18 Reasons to Visit Akron-Canton This Summer

AKRON

Milestones & Memories
This year marks the Akron Bicentennial, the 200th anniversary of Gen. Simon Perkins filing the plat for the city at a courthouse in Ravenna on Dec. 6, 1825. A Downtown Festival (July 3 through 6) and Bicentennial Parade (July 5) are planned to mark the milestone occasion, but for a deeper look at the people, places and products that embody the spirit of the city, visit the Akron History Center downtown.  

Opened in April and located just two doors down from the Akron Civic Theater, the 3,000-square-foot, three-story space contains a trove of more than 150 artifacts that pay homage to the pivotal role the city has played throughout history. From the office door of Alcoholics Anonymous founder Dr. Robert Smith to the 20 Steps of Social Justice that visitors can climb to learn about racial and gender equality, as well as the rights of the disabled, the center’s president, David Lieberth, promises everyone will learn something new about Akron’s storied past. 

“We have a remarkable history for a city our size,” he says. “There are a lot of firsts and a lot of significant history that no community really can brag about except us.”

More than 62 exhibits, as well as presentations on screens throughout the space, memorialize the founding of Quaker Oats, the rise of the Firestone family, Akron’s rich music history, the birth of the rubber industry and so much more. (There’s even a tribute to Akron-based GOJO, the maker of Purell, which is used more than a billion times a day by hands around the world,
Lieberth points out.)

Of course, any exhibition celebrating Akron would be incomplete without a tribute to The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., which was founded here in 1898. For 2025, the Goodyear Blimp, one of the most recognizable airships in the world, is celebrating a milestone of its own. To mark its 100th anniversary, the blimp will fly over more than 100 cities across North America and Europe. To find an appearance near you, visit goodyearblimp.com.

Summer Events 
Spectators and runners in the Goodyear Half Marathon & 10K can admire the Goodyear Blimp as it takes to the skies during these Aug. 9 events. The races start at Goodyear Proving Grounds and end at the company’s world headquarters, where Swensons Drive-In is prepared to serve up Galley Boy burgers, and live music makes for a celebratory atmosphere. 

The 87th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship Race week rolls into town July 13 through 19, with the World Championship race set for July 19. Nearly 300 participants ages 7 to 20 are expected to race these gravity-driven vehicles in three divisions. On July 17, the public is invited to Derby Downs for an open house that showcases the competing race cars and to visit the Soap Box Derby Hall of Fame and Museum. 

The largest annual gathering of twins in the world is celebrating “Cheers to 50 Years!” as it marks half a century. Held Aug. 2 and 3 in Twinsburg, the Twins Days Festival will have you seeing double as sets of registered twins and multiples compete in a variety of competitions. Attendees are encouraged to dress in their favorite themes from years past.

The Props and Pistons Festival has been selected as the state’s first venue to host the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Fly-In event of 2025. In addition to the family-friendly airshow, classic car cruise-in, food trucks and kids zone, an estimated 400 to 500 aircraft will gather at the Akron Fulton Airport Aug. 16 and 17. The two-day aerial event promises to honor aviators while dazzling onlookers. 

To get a feel for life in America during the 1860s, head to Bath for Hale Farm & Village’s Civil War Weekend to rub elbows with Abraham Lincoln and more than 700 other reenactors who “authentically portray the strategies and the struggles of the time,” according to Stephanie Lero, director at Hale Farm & Village. This year’s event, held Aug. 9 and 10, highlights the Battle of Sailor’s Creek, which occurred near Farmville, Virginia on April 6, 1865, shortly before the end of the war.

Animal Adventures 
For dinosaur lovers and Jurassic Park junkies, the Akron Zoo invites visitors to roam among more than 20 different species of herbivores and carnivores as they roar to life across the zoo’s grounds in the animatronic DinoTrek adventure.

