Experience Akron Canton 2022

AKRON-CANTON

On the Cover: Dallas and Latifah Grundy, Story on page 33.

Published by LIVE Publishing Company.

Publisher: John Schambach

Project Manager/Editor: Gail Kerzner

Project Director: Jeffrey Ritter

Senior Writer: Mary Ethridge

Senior Account Executive: Ruth Krise

Art Direction & Designer: Frank Cucciarre

Production Manager: Gail Smith

Operations Assistant: Beth Koblitz

Principal Photography: Bruce Ford, except where noted.

Copyright © 2022 by LIVE Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any form or means without written permission from LIVE Publishing Company.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information and listings contained herein, LIVE Publishing Company assumes no liability for errors or omissions.

LIVE Publishing Company 216-721-1800 330-882-8500 www.livepub.com

Photo by Bruce Ford

WE’RE ALL ABOUT YOUR HEALTH

As our community’s only locally owned and operated health system, we have always been COMMITTED TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, offering personalized care, wellness, education, insurance and more.

LOVE What I Love About Akron-Canton

Dear reader,

I once made a movie with Corbin Bernsen, the Hollywood actor and producer. I bring it up because we made it in the Akron area. Over months of filming, I showed him the AkronCanton I had come to know when I moved here as a teen and then returned to after college on the East Coast.

Corbin asked me why I had come back, so I took him to Swensons where the cheeseburgers are magic and the carhops speedy. We went to the partying Portage Lakes and hiked the Towpath Trail. I gave him a tour of upscale Fairlawn Heights, and his eyes popped when I told him what its homes went for (the cost of a garage in L.A.). We spent long days at the All American Soap Box Derby (the movie subject) where we met kids from all over the world. We went to baseball games at Canal Park and had our premiere at the historic Akron Civic Theatre.

I think Corbin had expected a Rust Belt region with glum people in Spandex still mourning the loss of tire jobs. What he got was us—with rubber still in our veins, but propelled by a funky, punky vibe and an engine of ingenuity. I can’t literally take you around town, but I can use my words to conjure our region’s brilliance. We shine.

Mary Ethridge, senior writer and AkronCanton fangirl

PHOTO BY BRUCE FORD Lock 3 Concert Series

We Love It Here! Let Us Tell You Why.

to Akron-Canton. Although we’re not generally prone to bragging, we must admit we’re the birthplace of many phenomenal people and things—LeBron James, DEVO, pro football and PURELL® among them. There’s a reason for that. We nurture innovation, cooperation and collaboration. Whatever your bliss, you’ll find someone in Akron-Canton to help you follow it.

Welcome

We’re a fun, slightly quirky, welcoming place to live—a unique confluence of history, hard work and heart that inspires love and loyalty in its people.

Come meet us and read some of the reasons we love Akron-Canton. Start here with LOVE and find MORE LOVE throughout the publication. Just follow the HEART.

1

Pro football was born in Canton in 1920. A century-plus later, the city remains the game’s epicenter. The Hall of Fame Museum draws 200,000 visitors a year. Work on a separate $900 million tourism site is well underway. Its Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium and Entertainment Complex is complete. Other components include the National Youth Football and Sports Complex with eight fields equipped with the latest technology. 3

We’re the hometown of the Goodyear blimp. The O.G. The one you see flying over Super Bowls, the Oscars and World Series games. Currently, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has three high-tech, semi-rigid ships in the United States. We often see the beloved blimps sailing the skies over Akron, headquarters of Goodyear. And the Airdock, an enormous blimp assembly hangar on the outskirts of town, is a landmark. 2

in the United States. We often see the 1 2

The highlight of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival is the ceremony when inductees receive the Gold Jacket, the mark of a champion among champions. The gold color is proprietary, and the formula is literally kept under lock and key.

4

We’re the hometown of basketball great LeBron James. Although he now plays in Los Angeles, he’ll always be our hero because of what the man does off the court.

His LeBron James Family Foundation partnered with Akron Public Schools to open the I PROMISE School, a public school for disadvantaged, at-risk students. The curriculum is infused with STEM and hands-on learning, and the whole family receives social support services. The I Promise Village, opened in 2020, provides transitional housing for students’ families.

5

the landmark Tangier

for expanded support

In late 2020, the foundation purchased the landmark Tangier restaurant in Akron and is converting it into a home services and

an athletic facility. The first classes of successful students enrolled in the I PROMISE program are graduating from Akron and many are heading off to free college

high schools,

London held Akron nights. New York’s CBGB waived cover charges for Akronites. The Village Voice put it this way in 1978: “Something is obviously going on out there.”

About 25 years after the punk thing, Akron’s Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney formed the blues-y rock band The Black Keys. In 2011, their album El Camino and its hit single “Lonely Boy” won three GRAMMY Awards. After a five-year hiatus, the group reunited in 2019; their latest is Dropout Boogie The Black Keys’ soul-scratching songs have been featured in big budget movies, TV shows and commercials.

8

9-13We’re home to those who make what the music makers master.

♥ Mollard Conducting Batons

thanks to community partnerships. Slam-dunk.

Greater Akron is a major site on the map of punk music.

DEVO of “Whip It” fame and The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde are probably the most well-known of the punk/new wave musicians to come out of 1970s Akron, but they weren’t alone. In a matter of a few years, major labels signed Akron’s Chi-Pig, the Waitresses, Tin Huey, the Bizarros, the Rubber City Rebels and Rachel Sweet. Stiff Records in London released an Akron compilation album. Clubs in

6

Akron’s DIY music scene is massive, drawing people to random basements and jamming living rooms. The PorchRokr Music Festival, which takes place each August in Akron’s Highland Square, draws thousands of fans. Local bands literally play on front porches and lawns.

♥ EarthQuaker Devices (guitar pedals)

♥ S.I.T. Strings Co. (handcrafted strings)

♥ Panyard (steel drums)

♥ Audio-Technica U.S. Inc. (audio equipment)

7

The Canton Music Block hosts live music Friday and Saturday nights in venues along Cleveland Avenue downtown. Listen to blues, jazz, ’90s dance party hits, and New Wave. Check out Buzzbin, George’s Lounge, Auricle and more.

8

The Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival in summer draws local and national artists to Akron for a three-day hepcat’s heaven. The Canton Blues Fest, one of the largest outdoor blues gatherings anywhere, takes places at Centennial Plaza downtown in June.

14The Summit, 91.3, is an award-winning adult alternative station and part of the Akron Public Schools. It plays everything from King Tuff to Jason Isbell. It is also home station to the national Rock and Recovery™ Mission that provides uplifting music and messages to those on that journey (and their loved ones). Catch it on The Summit nightly or streaming everywhere, all the time.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL BARATH

Canton Blues Fest

PorchRokr

15The oldest Krispy Kreme store in the nation is on South Maple Street in Akron. The vintage sign reads, “Hot Do-Nuts.” Yes, please.

