Release Date: August 12,2026
City of Akron Hosting Fourth Annual Akron City Festival on September 5 and 6
Akron, Ohio, August 12, 2026 — Today, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik announced the fourth annual Akron City Festival to be held on two days this year: Saturday, September 5th and Sunday, September 6th. The festival will have a family-friendly atmosphere and celebrate Akron’s youth and young adults as they start a new school year. This year, the festival is split into two days: day one will include a variety of showcases and day two will include a parade followed by a festival that will include games, food trucks, live music, bouncy houses, giveaways, artists, informational vendors, and more. Ron Marhofer Auto Family and Akron Energy Systems are the primary sponsors of this year’s event.
"The Akron City Festival is a celebration of the incredible talent, creativity, and potential of our young people,” said Akron Mayor Shammas Malik. “As students head back to school, we want them to know that this community believes in them and is committed to creating opportunities for them to learn, grow, and thrive. I'm grateful to the many organizations, schools, performers, sponsors, and volunteers who come together to make this weekend possible. When we invest in our young people and celebrate what makes them unique, we're investing in Akron's future."
On Saturday, Sept. 5, the event will be held at the Akron Public Library (60 S High St.) from 12-4pm. View the Saturday event flyer here. The schedule will be as follows:
- 12pm – Ballet Showcase with the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival
- 1pm – Music Showcase with the Youth Nation Center
- 2pm – Dance Showcase with Born to Dance 330
- 3pm – Fashion Showcase with NightLyfe Entertainment
On Sunday, Sept. 6, the event will be held at Lock 3 (200 S Main St.) from 10am-4pm. A parade will kick off the festivities at 11am at the Spaghetti Warehouse lot (510 S Main St.) and head down Main St. towards Lock 3. Following the parade, there’s a long list of activities for families to enjoy such as face painting, inflatables, food vendors, live music, gaming trucks, barbers, nail techs, line dancing, balloon artists, and more. View the Sunday event flyer here.
The parade will feature youth-serving, non-profit, community-based organizations as well as Akron Public Schools Athletics, Fine Arts, and JROTC. If your organization would like to be a part of the parade, please email City of Akron’s Youth Opportunity Strategist, Denico Buckley-Knight at dbuckley-knight@akronohio.gov by Friday, August 21st.
“Throughout the weekend, families will have the chance to experience the incredible talent of Akron's youth while also learning about the many organizations working every day to support them,” said Youth Opportunity Strategist and festival organizer Denico Buckley-Knight. “We hope everyone comes out to enjoy the festivities, make new connections, and kick off the school year surrounded by the energy and pride that make Akron such a special place."
This festival is presented by the City of Akron, and supported by Akron Public Schools, Downtown Akron Partnership, and NightLyfe Entertainment. Special thanks to all the showcase performers including the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival, The Youth Nation Center, Born to Dance 330, and NightLyfe Entertainment.
Thank you to all of the event sponsors including the primary sponsors Ron Marhofer Auto Family and Akron Energy Systems, the entertainment sponsor Youth Success Summit, and the inflatable sponsor Minute Men. The City also wishes to thank all the safety sponsors including Summit County Children Services, Akron Community Foundation, United Way of Summit & Medina, Molina Healthcare, Akron Children’s Hospital, ADM Board, Minority Behavioral Health Group, Humana, and Akron General Cleveland Clinic. Lastly, thank you to the entrepreneurial sponsors Akron Zoo, Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, and Alchemy.