Northeast Ohio's biggest 4th of July holiday party will be in Downtown Akron, featuring food, music, and family- friendly activities.
The Akron Family Barbeque will be calling grill masters from around Ohio, the Carolinas, and Texas, and all of them will be competing for "best in show" awards for barbequed ribs, pulled pork, and chicken. Nine specialty booths will be set up on South Main Street in front of Lock 3 Park offering charcoal-cooked favorites. Lock 3's five regular food vendors will provide a host of alternate food choices as well.
Gates open for the week at 11:00am Wednesday, July 4, and will stay open every day through Saturday, July 7, 11am -11pm.
Admission of $5 will be charged Wednesday and Saturday only. The event is free on Thursday and Friday and there is no admission charged 11am - 1pm Wednesday and Saturday. Children who are less than 48 inches tall are always free at Lock 3 events.
Children's rides, fireworks, and four days of live music assure there's something for every member of the family.
The Akron Family Barbeque is sponsored by the City of Akron in cooperation with the Downtown Akron Partnership. Other sponsors include Miller Brewing, Coca Cola, Hitchcock Fleming Associates, the Akron Beacon Journal and Ohio.Com, Lockheed Martin and the Barley House.
On Wednesday, July 4, Canadian musicians "Classic Albums Live" will re-create note-for-note on the Time Warner Cable Stage at Lock 3, two records by Fleetwood Mac, "Rumours," and "Fleetwood Mac Live"
Wednesday's headliner at 7:30pm is "Survivor," best known for the iconic 80's anthem "Eye of The Tiger" from Rocky III, and will kick off the first night of the Akron Family Barbecue in grand rock and roll style.
The evening ends with what has been voted as the Akron Area's "best" fireworks show on the Akron Innerbelt at 9:45pm.
On Thursday, the Akron Symphony Orchestra makes its Lock 3 debut at 7:30pm, with a program of classic "pops," and Tchaikovsky's "Overture of 1812," complete with cannon fire.
On July 6, WONE's free Friday night "Rock the Lock" concert highlights the band "Ohio: A Tribute to Crosby Stills, Nash & Young."
Saturday closes out the Akron Family Barbeque week with the best-attended Lock 3 concert every season, "Old School Soul," with "United We Funk" with Dazz Band, Con Funk Shun & Bar-Kays.
The Akron Family Barbeque is open daily 11:00am to 11:00pm. Free parking is available in city-owned parking decks and parking lots after 6pm weekdays, and all day Saturday.
For more information, go to www.lock3live.com.
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Special Traffic Details
Akron Police Traffic Officers will have the assistance of 250 additional Akron police officers on the night of July 4.
"We've learned from year to year how to improve our handling of traffic and crowds before, during and after the fireworks," said Captain Daniel Zampelli. "Officers will assist people in getting out of the downtown area as efficiently as possible. We will also improve our handling of crowds after the event including the use of mounted patrols."
Handicapped-access parking will be available on July 4 on South Main Street near Lock 3, and on July 7, handicapped-only parking will be permitted on Bowery Street.
Motorcycle parking will be available on Water Street off West Exchange Street.
Drivers are urged to consult traffic and parking maps at www.downtownakron.com if they are unfamiliar with where to find the more than 10,000 parking spaces in Downtown Akron.
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07-07-07, A Night to Remember
The evening of Saturday, July 7 promises to be a history-making night in Akron, one to be remembered by everyone who heads to Downtown Akron for one of the following events, all taking place at the same time:
"We could easily have 15,000 people coming to Downtown for one of these events, all at the same," said Deputy Mayor Dave Lieberth, who heads the Mayor's Downtown Operations Group. "The city is adding police details to make a special effort to handle increased traffic, but for the evening to be fun, everyone will have to exercise some patience."
High Street, from Martin Luther King Boulevard to Mill Street will be closed to through traffic. Art Museum patrons only will have access to High Street south of Market to accommodate valet parking at the Market-High deck.
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Artist to "perform" for Barbeque Crowds
Beginning, July 4th, Akron muralist and painter Michael Gearhart will begin to tackle the plywood on the front