16Ohio is considered the home of presidents (We’ve had eight). The McKinley Presidential Library & Museum in Canton is dedicated to our 25th president and features a historical library, planetarium and an entire exhibit hall devoted to Stark County history. The McKinley National Monument in Canton is the final resting place of President McKinley and his family.

17Canton is home to the First Ladies National Historic Site in the former home of Ida Saxton McKinley, wife of the president. The site is home to the National First Ladies’ Library. It is considered part of the National Park Service.

18-19 Inventors have always hung out here. Perched at the summit of the Cadillac Hill in Akron stands the gabled house where Thomas Edison married hometown girl Mina Miller in 1886.

North Canton is the headquarters of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

20

A Canal Runs Through Us.

The Ohio & Erie Canal ran through Summit and Stark counties in the early 19th century, sparking business development along its route. Today, the Ohio & Erie Canalway is a National Heritage Area. The 91mile Towpath Trail, which follows the original canal, is a favorite hiking

downtown Akron, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) and south to Stark County’s Bolivar. (It will be 101 miles when complete.) Parts of the original locks are visible along the trail, and several have been repurposed. The Mustill Store Visitors Center in Akron is a restored canal-era general store and home. In Canal Fulton, visitors can take a ride on the St. Helena III, a real canal boat. Canton’s Sippo Lake Park has interactive displays about the canal’s history.

21-35

We’re the birthplace or hometown of many talented Americans, including:

♥ The O’Jays

♥ Steph Curry, LeBron James, C.J. McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. of the NBA.

♥ Rita Dove, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and onetime U.S. Poet Laureate

♥ Performer Marilyn Manson (Born Brian Warner)

class care

♥ Singer Boz Scaggs

♥ Jack Paar, the original host of The Tonight Show

♥ Tom Batiuk, creator of the “Funky Winkerbean” and “Crankshaft”

comic strips

♥ Actress Melina Kanakaredes (CSI: NY, Providence)

♥ Musician and artist Mark Mothersbaugh (DEVO)

♥ Judith Resnik (killed in the 1986 Challenger explosion)

♥ Actor John Lithgow (The Crown, 3rd Rock from the Sun)

♥ Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of The Black Keys

♥ Mother Angelica, religious leader

♥ Gold Jacket Hall of Famers: Marion Motley, Paul Brown, Len Dawson, Alan Page and Dan Dierdorf

♥ First Lady Ida McKinley and President William McKinley

36Summit Metro Parks (SMP)

celebrated its centennial in 2021 by opening the new Valley View area of Cascade Valley Park, creating 1,800 acres of uninterrupted greenspace (critical to wildlife) and linking three popular parks. The Don Drumm Sculpture “Sun Tracker” that sits near its entrance and a restored dairy barn are proving popular spots to snap an Instagram shot. The SMP manages 16 parks, several conservation areas and more than 150 miles of trails. Some

other favorite spots in the SMPs for photos:

♥ Deep Lock Quarry, at the bottom rim near memorial bench

♥ Gorge, at the observation deck

♥ Sand Run, on the Mingo Trail bridge

♥ Silver Creek, lake area near the boathouse

37The

Akron soul has a totem of sorts. It’s a 350-year-old burr oak used by Native Americans as a guidepost when portaging between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas rivers. Today, we call it The Signal Tree. Find it in the SMP’s Cascade Valley Metro Park.

38

We Have Our Own National Park.

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) is 33,000 acres of natural magic along the Cuyahoga (Kai-uhHOAG-uh) River.

No matter where you are in Greater Akron, the park is less than 20 minutes away.

Here are some of our favorite spots in the CVNP:

♥ Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, a restored section of the canal’s original towpath. Whether on bike, foot or even horseback, explore your history alfresco.

♥ The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad runs between Akron and Independence to the north. Download the Train Tracker app for an audio tour of the park as you ride. Bring your bike or kayak, then ride or paddle back.

♥ The Ledges Trail is a 2.2-mile route through an ancient geologic formation of mostly sandstone, near Peninsula. Catch the sunset from the Overlook.

♥ The Inn at Brandywine Falls. Overlooking the 67-foot Brandywine waterfall, the Inn was built in 1848 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Renovated and restored, it’s been lauded by the likes of the AARP and CNN.

39Our Cuyahoga River is a beauty with a dark past. In 1969, the river was so toxic it caught fire.

Today, it’s sparkling and alive with kayakers, blue herons and edible fish. Its turnaround is so remarkable the conservation group American Rivers awarded it its highest honor. We also embrace our history, tongues in cheeks. So, try the Burning River Pale Ale from the Great Lakes Brewing Co. or paddle with Burning River Adventures, based in Cuyahoga Falls.

40The award-winning Stark Parks feature lakes, reservoirs and more than 100 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails in 15 parks on more than 8,000 acres of land in Stark County. Whatever floats your boat or moves your feet, you’ll find it there.

41The Akron RubberDucks is our AA affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. Canal Park in downtown Akron is the team’s home. Watching baseball’s rising stars on a warm summer night with a bellyful of burgers is a slice of heaven. Fireworks, special events and mascots make it one of the best family bargains on the planet.

42Alcoholics Anonymous was born in Akron in 1935 when stockbroker Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith first met in the Gate Lodge of Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens. Dr. Bob’s home is now a museum. The Gate Lodge is also open to the public. Each June, tens of thousands of recovering people make the pilgrimage to Akron to celebrate Founder’s Day.

PHOTO BY ROB VAUGHN

43

Respect Rubber. There’s a T-shirt seen around Akron with a simple message: “RESPECT RUBBER.” Akron was once considered the rubber capital because the major tire companies called it home. We honored that heritage in 2021 by erecting a 12-foot-high bronze statue of a rubber worker at the corner of Main and Mill Streets downtown.

Rubber still lives here, just in a brainier form.

The University of Akron was recently ranked the top polymer engineering program in the world. Yes, the world.

The new Bridgestone Americas Advanced Tire Production Center (ATPC) will be fully online by the end of 2022, supporting the Firestone brand’s role as the sole tire supplier of the NTT IndyCar series. The company’s test track, open officially in fall 2022, allows tire designers to try out prototypes and tweak their concepts. The ATPC campus is graced by the iconic red Firestone sign that for decades lit up the original Firestone Plant One on South Main Street.

The one-time headquarters of the B.F. Goodrich Co. has been converted into Canal Place, home of Bounce Innovation Hub, breweries and apartments.

Goodyear still anchors the east side in its $160 million world headquarters.

In the past 20 years, several smaller players, including Hankook Tire America, Kumho Tire USA and Nexen Tire, have opened technical centers in the region.

