2025 Downtown Akron Sakura Festival Welcomes 5,500 to Celebrate the Coming of Spring

For the second year in a row, the 472 cherry blossom trees lining the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail between downtown Akron and Summit Lake were in full bloom during the festival that kicks off springtime in our city. As expert horticulturists and even amateur gardeners and plant hobbyists may know, this is not something to be taken for granted: Japanese cherry blossom trees have bloom cycles that are greatly impacted by hyperlocal climate and weather patterns, which make it a little challenging to predict exactly when they’ll bloom from one year to the next.

We give thanks, therefore, to the lovely pink-white florets that have now greeted us warmly two years in a row, at just the right time.

This year, we estimate that 5,500 people visited the Towpath Trail downtown during the hours the Sakura Festival took place. Most were locals from Northeast Ohio, but we also encountered folks who traveled from out of state just to see the blossoms. By the time the celebration kicked off at 1 pm, the trail was already filled with people taking photos with the trees and basking in their splendor.

As in years past, the festival’s hubs spanned two-and-a-half miles and included the Spaghetti Warehouse trailhead, Lock 2, Lock 3, James R. Williams Tower, and the Mustill Store. This was actually the first festival to happen at the newly renovated Lock 3, and J-Art Band, who headlined the event, was the first ever to perform on the stage of the Maynard Performance Pavillion. Around the rest of the outdoor space, retail vendors and food trucks set up, and inside the Lock 3 commons, a chado tea ceremony, a Japanese tea making workshop, and an origami workshop all took place.

At the Spaghetti Warehouse trailhead, many more vendors and food trucks were stationed around the parking lot, ready to serve guests. The Akron Canton Bonsai Society staged a bonsai display, and the Ohio Society for the Elevation of Kites took to the windy skies. Volunteers from The University of Akron’s Zips Activity Board led a koinobori craft, which children of all ages seemed to enjoy. Twice during the duration of the event, a local horticulturist led a guided walk and talk beneath the cherry blossoms.

At Lock 2, the beloved Wishing Tree activity returned, where eventgoers were able to write their hopes and dreams on satin ribbons and tie them on blossom-laden branches. Additionally, learners from the National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle School wrote haikus inspired by the cherry blossoms, which were etched into wood panels and displayed on easels lining the Towpath between Lock 2 and the Richard Howe House. A story walk depicting Sakura’s Cherry Blossoms by Robert Paul Weston and Misa Saburi led event visitors through Lock 1, where there is a break in the line of trees.

South of Spaghetti Warehouse, at Williams Tower, where arguably the prettiest trees of the entire footprint are, local musician Rachel Roberts performed a handful of sets throughout the day with her guitar, and a free cherry blossom craft was offered in the apartment complex’s community room.

At the Mustill Store, on the northern end of the festival footprint, the museum staff offered a free origami craft, and a history walk explaining the history of Cascade Locks made the connection between the northernmost cherry blossoms and the center of downtown.

This year, Ben from Dirty River Bicycle Works led a group of cyclists on a pre-festival ride that began at 10 am on Cascade Plaza and travelled on the Towpath south to Williams Tower, before riding back north to the Mustill Store.

Satellite programs were offered at Cilantro Thai and Sushi restaurant, which featured two prepaid sake and sushi tastings with John Constantine, certified by the Sake Education Council, and Street Craftery, where visitors could enjoy paid guided cherry blossom painting workshops and a guided cherry blossom candle making workshop.

Numerous other downtown businesses got into the spirit of the festival, offering cherry blossom inspired menu options and merchandise.

As always, the main attraction was the canopy of blooms above the Towpath, which were planted in 2011 and 2012 by the Japanese Association of Northeast Ohio (JANO) and the City of Akron. The trees span an impressive distance, from North Street on the north to Russell Avenue on the south. Each year, they herald the coming of spring, reminding us of life’s fleeting beauty. We are grateful to JANO for gifting the neighborhood with these beautiful trees, and for working with us each year to create a celebratory experience that draws people from all over the region—and sometimes even farther.

The 2025 Downtown Akron Sakura Festival was made possible with support from the Knight Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, the City of Akron and Lock 3, GAR Foundation and Akron Community Foundation. Other community partners included the Japanese Association of Northeast Ohio (JANO), Asian Services in Action (ASIA), Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, Alpha Phi Alpha Homes, Inc., Akron Civic Commons, Cascade Locks Park Association, Akron Children’s Hospital, The University of Akron Zips Activity Board, and Akron Children’s Museum.

Photos by Ramahn Wilder