Participants only need to come to one of the casting calls. For more information, please email Denico Buckley Knight at dbuckley-knight@akronohio.gov or text "Model Call" to 234-205-7426.
“I welcome all Akron families to come join us downtown for the first ever Akron City Festival,” said Mayor Horrigan. “This festival will help us set the tone for our future leaders for their school year and provide some joy and entertainment for parents and kids alike. Join us as we uplift and empower our students to have an amazing year.”
The festival is presented by the City of Akron, hosted by Night Lyfe Entertainment, and supported by Akron Public Schools, UNKNWN, Lock 3, Akron Recreation and Parks, and Downtown Akron Partnership.
Lock 3 will be hosting Akron Pizza Fest the same day in Lock 3’s backyard. Learn more here.