44-66We’ve mentioned tires and AA, but check out these other things AkronCanton has given the world:

♥ Life Savers®

♥ Dum-Dums® (Spangler Candy Company)

♥ The vacuum cleaner (Hoover)

♥ The Cozy Coupe® (Little Tikes)

♥ PURELL® Hand Sanitizer (GOJO Industries)

♥ Twinkle Polish® (Malco)

♥ The Frog Sandbox® (Step2)

♥ DayGlo Paint® (RPM)

♥ Rust-Oleum® (RPM)

♥ Wound golf balls (B.F. Goodrich)

♥ P.F. Flyers (B.F. Goodrich)

♥ Liquid Crystal Displays for watches (KSU)

♥ Toy marbles (S.C. Dyke)

♥ First space suits for U.S. astronauts (B.F. Goodrich)

♥ Root Candles (A.I. Root)

♥ Blue Tip matches (Ohio Match)

♥ The paper negative (Abel Fletcher)

♥ Tapered bearings (Timken)

Other Greater Akron-Canton inventions include:

♥ Grade levels in schools

♥ Quaker Oats

♥ Police patrol wagon

♥ The cantilevered bridge (Massillon Iron Bridge Co.)

♥ Iris-recognition systems in ATMs (Diebold Nixdorf)

67Brewster

Cheese of Stark County is the largest producer of Swiss cheese in the nation, accounting for one-third of the American-made supply.

68A canopy of umbrellas and bright murals transformed an alley in the Stark County community of Louisville and started a revitalization of the city’s downtown. It’s taking off like Mary Poppins!

When in Kenmore, you’ll enjoy fun and funky shops, bars, the music scene and the neighborhood vibe, but don’t forget to keep an eye out for the elusive Grassman, the area’s own version of Big Foot. His reported sightings over the decades have drawn cryptidzoological investigators from across the world. Why he (she?) is called Grassman has been lost to time.

70General hilarity ensues each spring when thousands of people converge

on Hinckley in Medina County to celebrate the return of the buzzards (turkey vultures) that roost in the township’s ledges. The event includes hikes, skits, contests, crafts and costumes.

71The Nightlight Cinema in Akron’s emerging Historic Arts district shows cult, classic, indie and foreign films. It also has a bar and snacks, so there’s no reason to watch emptyhanded. The nonprofit was launched in 2014 to promote cinema and community.

72The Akron Art Library lets you borrow artwork by local and international artists. As a partnership between the Akron Art Museum and the Akron-Summit County Public Library, the art library engages the community with real art and artists.

73The Canton Arts District creates a vibrant downtown. It has numerous studios and galleries and more than 40 pieces of public art. Its monthly First Friday celebrations include live music and performances all year.

74The ELEVEN—a collaboration between ArtsInStark and the Pro Football Hall of Fame—is 11 pieces of art throughout downtown Canton representing 11 key moments in pro football.

75The Troll Hole Museum in Alliance houses the Guinness World record troll collection plus more than 10,000 troll memorabilia items in artistic settings with murals, grotto, waterfalls and outdoor sculptures.

76Hartville, a village of 3,000 between Akron and Canton, has nearly two million visitors a year, more than twice as many as the famed Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The village is home to the year-round Hartville Marketplace and Flea Market, the largest of its kind in Ohio.

77The Akron Zoo is a lot like Greater Akron itself—big, but not too big. More than a thousand animals representing 250 species

live on 40 acres in west Akron. It’s more than doubled in size in the last 15 years, but it remains comfortably navigated in a day. Its Wild Asia exhibit—featuring red pandas, Sumatran tigers and white-cheeked gibbons— opened in 2021. The zoo reaches 90,000 students a year with its educational outreach.

78For 84 years, hundreds of kids aged 8-17 have swarmed east Akron seeking the thrill of the hill. Derby Downs is the world headquarters of The AllAmerican Soap Box Derby® and the site of the annual championship race and weeklong festivities in July.

The derby has been the subject of documentaries, feature films and even an episode of Bewitched (FYI: Season 3, episode

16). Today’s cars look like brightly colored bullet trains, and racers are practically supine in their cars. The first 53.75 feet of the track carry a 16 percent grade. (That’s plenty steep.) The derby also offers a STEM-based curriculum for educators and puts on the Gravity Racing Challenge for STEM students across the country. The track is also used for community and corporate events.

79“Linda,” the eerie photo-realistic painting by Chuck Close, who died in 2021, isn’t quite as recognized as the blimp, but she’s had a place of honor at the Akron Art Museum since the 1970s. The museum’s unwavering focus on modern and contemporary art from 1850 onward has allowed it to

develop one of the finest collections of its kind in the country. Events in its galleries and garden fill the soul all year.

80The “Morning Breeze” sculpture by Jerry Peart welcomes visitors to the Canton Museum of Art. The giant loops and swirls make it a popular landmark and meeting spot. Inside, the museum’s acclaimed collection focuses on American watercolors and works on paper from the 19th century on and contemporary ceramics from the 1950s forward.

81The annual Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg is the largest gathering of twins (and other multiples) in the world, drawing about 25,000 and

generating nearly $6 million for the local economy. Twinsburg, in northern Summit County, was founded in 1819 by twins Moses and Aaron Wilcox.

82Greater Akron-Canton is lucky enough to have not just one but two of the 1920s atmospheric theaters by renowned architect John Eberson still in operation. Locals know to look up when visiting Akron Civic Theatre and the Canton Palace Theatre to see ceilings spangled with stars and clouds that move across the sky. The theater interiors replicate exotic gardens at night and have been lovingly restored and maintained.

79

80 finest

83The University of Akron’s steel drum band was one of the first such university bands in the nation and is flourishing today.

84The Balloon A-Fair has filled the September skies over Ravenna with colorful hot air balloons annually for 40 years. The festival celebrates one of the city’s first industries—toy balloons, which were manufactured by Oak Rubber Co.

85The annual William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition at the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) draws hundreds of entries each year from medical students/poets

81

COURTESY OF AKRON ART MUSEUM

COURTESY OF TWINS DAY FESTIVAL

across the country. Williams (18831963) was a great American poet and family physician. The humanities were built into the curriculum at NEOMED from its founding in 1973.

86Each year, Light Up Downtown in Canton features all your favorite holiday characters, fireworks, music and a ho, ho, ho-liday visit from the Man in Red. Following the show, stroll up and down 16 blocks of downtown Canton enjoying sleigh rides, food and drink, singing and dancing performances and more!

87If you have a tuba, you’re welcome to join TubaChristmas. Tucker Jolly founded the event more than 40 years ago. (Yes, that’s his real name.) It became so popular, Jolly launched TubaSummer.

88The North Pole is just a train ride away from Akron, thanks to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s Polar Express. For six weeks during the holidays, families travel through the gorgeous valley to Santa’s workshop where kids can deliver their letters to Santa directly. Cookies, hot cocoa and magic are involved.

87

SMART MOVE

DERIN FLETCHER

Derin Fletcher Art Studio, Owner/Artist

Moved from Savannah, GA to Cleveland to Akron in 2020. Originally from Akron.

Biggest surprise: The support from the community. I wasn’t expecting it to be so grand. Businesses are growing, and the city has been a major support.

Out-of-town visitor picks: I would take visitors to all of the food gems that are signature to Akron/Canton. Day-off fun: Visiting the art museum or just taking a walk through Sand Run or the Nature Realm.

