Release Date: October 15,2021
Harvest Mart Farmers Market this Weekend, Phantasy Fest Next Weekend in Downtown Akron
Akron, Ohio — Downtown Akron will serve up fresh food and handcrafted goods from local farmers, artists and artisans during Harvest Mart on Main Sunday, October 17 from 1 to 5 p.m. Visitors can expect to find a selection of Ohio apples, pumpkins, gourds and late summer produce, along with Akron-grown microgreens, Akron honey, handcrafted wood cutting boards, spoons and spatulas, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegars, bead-pixel artwork and more.
Harvest Mart is a collaborative effort between market organizer J Hudson, Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) and Lock 3. Hudson is the organizer behind the successful Hudson Farmers' Market and is curating Harvest Mart specifically for downtown Akron.
“Autumn is the heart of harvest season in Ohio,” J Hudson said. “The farmers at Harvest Mart on Main will have everything from microgreens to orchard fruit like apples and pears as well as the last of the summer vegetables like tomatoes and peppers, and of course, they'll have pumpkins and gourds too.”
Harvest Mart will be staged in Lock 3 along Main Street. Since Harvest Mart also occurs in the DORA, visitors age 21 and over can purchase adult beverages from The Barley House or Lock 3 in special DORA cups and enjoy them as they shop. Restroom facilities in Lock 3 will be open during the event.
Coming Up, Phantasy Fest
J Hudson and DAP have collaborated for a second market, coming Saturday, October 23, from 4 – 8 p.m. in Lock 4. Curiosity Mart will feature local vendors with quirky, otherworldly and Halloween-themed goods. The market is part of a larger October 23 celebration entitled Phantasy Fest, which takes place in a footprint composed of Locks 2, 3 and 4, Main St. between University and Bowery, and the Curated Storefront exhibition, Clayton Bailey: World of Wonders in the Landmark Building at 156 S. Main St. Phantasy Fest is a gently spooky, fantastical celebration for all ages.
Phantasy Fest runs from 4 to 11:30 p.m. and includes the Curiosity Mart from 4 – 8 p.m., the Akron Children’s Museum Monster Mission Course for kids, Spirits Walk, featuring local performers, for all ages, Tesla Orchestra performances every 30 minutes from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m., and a free screening of Beetlejuice at 9:45 p.m. Lock 3 will also have a after school supply bags for the first 125 children. DAP will offer a make-and-take fairy or dragon lantern luminary activity.
The Tesla Orchestra formed in 2009 at Case Western Reserve University and has rotated members since then, always with the same goal of entertaining audiences with high-tech performances and promoting science and engineering around the world. The group is currently based at Ingenuity Labs - an arts and science incubator in Cleveland, Ohio (USA).
Curated Storefront will premier Mythical Madness, a short mockumentary film about World of Wonders artist Clayton Bailey, whose ceramic artwork is on view in the Landmark Building and includes “Kaolithic Curiosities” such as Big Foot fossils, UFOs, Robots and other strange, science-fiction artifacts. Many of Bailey’s artworks include interactive elements or lights and sounds. Mythical Madness screenings are about 30 minutes long and will take place at the top of every hour. The screenings are free and open to all, but reserved tickets are recommended.
The current schedule of events for Phantasy Fest includes:
4 - 8 p.m. | Curiosity Mart in Lock 4
4 – 8 p.m. | Monster Mission Course
4 - 8 p.m. | After School supply bags for the 1st 125 kids
5 - 10 p.m. | Mythical Madness in Clayton Bailey's World of Wonders
6 - 7:30 p.m. | Spirits Walk for all ages
6:30 - 9:30 p.m. | Tesla Coil Orchestra performances every 30 minutes
9:45 p.m. | Free screening of Beetlejuice in Lock 3
Downtown Line Dancing, Halloween Edition
DAP and JustUs Line Dance Crew have collaborated for two more line dancing sessions in downtown Akron, both with a Halloween theme. JustUs will lead line dancing on Cascade Plaza on Sunday, October 17 and again on Sunday, October 24, from 2 to 3 p.m. on both dates. On both dates, participants can learn the Thriller dance, along with other Halloween-themed dances. Attendees are encouraged to attend in costumes. Free, but registration is required: https://bit.ly/LineDancing_
Want a quick, easy zombie makeup tutorial? DAP created two, 2-minute videos for just that.
Phantasy Fest and Downtown Line Dancing are presented by DAP with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
For more information about Harvest Fest, visit https://www.downtownakron.com/
For more information about Phantasy Fest, visit https://www.downtownakron.com/