2026 Downtown Akron Sakura Festival
Category: Event Calendar
Date and Time
- Saturday, Apr 4, 2026 1pm - 7pm
Details
Join us for the 2026 Downtown Akron Sakura Festival along the Towpath in downtown Akron, including Locks 2 and 3, the Towpath Trailhead at Spaghetti Warehouse, the James R. Williams Tower in Ohio & Erie Canal Park, and The Mustill Store. The festival is free and open to all.
Read a recap of the 2025 festival which welcomed 5,500 visitors to downtown Akron.
Click here to download the Festival Program. (coming soon)
Click here to download the Festival Map.
Click here to download Festival Parking details.
View Festival offerings by Location:
| James R. Williams Tower | Spaghetti Warehouse Trailhead | |
| Locks 2 and 3 | Mustill Store | |
| Downtown Business Sakura Specials | Parking |
This year's festival will feature:
- Asian Services in Action (ASIA) hygiene products drive & raffle
- Ikebana: Japanese Flower Arranging Workshop (click to find out more & register)
- Guided Canal History Walk at The Mustill Store (click to find out more & register)
- Sip & Learn: Sake and Sushi Tasting (click to find out more & register)
- Origami Workshop (click to find out more & register)
- Pre-festival guided bike ride (click to find out more & register)
- Live performances
- Food vendors and food trucks
- Horticulturalist Walk & Talk (click to find out more & register)
- Chado: Japanese Tea Ceremony (click to find out more & register)
- Japanese Tea-Making (click to find out more & register)
- Local retail vendors, artists, and artisans
- Crafts and Art demonstrations
- Story Walk
- Guided Sakura candle making with Street Craftery (at Street Craftery's 68 E. Mill St. studio) (click to find out more & register)
Volunteer at the Downtown Akron Sakura Festival
Want to help out? We'd love to have you! We need volunteers to help with setting up solar lights in trees, pre-event set up, information tent volunteers, craft and activity volunteers, beer trailer volunteers, wish ribbon volunteers, and more. Shifts are 3 hours long, and participants will receive a limited-edition Akron Sakura Festival enamel pin. Click here to view volunteer opportunities and sign up.
Sponsor the Downtown Akron Sakura Festival
Interested in learning about sponsorship for this year's festival? Email us at info@downtownakron.com.
Stay With Us
Coming to the festival from out-of-town? Book a room at Courtyard by Marriott Akron Downtown. Click here to book.
Or, stay at the BLU-Tique, Akron, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel. Click here to book.
The 2026 Downtown Akron Sakura Festival is 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 include 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, Akron METRO RTA, Akron Children’s Museum, and the Akron RubberDucks.