On the business climate: It’s really changing. More small businesses are coming downtown. Growth will continue, especially with new programs and funds that support businesses and encourage entrepreneurs and business owners to open up.

Tips for Newcomers: The city is small but has a lot to offer. So if you want to open a business, this is the perfect place and the perfect time.

Don’t forget to look for MORE LOVE throughout the publication.

PHOTO BY D. GRANT

COURTESY OF CUYAHOGA VALLEY SCENIC RAILROAD

FORAGE

Basil, Canton

Pizza? Pasta? Thai? French? Whatever you crave, it’s on the menu here.

Experience

Akron-Canton (EAC) and Katie Byard, former food writer at the Akron Beacon Journal chat about the Akron and Canton Food Scenes.

EAC: What three adjectives would describe the restaurant scene here and why?

KB: Diverse, evolving and resilient. There are platefuls of different types of eateries—from steakhouse icon the Diamond Grille at the edge of downtown Akron—a landmark that dates to 1935—to old-school favorite hamburger joints, including Swensons and Skyway (Both are drive-ins with multiple locations in the area.) to Nepali Kitchen, founded by Southeast Asian refugees in the city’s North Hill neighborhood.

There’s Edgar’s in West Akron, with an eclectic mix of eats—from frog legs to ribs to (my fave) smoked chicken. It gained national attention when it was featured in an episode of “Restaurant Impossible.” Big Eu’es BBQ , in Cuyahoga Falls and with a menu that includes some soul food, is among barbecue places that have cropped up in the past several years.

Unpretentious diners abound. A fave with my family is Julian’s in Akron’s Goodyear Heights area. Owner Dan Julian makes tomato sandwiches in season, and he uses homegrown peppers in his stuffed green pepper soup.

Want to pretend you are dining in Italy? Head to the Tuscan-inspired Gervasi Vineyard in Canton, which features a piazza, a spring-fed lake and casual as well as fine dining.

There are so many examples of the diversity.

The indie scene continues to grow and evolve. Chefs and chef-owners are upping their game.

Meanwhile, despite the pandemic, new places have opened and existing ones have invested in expansions. Louis Prpich, for example, expanded his seafood favorite, the Chowder House, last year, moving it to larger quarters in Akron’s Merriman Valley.

The Merchant Tavern , known for its burgers, as well as its array of starters and entrees, added a distillery. Now you can find the Merchant’s Towpath Vodka featured in its cocktails.

Those opening amid the pandemic include Divine Food, Spirits and Wine in Cuyahoga Falls. There, adventurous

area chef Ernie Cornelius gets to show off his skills in what he dubs a “100% scratch kitchen.” Newer entrants also include Vinifera Wine and Whiskey Bar in Cuyahoga Falls, which offers a lot more than alcohol, including crostini with a variety of toppings.

Crave, which just moved to the new Landmark Building, offers a diverse array of eats—everything from fried alligator tail bites to chicken and waffles. Its sister eatery in Cuyahoga Falls, Crave Cantina , boasts a lineup of tacos. Moe’s Restaurant in the Falls is known for its eclectic dinner menu that changes monthly. Bricco, also with a diverse menu, has locations in Akron’s Merriman Valley and Kent. Also in Kent, the Bistro on Main continues to offer meals prepared with fresh ingredients and tasty martinis.

Opening shortly before the pandemic began, The Battleground Taproom and Mexican Kitchen in Kent continues to draw fans of its craft beer and lineup of Mexican eats.

In Wadsworth, DOLCE at the Strand serves up gelato, pastries coffee and wine and cocktails in a renovated former theater.

EAC: What are some of the “musts” for newcomers wanting to experience the food scene?

KB: There are the icons—such as the aforementioned Swensons and Skyway driveins. B&K drive-ins (hot dogs and more) in Cuyahoga Falls and Akron are beloved.

Also, there’s the Diamond Grille steakhouse (you also can get seafood) in Akron. It’s a favorite of pro golfers when competing in the area.

Luigi’s , in downtown Akron’s Northside,

PHOTO BY JIM CARNEY

Katie Byard

PHOTO BY JIM CARNEY

FORAGE

is a family-friendly family Italian place. Its simple salads topped with a mound of mozzarella cheese are locally famous. DeVitis Italian Market in Akron’s North Hill is a gourmet grocery with ready-to-eat foods and a deli, perfect for a quick lunch.

In Canton, Bender’s Tavern , in a building constructed in 1899 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is an old-school spot offering seafood, pasta and more.

Fred’s Diner is a small breakfast-andlunch diner in Akron. It’s more than three decades old. Bacon fans rave about the hefty portions of bacon.

The Blue Door in Cuyahoga Falls also offers breakfast and lunch, but its menu is not diner fare. The kitchen of the well-regarded cafe boasts 20 burners where cooks prepare the fresh, adventurous fare for which the place is known—everything from steak and eggs featuring grass-fed USDA prime New York strip to New Zealand king salmon.

Customers of the Mustard Seed Café in Akron’s Highland Square neighborhood can eat natural/ organic fare on the outside deck of the grocery’s second story deck overlooking West Market Street. (It has another location in Montrose.)

At the decades-old Strickland’s Frozen Custard in Akron you can enjoy your treat while taking in a view of a hulking hanger where blimps were built. Only in Akron.

Chicken fans will want to check out one of more of the four Barberton chicken houses: Village Inn Chicken (formerly known as Milich’s and actually in Norton; Belgrade Gardens , White House and DeVore’s Hopocan Gardens.

Foodies also might want to visit One Eleven Bistro in Montville Township, D.B.A. (Dante Boccuzzi Akron) in the city’s downtown. Square Scullery in Akron’s Highland Square features “indie comfort food.”

EAC: What are some places for special milestone celebrations?

KB: Those include the Diamond Grille steakhouse and Lanning’s Restaurant, a longtime steak and seafood spot that has a lovely view of Yellow Creek in Bath. Ken Stewart’s Lodge, also in Bath, features an Adirondack-style lodge setting. Next door is its sister restaurant Tre Belle, which serves Italian fare. Ken Stewart’s Grille in Akron has been open for 30 years.

Papa Joe’s , in Akron’s Merriman Valley, while not as fancy as Lanning’s, is one of my go-to places for celebratory dinners. It offers Italian dishes, as well as prime rib and other fare.

Trattoria Vaccaro in Bath and D’Agnese’s at White Pond in Akron also offer Italian eats—traditional, as well as fish with a modern flair.

In Portage Lakes, LaLa’s in New Franklin offers roasted quail and blackened scallops.

In downtown Canton, Bender’s historic atmosphere and lineup of seafood dishes including lobster, scallops, and halibut, make it a great place for special meals.

Also in Stark County, there’s The Bistro at Gervasi Vineyard’s in Canton, which features Italian dishes served in a renovated barn. Open Table named it one of America’s most romantic restaurants. Its sister restaurant in Green, The Twisted Olive is also in

a lovely setting. More casual than The Bistro at Gervasi Vineyard , it’s in a sprawling remodeled home that overlooks two small lakes. Green also is home to The Bistro of the Green and 35˚ Brix—also among spots fit for celebrations.

