Release Date: November 4,2021
Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival, GameFest and Akron Makes November 13 in Downtown Akron
Akron, Ohio — Are you team Jess, team Dean, or team Logan? If you have an answer to this question, you may be a fan of the discontinued, but beloved TV dramedy, Gilmore Girls, and there is an event in downtown Akron that may be right up your alley. Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) will present the Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival on Saturday, November 13 from 2 to 6 p.m. on Cascade Plaza. It is free to attend and will feature coffee from numerous Northeast Ohio purveyors, Gilmore Girls-inspired activities and trivia, and an outdoor screening of three classic episodes of the show, with a special message aired between screenings. Like the TV show, the Smells Like Snow event even includes a town troubadour, a role that will be filled by local artist Jeff Klemm from 2 – 3:30 pm. "Smells like snow" is a reference to Gilmore Girls dialogue.
“Cascade Plaza is a cool space to host an event and it’s reminiscent of the town square from the TV show,” said DAP Communications Director, Dominic Caruso. “We have several excellent coffee shops in downtown, and we knew we wanted to organize a festival to showcase them. Coffee is almost its own character on Gilmore Girls, and the show is still enormously popular. It made sense to have it be sort of the unofficial theme of the festival.”
Activities at the festival include three autumn wreath-making sessions with Artisan Da’Shika Street, two rounds of Gilmore Girls trivia hosted by the Barley House, fire pits and s’more-making kits, photo stations, and a chance to win a variety pack of ground coffee from Scotty P’s Big Mug Coffee. Scotty P’s is owned by actor Scott Patterson, who played Luke on the show. Registration is required for autumn wreath-making at https://bit.ly/AutumnWreathMaking, and all materials will be provided. The hands-on program is $45. Innovative plant shop and boutique, Lepley & Co. will also offer a bouquet-making activity.
Eight different coffee vendors, including four from downtown Akron, and one tea purveyor will offer a selection of delicious beverages, plus dessert offerings from Essential Dipped Delights. Several boutique vendors will have a variety of items available for purchase, ranging from houseplants to designer hot/cold beverage tumblers. An added perk of the day: Chill Artisan Ice Cream on S. Main St. will feature “Luke’s Coffee,” a mild roast coffee ice cream. With any purchase of Luke’s Coffee, customers will get one of Chill’s handcrafted coffee chocolates made with espresso beans.
A Big Day in downtown
Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival will be held concurrently with exciting events at the Akron Art Museum and the Akron-Summit County Public Library. The museum will host GameFest Akron from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., showcasing video games from classic games to games by local developers who will be present to talk to guests. GameFest is free and open to all, but tickets are required. Find out more and get tickets at akronartmuseum.org.
Akron-Summit County Public Library will present Akron Makes at Main Library from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is a free, interactive, family-friendly program celebrating “people who make stuff.” Exhibitors range from print makers to robotics programs, and from needlework to trains. Find out more and register to attend at akronlibrary.org.
“We want visitors to downtown on November 13 to explore any or all of the venues that are hosting events,” Caruso said. “So, if you’re going to GameFest, check out Akron Makes or the Coffee Festival, or head over to the Barley House for trivia. All three events are a little quirky, and a little rooted in fandom, so we want the overlapping audiences to enjoy them and make a day of it.”
Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival is presented by DAP with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
For more information about Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival, visit https://www.downtownakron.com/event/smells-like-snow-coffee-fest
Find out more about Downtown Akron Partnership. Follow us at www.downtownakron.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.