2025 Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival Brings 5,000+ to Downtown Akron

The 2025 Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival brought an estimated 5,000+ people to Lock 3 in downtown Akron, for an incredibly special day inspired by Amy Sherman-Palladino’s beloved show, Gilmore Girls. With more than a dozen local coffee vendors (including downtown staple Evelyn’s Coffee & Bánh Mì, now located inside Lock 3) and just as many food offerings, visitors were well-fueled for an immersive afternoon.

The festival has been warmly received each year, but we think this was the most authentic, successful year yet. In addition to food and coffee vendors lining Main Street, nearly 30 retail vendors were set up on the Swensons Game Patio selling items that ran the gamut from ceramics and jewelry to knit wear and cozy holiday reads. There were free activities like the crowd-favorite button making with Akron-Summit County Public Library, coffee cup decorating with Akron Symphony Orchestra, and a Luke-Alike Contest that took place in front of the stage. We also welcomed a few special guests and were thrilled to offer additional unique themed experiences.

John Cabrera and Todd Lowe, who played Brian Fuller and Zack Van Gerbig, respectively, on Gilmore Girls, joined us for another year of meeting and greeting fans, signing autographs and taking photos—this time in a beautiful indoor space at 199 S. Main Street, where the clothing retail shop UNKNWN was formerly located.

In an indoor space billed “Stars Hollow Books” down in Lock 3, Kristine Eckart, author of Meet Me at Lukes: Lessons in Life and Love from Gilmore Girls, participated in a Q&A session facilitated by Melissa Olson. Kristine sold and signed copies of her book.

Also inside Stars Hollow Books was a Bid-a-Basket silent auction, where folks could bid on mystery baskets filled with items inspired by characters from the show. There were ten baskets total representing Lorelai, Rory, Emily, Sookie, Lane, Hep Alien, Paul Anka, Kirk, Luke, and the Black & White & Read Bookstore. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, and in total, we raised $865.

During the day, local artist Jul Big Green returned to the event stage for the third year in a row. Georgia band Run Katie Run returned for the second year in a row and even performed a brief set with John and Todd. JustUs Line Dance Crew led a crowd-pleasing dance-a-thon, and Rachel Roberts returned as a wandering musician. At 6 pm, troubadour of all troubadours Grant-Lee Phillips headlined the festival on the Lock 3 stage, performing an intimate set for the couple hundred people who remained bundled on the lawn.

A few blocks away, at Forever Changes Gallery inside Art x Love, the walls were lined with artwork created by John Cabrera and Keiko Agena, who couldn’t be in Akron with us physically but still wished to be part of the festivities in some way. John’s work explored the blur between imagination, memory, and material decay in series of graphite drawings. Keiko’s work explored the struggle to find internal balance and accept mistakes in remarkable multimedia works that incorporated ink, graphite, acrylic, and watercolor. The art was for sale during the ticketed reception and remained on display in the gallery through the following week. Artworks from both John Cabrera and Keiko Agena are available for purchase for a limited time online at Art X Love. For details, visit: https://artxlove.com/shop

We’re grateful to all the special guests who joined us this year to help bring rich, authentic surprising experiences to the festival; to Beyond Events for all the help, hard work, and great ideas; to the staff of Lock 3 and all our volunteers for working tirelessly to make the event a success, and of course, to the thousands of visitors who came from near and far to share the magic of good coffee, friendship, and Gilmore Girls with us. We’re already excited for next year’s festival, slated to take place November 7, 2026.

The Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival was presented by Downtown Akron Partnership with support from the City of Akron, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and Ohio Arts Council.