At the opposite end of Summit County in Twinsburg is the Blue Canyon Kitchen & Tavern . The building, boasting cedar logs, cathedral ceilings and multiple fireplaces, was inspired by grand lodges found in some of the country’s national parks.

One Eleven Bistro in Medina County’s Montville Township is a more casual place than some of these, but the chef-owner, Anthony Scolaro is serious about good, interesting eats. He competed on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” in 2019.

And there’s yet another eatery with “bistro” in its name. This one is the Bistro on Main , a clubby spot in Kent near Stow. Bricco, also in Kent, offers a more fine-dining experience than many of the college town’s eateries.

Rosewood Grill in Hudson is in an historic mill. Also in Hudson, there’s Downtown 140, an elegant place in an 1800s cellar.

As with any of these questions, I could go on.

EAC: What’s a good place to go with kids in tow?

KB: The Workz on the Riverfront is a new place in Cuyahoga Falls. In a renovated old movie theater, it’s a restaurant/arcade/entertainment

PHOTO BY SHANE WYNN

Cilantro, Akron

Luigi’s Pizza, Akron

COURTESY OF CILANTRO

Taggart’s Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant, Canton

center. Duck pin bowling anyone? (It also has a bar.) Also on Front Street in the Falls is Pav’s Creamery, a sister operation to the Pav’s ice cream in Green. Offering a wide range of ice cream treats, their menus include “adult milkshakes” that include booze. There’s also a seasonal Pav’s ice cream stand in Coventry.

Menches Brothers in Green (and with locations in Canton and Massillon) is a burgers and more spot from the family that lays claim to inventing the burger.

At Dontino’s , in Akron’s North Hill, you and the kids can indulge for a very reasonable price.

At the edge of North Hill, not far from Luigi’s, is Lock 15 Brewing Co. , one of the many area brewing companies to spring up in the past several years. Take the kids to this buzzy place (with a kids menu) before or after exploring the nearby picturesque canal lock and the Ohio & Erie Towpath Trail.

Diamond Deli in downtown Akron features a wide array of sandwiches and yummy desserts.

An in-house bakery is part of the operation at Waterloo Restaurant in Akron. The place also has a huge menu and serves breakfast all day and night.

Trecaso’s Mary Coyle in the city’s Highland Square neighborhood offers ice cream, spaghetti and pizza in an old-timey atmosphere.

Introduce the kids to diners with Fred’s Diner, open for breakfast and lunch. Service is quick at this tiny place. Employees wear T-shirts that read “Eat. Pay. Get Out.”

Also in Akron, the Ido Bar & Grill is a cozy family friendly place with burgers and a lot more. Louie’s Bar & Grille, a neighborhood joint in North Hill, with its hefty burgers, has been a fave destination for my family for years. Ditto for Ray’s Place in Kent, a staple dating to 1937. Also in Kent is Mike’s Place with a big menu and quirky decor inside and out, including a Star Wars movie X-Wing Fighter you can see from the road.

Winking Lizard offers wings, burgers, wraps and pizza at its more than a dozen spots in Northeast Ohio. The one in picturesque Peninsula—in a redone old nightclub—is my favorite because of its surroundings. It’s a quick walk to the Towpath Trail and a Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad train station in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Gasoline Alley, a Bath eatery with deli sandwiches and more, is a lively spot with old-style station decor.

In Medina, there’s Dan’s Dogs , known for its dogs, fresh cut fries and milkshakes. House of Hunan , with a little stream that runs through it, opens up to the sidewalk in warm weather and has a great view of the gazebo on Medina’s historic square.

Foundry Social in Medina is a newer food and entertainment center, with arcade games, go karts and ping pong.

EAC: What about sweet treats?

KB: Many of the previously mentioned places have yummy treats. But I’d definitely make a stop at Taggart’s Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant, which dates to 1926 and is a Canton

landmark. Along with sweets you can get soups, salads and sandwiches. Check out the vintage soda fountain and marble countertops.

At West Side Bakery in Akron and The Bake Shop In Ghent (Bath) you can get soups and sandwiches in addition to treats. Copley is home to longtime Tiffany’s Bakery, which also sells carryout lunches. There’s Stacked Akron Bakery, not far from Springfield Township, and Great Lakes Baking Company in Hudson. Waffl e O Waffl e in Medina is a new place selling sweet and savory waffles.

Cuyahoga Falls is rich with sweet spots, including Kiflis Bakery & Cafe, which also boasts a European grocer. Vincent’s Bakery bakes up Italian and other treats, and Pallotta’s Pastries sells homemade soups.

In downtown Akron, Sweet Mary’s Bakery has gained a following for her fun iced cookies and other goodies. In downtown Wadsworth, Ann’s Pastry Shop is a longtime business that is under new ownership.

Area coffee shops, including Artisan Coff ee in Akron’s Ellet neighborhood and Angel Falls Coffee Company in the city’s Highland Square, sell baked goods that pair well with their java.

MORE LOVE

89In Akron, the unmistakable scent of roasting nuts wafts down Main Street from the Peanut Shoppe, a downtown Akron stalwart since the 1930s. If you’ve never had fresh warm cashews on a cold day, you haven’t lived.

90Sauerkraut balls are to Greater Akron what wings are to Buffalo or cheese steaks are to Philly.

91Other Greater Akron-Canton treats include:

♥ Strickland’s frozen custard

♥ Barberton chicken

♥ Luigi’s cheese-smothered salad

♥ Skyway’s SkyHi burger

♥ Bender’s turtle soup

♥ Swensons’ Galley Boy (Voted Best Ohio Burger 2022)

♥ Norka Soda

COURTESY OF TAGGART’S

Lock 15 Brewing Company, Akron

TOAST

Gervasi Vineyard

Uncork

Gervasi Vineyard, whose Villas hotel was named the best in wine country by USA Today readers, is a 55-acre estate in Canton that transports its visitors to Tuscany. It also has an inn, three restaurants, an 1840s farmhouse that sleeps eight and a boutique for shopping.

And Gervasi is expanding yet again, adding a spa, a new wine cave and tasting room, a rickhouse for spirits and a distribution warehouse expected to open in spring 2023. Concerts and other events are held on site at 1700 55th St. NE, Canton

Gervasi Vineyard is a perfect first stop of Akron-Canton wineries, but here are some others to get you started.

The Winery at Wolf Creek

2637 S. Cleveland Massillon Rd., Barberton: Hillside vineyard planted with European grape varieties. Picnics welcome.

Sarah’s Vineyard

1204 Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls: Sustainable farming within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Handhewn beams, fireplace, gardens, local art for sale.

1875 Winery

109 State Rte. 44, Hartville: Named for the vintage, threestory barn it calls home. Two patios. No kids allowed.

Barrel Run Crossing

3272 Industry Rd., Rootstown: Fourth-generation family farm turned vineyard, orchard. Small plates, live music on weekends.