Linda Criss, chief operating officer at the Akron Zoo, says that although printed maps are available to pinpoint the dinosaurs’ locations, she doubts visitors will need help spotting giants like the apatosaurus, which towers more than 20 feet tall. Other notable creatures include the Tyrannosaurus rex, velociraptor, stegosaurus, rugops, triceratops and dilophosaurus. Visitors can spot six of the dinosaurs by riding the train that departs from the Pride of Africa Train Depot.

“There’s a lot of interesting facts about dinosaurs, and since no one who studies them was around when they were here, it’s all things that are discovered through fossils and historical data,” Criss notes. “So, they’re constantly learning new things as they’re making new discoveries.”

The DinoTrek also features daily interactions with baby dinosaur characters, encounters with Caesar the T-Rex, a dino lab, a dino nursery and more throughout the duration of the exhibit, which runs through Sept. 14.

This year, the 50th anniversary celebration for Cuyahoga Valley National Park continues. The park was originally established as Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area in 1974, and today, it stands as Ohio’s only National Park (a designation it received in 2000). Travelers can stop by the Boston Mill Visitor Center to collect 50th anniversary stickers or a special stamp on their National Park Service passport. 

The Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a nonprofit group that helps support the park and its initiatives, offers a guide on its website that outlines 50 ways to experience this national treasure. The park’s 50th anniversary celebration runs through the end of the year. 

WHEN YOU GO
For more information about other events in Akron and Summit County go to visitakron-summit.org. 

Akron History Center
akronhistorycenter.org

Goodyear Blimp Anniversary
goodyearblimp.com

Goodyear Half Marathon & 10K
akronmarathon.org

All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship
aasbd.soapboxderby.org   

Twins Days Festival 
twinsdays.org

Props and Pistons Festival
flyohio.org

Hale Farm & Village
wrhs.org/do-see/historic-sites/hale-farm-village

Akron Zoo 
akronzoo.org

Cuyahoga Valley National Park
nps.gov/cuva; conservancyforcvnp.org

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CANTON

Football Focus
Whether you’re a rookie or a regular at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, you’re bound to find electrifying entertainment and new exhibits that make each visit unique. For the annual Enshrinement Week, which runs July 31 through Aug. 3, the Detroit Lions take the field against the Los Angeles Chargers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on July 31. 

“The Lions playing the Chargers in this game for us is a very big deal,” says Rich Desrosiers, chief communications officer for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. “… Neither of [these teams] have been here in about 30 years each, so we’re excited about being able to do that for these two fan bases.”

This year’s class of inductees includes Antonio Gates, who played his entire career for the Chargers but has local ties as an alum of Kent State University, where he played basketball. Other inductees include Eric Allen, Jared Allen and Sterling Sharpe. In addition to the Gold Jacket Dinner (Aug. 1)
and the Enshrinement Ceremony (Aug. 2), Nickelback takes the stage during the Concert for Legends (Aug. 3). 

This year, an expanded Super Bowl champion exhibit also makes its debut inside the museum near the case of 59 Super Bowl rings. Currently, the brand new exhibit shines a spotlight on the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2025 win over the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX.  

“We just opened it,” Desrosiers says. “We’re currently featuring the Philadelphia Eagles and they’ll be on display until the next Super Bowl champion is determined.”

In addition to jerseys worn by some of the players during the 2024 season, Derosiers says artifacts from the 1960 championship team, the 1948/49 team’s championship ring and various headsets, shoes, gloves and other mementos worn by Eagles coaches and players have been brought from storage and back into the spotlight. Although most of the exhibits at the museum highlight greatness on the gridiron, an exhibition titled “Character” looks at bravery, overcoming adversity and heroism off the field. The exhibition, which runs through the end of the year, showcases the stories of Bryant Young, Pat Tillman, Joe Delaney and others, focusing on values such as courage, respect and integrity.

“It’s about how the game of football helps to build, develop and enhance character traits and skills that athletes need to demonstrate both inside and outside of the game,” Desrosiers says. 

