2026 Downtown Akron Juneteenth Kick-Off Celebration
Category: Event Calendar
Date and Time
- Sunday, Jun 7, 2026 2pm - 8pm
Location
Lock 3
200 S Main St
Details
We invite you to join us for the 2026 Downtown Akron Juneteenth Kick-Off Celebration in Lock 3 on Sunday, June 7. The theme of this year's celebration is Cultivating Our Future. The event will feature food trucks and trailers, local vendors and organizations, live music and performances, free crafts, and hourly, free small group workshops based on the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
| Vendors | Entertainment | |
| Small Group Workshops | About the Downtown Akron celebration |
The recap of last year's celebration is a great way to see what to expect.
Who is behind the celebration?
The Downtown Akron Juneteenth Celebration is presented by Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) and led by a planning committee made up of members of the Black community, including co-chairs Ebony Hill and Will Blake, along with numerous other volunteers.
Ebony Hill, co-chair of the Juneteenth planning committee, says "Juneteenth is about acknowledging the freedom, unbreakable spirit, creativity and wisdom that have always been a part of us, even in the face of adversity, and intentionally sowing those gifts into the future. This year’s celebration is an invitation for our community to come together, honor our history, celebrate our culture and plant seeds of hope, healing and possibility for the generations to come."
What is DAP, and what do they do?
DAP is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build and promote a vibrant and valuable downtown that is open to all people. We fulfill part of that mission by helping to facilitate cultural events, such as the Downtown Akron Juneteenth Kickoff Celebration, the Downtown Akron Lunar New Year Celebration, and the Sakura Festival in downtown, to invite all members of the community to enjoy their downtown.
The 2026 Downtown Akron Juneteenth Celebration is presented by DAP and planned by the Downtown Akron Juneteenth Planning Committee, Ebony Hill and Will Blake, co-chairs.
The celebration is supported by the City of Akron, and Lock 3. Additional support is provided by Knight Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, Akron Community Foundation, Akron Civic Commons and GAR Foundation.