Nauti Vine Winery

3950 S. Main St., Akron: This place is also home to Mucky Duck Brewery. Watch the sun set over the Portage Lakes.

Maize Valley Winery and Brewery

6193 Edison St. NE, Hartville: a 700-acre working farm, market, tasting room, café. Special events.

Silver Run Vineyard and Winery

376 Eastern Rd., Doylestown: Run by a husband and wife who’ve been in the business for nearly 20 years. Indoor and outdoor seating.

Fillia Cellars

3059 Greenwich Rd., Wadsworth: Dry red from another family vineyard in California. Whites

made in Ohio. Dog friendly. Snacks available or bring a picnic.

Michael Angelo’s Winery

5515 Broadview Rd., Richfield: Focused on small-lost varietals. Café style food, signature treats from its sister bakery.

High & Low Winery and Bistro

588 Medina Rd., Medina: A high-tasting room with chandeliers; a rustic low-tasting room. Artisan deli. Events such as yoga and concerts.

Sandy Springs Brewing Company

COURTESY OF SANDY SPRINGS BREWING COMPNANY

The Still House at Gervasi Vineyard

COURTESY OF GERVASI VINEYARD

Cheer s for Beer s

Beer lovers, we have plenty of spectacular suds to wet your whistle. Our beers have won numerous medals at the Great American Beer Festival and earned top honors from ratebeer.com.

And the Summit Brew Path is back for its sixth year, highlighting 23 craft breweries in Summit, Portage, Stark and Medina County. The Brew Path, a passport-style trail, has been a rousing success. Thousands take part each year. Use #SummitBrewPath on Twitter to see highlights of their travels. All finishers are entered into a drawing, and the grand prize winner is announced at the Summit Brew Path Bash in January. Be sure to check out HiHo Brewing Company and Hoppin’ Frog Brewery, who won awards in the 2022 World Beer Cup Competition (57 countries entered!).

Or to see how our southerners do it, check out Hall of Fame Hops, the selfguided ale trail through the breweries of Stark and Tuscarawas counties. If your taste runs more to the caffeinated, try The Drip Drive, a 20-stop trail through Summit County’s coffee country. Check out #DoTheDrip on Twitter.

A 6-PACK OF BEER FACTS

Akronym Brewing recently took an empty space between two buildings in downtown Akron and transformed it into a magical biergarten to complement its brewery’s main taproom on East Market Street.

Missing Falls Brewery is housed in Canal Place, the former B.F. Goodrich plant in downtown Akron. Its Golden Zip Golden Ale honors University of Akron students who are nicknamed Zips. (That’s a whole other crazy story.)

Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. got its name when the owner’s Labrador retriever loped into a brainstorming session to lap up a bowl of water.

Royal Docks in Canton has a British flavor because the Canton blokes who founded it lived across the pond for a bit and loved it. Cheerio!

MADCAP Brew Co. has brought its punkish-metal vibe to a 1940s-era machine shop in Kent.

Lock 15 Brewing Co. may be housed in a former tire factory but its setting is now idyllic—nestled near the bucolic Cascade Valley trailhead and the Towpath Trail.

Akronym Brewing

Missing Falls Brewery

Thirsty Dog Brewing Company

Lock 15 Brewing Company

HiHo Brewing Company

Unwind Kenmore

once sat on a trolley line and was known as Stop 97. In the 1940s, a neighborhood bar known as the Old 97 welcomed weary commuters with drinks and fellowship. Today that bar has been completely remodeled into The 97 and features a trendy cocktail menu. It serves myriad martinis, including the “chocolate pretzel.”

New on the scene is Craft Social Bar in Cuyahoga Falls, a combination winery, brewery and crafted cocktail spot, so whatever you’re drinking, they have it.

There are many other places to grab a crafted cocktail in the region, and you don’t need to be a commuter to enjoy them.

LAY YOUR LIPS ON THESE LOCAL, LUSCIOUS LIBATIONS.

Down The Rabbit Hole

Effen Cucumber Vodka, St. Elder, lime juice, simple syrup

Northside Speakeasy, 31 Furnace St., Akron

Smoked Old

Fashioned

Woodford Reserve bourbon, Angostura bitters and a Bordeaux cherry smoked with oak and served over a colossal ice cube

Bonefish Grill, 6341 Strip Ave. NW, North Canton

Huckleberry

Bulleit bourbon, blueberry puree, Turbinado sugar, lemons and topped with ginger beer

Cashmere Cricket, 2275 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls

Dumbledore’s Butterbeer

Vanilla/Orange Liqueur, White Crème de Cacao, Butterscotch, Sparkling

Wine, Butterscotch

Meringue

Crafted Cocktail Co., 991 High St., Wadsworth

Tales of Woe

Bourbon, lemon, lime, Cuban espresso, and ginger

beer

410 Lounge, 410 Market Ave., Canton

The Twisted Olive

SHOP

Treat Yourself! Shopping in Akron-Canton is a spree for all.

Whetheryou’re into vintage furniture, artisan housewares or hot-off-the-runway styles, you’ll find it in Akron-Canton.

Art, Creativity in Style at Don Drumm

Start exploring at Don Drumm Studios and Gallery near The University of Akron. The minute you enter its courtyard, you’ll know this is someplace special. Consistently honored as one of the top contemporary craft retailers in the nation, Don Drumm Studios and Gallery is an adventure in beauty, style and creativity. Its two buildings—five thousand square feet in all, brimming with jewelry, glass, sculptures, ceramics, metalworks and graphics made by more than 500 of the finest designer-craftsmen from New York to San Francisco. In the late 1950s, Drumm pioneered the use of cast aluminum as an artistic medium. He and his wife, Lisa, a textile artist, opened the studio in Akron in 1960. Many of Drumm’s exuberant works grace area parks, gardens and walls.

Search for Treasure in Hartville

Hartville, a village of 3,000 situated between Akron and Canton, has nearly two million visitors a year, drawn by its extraordinary retail scene. The yearround Hartville Marketplace and Flea Market is the largest in Ohio with three acres of indoor shopping and 12 acres outside for as many as 1,200 vendors. The Marketplace’s South Side Market sells fresh produce, Amish cheeses, meat and gifts.

At more than 300,000 square feet, Hartville Hardware & Lumber is the largest independent home center store in the country. If your taste runs more to nature, try Bloom Hill Farm where you can design your own bouquets of fresh-cut flowers.

Our Vintage is Vibrant

Whether you’re into mid-century modern or 70s disco chic, we have

some stores for you. Our vintage scene is thriving, thanks to some creative entrepreneurs with an eye for the timehonored and treasured.

The Bomb Shelter in Akron’s Middlebury neighborhood has furniture that looks straight off a Mad Men set, but it also has old hubcaps, cameras, vintage clothing and vinyl. It’s funky, inspiring and fun.