Festivals & Celebrations 
The annual African American Arts & Cultural Festival on July 10 in downtown Canton’s Centennial Plaza promises a celebration of African American heritage, creativity and economic empowerment that includes local vendors and live entertainment with a “United We Stand” theme. 

Centennial Plaza will be rocking once again on July 11 and 12 during the Downtown Canton Blues & BBQ Festival. In addition to barbecue-themed food trucks and music from bands like the Bob Frank Trio and the Jake Friel Band, a craft beer tent will be set up, featuring local favorites from Muskellunge Brewing Co., UnHitched Brewing Co.’s The Woodshop, and Lockport Brewery.

During the 40th annual Balloon Classic, 50 hot air balloons hover high overhead, with five scheduled flights set to take place during this free, three-day event happening July 25 through 27 at Kent State University’s Stark Campus. For the second year, a choreographed 500-drone light show is set to dazzle spectators by featuring 200 more drones than last year. 

“It’s kind of like, if you are used to the original Atari when they first came out, now it’s like a PS4,” says Mark Prosise, vice president of events and strategic initiatives for the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce. “The graphics that we’ll be able to do with the additional drones will be incredible.” 

A food festival, live entertainment, night glow, fireworks and 5K run and fun walk are expected to keep guests busy throughout the weekend.

In a tribute to art, culture and community, the Mural Fest Canton (sponsored by ArtsinStark, Downtown Canton Partnership and Visit Canton and the city of Canton) pairs artists with blank canvases on downtown buildings to create an inspiring collection of murals. The unveiling date for the murals is set for Sept. 27, when many artists will be on-site to talk about their art.

One of the nation’s largest drum corps shows is scheduled to take over Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Aug. 4, when Innovations in Brass returns. Attendees can eat, shop and play among the attractions in the neighboring Pro Football Hall of Fame Village.

Summer Sounds
If the melodic sounds of outdoor concerts light your fire, there is no shortage of bands and venues to get you grooving and singing to your favorite tunes under the summer stars. At the Plain Township Amphitheater at Legacy Park, music fans can roll out a blanket on the lawn, relax at cozy firepits or hang out in front of the stage listening to cover bands that span decades of music and bring back memories for many. 

“We’re offering an opportunity to take yourself back to the time when those songs were being sung, whichever decade that may have been at the time,” says Plain Township parks director Rob Steinberg. “It allows people that are even casual music fans to come pay a reasonable fee and listen to great music.”

Among the performances are tribute acts such as Elton Rohn (July 10), EagleMania (July 17) and Hard Day’s Night (Aug. 7). In Jackson Township, at The Nash Family Jackson Amphitheater, a 3,500-seat venue hosts the E5C4P3 Journey Tribute Band (July 11), New World Men: The Sound of Rush (July 19), Queen Flash: A Tribute to Queen (Aug. 16), Satisfaction: The International Rolling Stones Tribute Show (Aug. 23) and Living on a Bad Name: Bon Jovi Tribute (Aug. 30). 

For those looking to get creative, join the First Friday – Chalk the Walk event at Centennial Plaza in downtown Canton, where chalk artists will be drawing over sidewalks and streets. Street vendors, breweries, inflatables and a food truck court are all part of the fun at the Blues & BBQ Festival (July 11), Kick It at Hall of Fame First Friday! (Aug. 1) and Canvas and Concrete with New Wave Nation (Sept. 5).

“If you’re a foodie and you like art and you want to listen to music, First Friday is a great place to do all of that,” says First Friday creative director Jonathan Becker.

WHEN YOU GO
For more information about other events in Canton and Stark County go to visitcanton.com. 

Pro Football Hall of Fame 
profootballhof.com 

African American Arts & Cultural Festival
starkurbanleague.org

Balloon Classic
akroncantonairport.com/balloon-classic

Innovations in Brass
bluecoats.com/innovations

Plain Township Amphitheater
plaintownshipamphitheater.com

The Nash Family Jackson Amphitheater
jacksonamphitheater.com

First Friday Celebration
cantonfirstfriday.com/special-events

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