Raíces, Ritmos y Recuerdos: Akron Latin Festival 2025 Brings 3,500 to Downtown Akron

An estimated 3,500 people gathered at Lock 3 on Saturday, September 20, for a special celebration of Hispanic and Latin cultures, and of Hispanic Heritage Month—Raíces, Ritmos y Recuerdos: Akron Latin Festival 2025. This event was co-presented by Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) and Proyecto RAICES, an organization that provides educational and social support to children of Latino/Hispanic families residing in the Akron area. This is the third year in a row the celebration has taken place downtown, and the first in Lock 3.

The new venue made for a celebration footprint with a variety of pockets to discover: At the top of Lock 3, on the Buchholzer Balcony, flanked by food trucks, visitors had an aerial view of the park, from kids running and rolling down the grassy hill toward the Lock 3 stage, to NEO Pro Wrestling’s performance in the Lock 3 Backyard on the far side of the Ohio & Erie Canal, and everything in between.

Down in the park, which felt like an intimate market setting despite the scale of the space, dozens of tented food and retail vendors, as well as nonprofit organizations and event sponsors, were set up around the Swensons Game Patio and along the outside wall of the Lock 3 Commons. Items for sale—food and otherwise—were representative of many different Latin American cultures, like bacalaítos, salchipapas, Venezuelan baked goods, pupusas, aguas frescas, Mexican hot sauce, Colombian grocery items, and an array of artisan goods.

On the Maynard Performance Pavilion stage, Rafael Hernández Brito, who many may recognize as the Spanish voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers, apprised the crowd of the festival’s many attractions, including the stellar entertainment lineup that included DJ LoLo Knows and popular Northeast Ohio bands Conjunto Guarachando, Grupo Los Ferrys, and Grupo Fuego. He also facilitated the Opening Ceremony, which involved a presentation of flags from several Latin American countries, remarks from elected officials and event organizers, and a performance by Azteca Guadalupana.

Families enjoyed a plethora of free activities, including face painting, balloon art, and a piñata station, where, twice every hour, kids could line up to swing a stick at a handmade piñata created by local maker Patricia Lopez of Chispa Creativa. Free paletas from Goodyear Heights business La Fresa Ice Cream were available to all who had the taste for them.

As the day went on and afternoon turned to evening, people danced with friends and partners, played on the lawn with their kids, caught up with acquaintances, shopped and ate, and at the end of the night, enjoyed fireworks presented by Lock 3.

We are grateful that Akron’s Latin and Hispanic communities came out in droves to celebrate with us in a stunning new space, and we look forward to many more years of collaboratively bringing this event to the center of our city.

Raíces, Ritmos y Recuerdos: Akron Latin Festival 2025 was presented by Proyecto Raices, Downtown Akron Partnership, and the City of Akron. Additional support was provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, GAR Foundation, Akron Community Foundation, Lock 3, Mayflower Manor Senior Housing, the Raices Employee Resource Group at the J.M. Smucker Co. and the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office.

Photos: Jose Rodriguez