Marigold Sol, one of several new stores in Akron’s Kenmore neighborhood, specializes in revitalizing vintage furniture and selling curated supplies for such DIY projects. Classes are available too.

The Hidden Pearl, a vintage clothing store in Cuyahoga Falls, was praised in Teen Vogue for its eclectic and elegant collections. Hats are piled high, costume jewelry sparkles and those

Don Drumm Studios and Gallery

classic clothes that span decades are calling your name.

The House at Hudson has furniture and clothing that’s “well-traveled,” as well as some new goods. It’s a place to pop in for a perfect hostess gift or that just-the-right-size classic armoire.

Modern Traditions Co. , which carries hard-to-find vintage clothing items like all-cotton Levi’s and mouton jackets, is housed in the Bounce Innovation Hub, the former B.F. Goodrich tire factory on South Main Street.

The upbeat and off beat collide at Arrowhead Vintage and Handmade Goods in the downtown Canton Arts District. The store itself describes their inventory as “genuine weirdo stuff.”

Medina Charms

If you like charming places and things, you’ll love Medina. The city’s main square—with its gazebo, green space and historic buildings—is quintessential small-town America. It’s a no-chain zone with dozens of mom-and-pop shops and restaurants surrounding the square. Make sure to visit the flagship gift store of the A.I. Root Co. , one of the world’s premier candle makers. Miss Molly’s Gift Shop and Tea Room has expanded to include a fashion boutique. And you’ll find plenty of antiques in Medina. The Medina Antique Mall and Medina Depot Antiques are worth a special trip.

Find the Classics in Hudson

You’d be forgiven if you mistook the City of Hudson for a New England town. Anchored by Western Reserve Academy, this northern Summit County city has an East Coast vibe. Make sure to visit The Learned Owl, a remarkable independent bookstore with three floors. The Grey Colt has

been outfitting area women in classic clothes for more than six decades. First & Main is an upscale, outdoor lifestyle center in the heart of Hudson. It’s a blend of national retailers such as Chico’s and J.Jill and locally owned boutiques such as Heather’s Heat & Flavor.

Community, Culture and Cool Rule Northside

Located in what was once the red-light district of Akron, Northside is now the cool side. Adjacent to the Northside Lofts and the Courtyard by Marriot , Northside Marketplace serves as a retail incubator where entrepreneurs get tools they need to grow their businesses. In turn, shoppers get an urban, eclectic shopping experience they won’t find anywhere else. Shoppers can hang out at the lounge or shop at nearly 70 area vendors selling locally made food and goods. A visit to Rubber City Clothing for all things cheekily Akron is an absolute must.

Stroll our Malls Summit Mall, Fairlawn is anchored by Macy’s and Dillard’s. It has the only Apple store between Cleveland and Columbus.

Belden Village Mall, North Canton, draws shoppers from across Northeast Ohio. Pandora and American Eagle are popular stops.

Aurora Farms Premium Outlets , Aurora. This outdoor outlet mall is the place to get all the name brands at a bargain. All your favorites—including Adidas, Coach and Nike—are here.

12 TEMPTING SHOPPING SPOTS

Gypsy Grace and the Vintage Goat , Akron (Highland Square). This is a magical place to find books, herbs and décor to soothe your mind and soul. Crystals, sage, home items and gifts are artfully displayed.

Molly’s Shop and Café, Akron. On the grounds of Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, the store is filled with unique jewelry, clothing and home goods. You’ll also find books on the history of this fabulous estate. Open to the public.

Akron Glass Works , Akron. Housed in a former church near the UA campus, this is the place to watch glass blowing in action. Or take a workshop. Shoppers can browse a gallery of blown and fused glass items, from ornaments to lamps.

DeVitis Italian Market and Deli, Akron. In the heart of Akron’s most international neighborhood, DeVitis caters to foodies of all stripes, but it’s known best for Italian specialties.

Mackenzie’s Silver Lining , Wooster. Since 1983, this Wayne County store has featured handmade jewelry with metals and gemstones. Have a vision? Mackenzie will bring it to life.

Lucky Shoes , Fairlawn and Canton. It may have been founded more than a century ago, but this place pairs its old-fashioned service with the latest styles for the whole family.

Century Cycles , Peninsula and Medina. Whether you’re seeking trail or asphalt, this is one of America’s best bike shops.

The Peanut Shoppe, Akron. The delicious smell of roasting nuts will draw you to this classic downtown anchor that has been around since the 1930s. Chocolates, nuts, candies and more.

Jean + Lou , Cuyahoga Falls. Women’s clothes, accessories and gifts. Fresh, fun styles. Some men’s items too.

Cantonolgy, Canton. Housed in the downtown Arts District, this is the place to go for all things related to the city where the National Football League began.

The Toys Time Forgot , Canal Fulton. Feeling nostalgic? Find all the favorite toys from your childhood, from Hot Wheels to X-Men.

The Village of Peninsula . Luscious art galleries, charming gift shops and scenic cafes. Cycle, drive or ride the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Stop by Szalay’s Farm & Market for your sweet corn in season.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHSIDE MARKETPLACE

PHOTO COURTESY OF HARTVILLE KITCHEN

Leaf Hartville Kitchen

DIVERSIONS

Diver sions

Takea detour from the everyday. Whether you’re a fan of the arts or just looking for something to do with the kids, you’ve come to the right place. The list below will get you started. Check ArtsNow.org, downtownakron.com and artsinstark.com for more.

We Hit the Right Notes

The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center—Sit on the lawn, drink a little wine and hear one of the world’s truly great orchestras.

Akron, Canton & Alliance Symphony Orchestras—You don’t have to go far to hear inspiring music played by professionals. Visit a local park in summer to hear their free concerts— gifts to their home communities

Rubber City Jazz and Blues Festival Akron honors its rich musical history at this annual festival featuring music by local and national artists at several venues over a weekend each summer.

Tuesday Musical —This longtime Akron organization brings some of the world’s best music to the community.

All students can attend concerts for free, and its Decompression Chamber brings concerts to high-stress environments.

Broadway in Akron at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall—Home to the Akron Symphony and Tuesday Musical, E.J. Thomas hosts a series of Broadway shows that shouldn’t be missed.

We’re Light on Our Feet

The Ballet Theatre of Ohio —This is the largest classic ballet company in Northeast Ohio with a broad classical and contemporary repertoire at various venues.

The Neos Dance Theatre —Based at The University of Akron and the Oberlin Center for the Arts, Neos is nonprofit professional company

that performs both classical and contemporary choreography.

Canton Ballet—With the School of Canton Ballet, a company of more than 35 pre-professional dancers and an extensive performance repertoire, this is a training ground for serious students.

Ballet Excel Ohio is one of the oldest youth ballets in the nation with dancers ages 8-18. Its educational outreach exposes thousands of students to dance each year.

We Color Our World

The Akron Art Museum —Focused on art from 1850 onward, the museum is free on Thursdays. Visit the inspiring Bud and Susie Rogers Garden. It has many community outreach programs for adults and children.

Akron Art Museum COURTESY OF AKRON ART MUSEUM

The Canton Museum of Art—The museum’s permanent collection focuses on American works on paper from the 19th century onward and contemporary ceramics. Admission is free on Thursdays.

The Kent State University Museum

Home to extraordinary collections of historic dress, fashion, textiles, and decorative arts by many of the world’s great artists and designers. The museum is affiliated with Kent State’s top-ranked fashion school.

Massillon Museum —Known as MassMu, this is where art and history intersect. Check out its mini-museum about Paul Brown, the famous football coach and Massillon native.

The Emily Davis Gallery—This University of Akron gallery brings in

exhibitions of contemporary artists and showcases the works of university students and faculty at the Mary S. Myers School of Art.

The Downtown Akron Artwalk—Travel by foot or trolley to discover two dozen destinations for art appreciation (and shopping!).

The Canton Arts District—This downtown area boasts 30 art galleries, studios and specialty shops plus a wide range of public artwork on display.

We Thrive on Drama

Ohio Shakespeare Festival —In the gardens of Stan Hywet Hall in summer or in graceful Greystone Hall in winter, this professional theater troupe brings the magic of Shakespeare and his fellow playwrights to vivid life.

Canton Ballet Blossom Music Center

Canton Palace Theatre

McKinley Museum

Pegasus, The Canton Museum of Art

COURTESY OF CANTON BALLET

COURTESY OF THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA

COURTESY OF CANTON PALACE THEATRE

COURTESY OF MCKINLEY MUSEUM

DIVERSIONS

Weathervane Playhouse —Celebrating its 88th season, this community theater is designed to enrich quality of life and engage the community through performance and education.

none too fragile theater—Some of the edgiest theater you’ll find in Northeast Ohio, its Akron-based productions are always compelling.

QuTheatr Ensemble —This theatre project employs and empowers LGBTQ+ youth and young adults in Greater Akron.

Porthouse Theatre —The theater, affiliated with Kent State University, presents outdoor musicals and dramas on the grounds of Blossom Music Center. Picnic before the show.

The Nightlight Cinema —On Akron’s High Street, patrons can sip a drink and watch fascinating, independent films with like-minded folk.

Ma’Sue Productions—An Akron theater company created in 2011, it celebrates traditional and original African American stories. Its productions take place at various venues in the region.

Point of No Return Improv—Based in Cuyahoga Falls, this troupe of brave and sort of nontraditional actors perform armed only with talent.

Gum-Dip Theatre —Plays for, with and about our Akron community. Named for a step in the tire-building process.

We’re Fun for Kids

Akron Children’s Museum —With water tables, wind tunnels and monster makers, this downtown museum is the place for children to learn about the world while having a blast. The museum, which is at Lock 3 downtown, is in the midst of an expansion, which adds a private party room, sensory room and redesigned makerspace,

Live Music

Whateveryour jam—rap, rock, jazz or metal— you can hear it live in Akron-Canton. What else would you expect from the place that gave you DEVO, Chrissie Hynde, the O’Jays and The Black Keys?

Visit the Akron Civic Theatre, the jewel on Main Street that draws groups like Straight No Chaser and Earth, Wind & Fire. Next to the Civic in the historic Whitelaw Building, you’ll find The Knight Stage that seats 200, a perfect setting for an intimate show. E.J. Thomas Hall on The University of Akron Campus features national artists and events such as the Masked Singer Tour.

The Goodyear Theater, once part of the famous tire company, seats 1,500. You just may find the likes of Peabo Bryson and Pat Benatar playing there.

Each Friday and Saturday night all year, the Canton Music Block in downtown Canton reverberates with live music of all types. Buzzbin Art and Music Shop and George’s Lounge are definitely worth a stop. The Canton Arts District also has five live music venues among its many galleries and studios.

Rock the lock with your favorite tribute bands all summer at Lock 3 Park, the enormously popular amphitheater in downtown Akron.

At Jilly’s Music Room in Akron’s Northside and Musica (under the Dance sign on Maiden Lane) downtown, you can hear the very best local and regional bands while sipping your favorite drink.

If you’re a jazz fan, head to BLU Jazz or the Lock Bottom Blues & Jazz Club in downtown Akron or the Old 97 Café in Akron’s Kenmore neighborhood. Kenmore is also home to the Rialto Theatre and the Akron Recording Company, which are run by musicians for musicians.

Sometimes our music scene spills into the streets. PorchRokr is a summer festival in Akron’s Highland Square. Bands play on people’s front porches as thousands of fans fill the neighborhood. Come knockin’, start rockin’.

The Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival each August keeps the hep cats happy. Falls Downtown Fridays and Kenmore First Fridays help hard workers slide into the weekend with some of the area’s best bands.

And if you need the best homegrown music 24/7, stream it at the330.net, sponsored by 91.3 FM The Summit, which is operated by The Akron Public Schools. You’ll hear The Black Keys and DEVO, if course. But you’ll also discover new area artists you’re bound to love. Lock 4

Weathervane Playhouse

PHOTO BY TIM FITZWATER

among other improvements. It’s set to be completed in 2023.

Magical Theater Co.—Based in a renovated, gem-like theater in Barberton, it is the only professional resident and touring theater for children in Northeast Ohio.

F.A. Seiberling Naturealm —The park has three hiking trails, gardens, a suspension bridge and two ponds. An indoor center with exhibits, live animals and presentations allows visitors to touch, listen and learn.

The Akron Zoo —The zoo sits on 77 acres, half of which have been developed into spectacular exhibits and gardens designed to bring visitors close to more than 700 animals. Its new Wild Asia exhibit has Sumatran tigers, red pandas and white-cheeked gibbons. Kids love the tube slide through the otter exhibit at Grizzly Ridge. And check out the spray pad at Pride of Africa. The zoo is easily navigated in a few hours. For those with sensory processing needs such as autism, it offers special tools and services. Check out the zoo’s many events, including Paint with the Lions and Wild Lights.

Wingfoot Lake State Park

Paddleboats, fishing, miniature golf, a massive playground and a clear view of the Goodyear Blimp hangar. What more could a kid ask for? Well, how about a Storybook Trail that takes them on a hike through an engaging tale by a children’s author.

OPEN STUDIO —In the lobby of the Akron Art Museum, kids can develop their creative spirits. From sensory stations for babies to messy arts supplies school-age kids love, this artistic space is open weekdays. Serious artists are welcome, too.

The William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum in Canton has all the things you’d expect of a presidential library, but it also has kidfriendly surprises. Its life-sized Street of Shops replicates a street from the late 19th century. Its Discover World is an interactive science center and Hoover-Price Planetarium has more than 60 projectors.

MORE LOVE

92The world-famous Cleveland Orchestra has its summer home at the Blossom Music Center, an outdoor amphitheater in Cuyahoga Falls. Blossom also hosts rock, country and indie concerts all summer presented by Live Nation. Pack a picnic or get food there. It’s a Greater Akron-Canton must.

93Do you want to have Thanksgiving dinner with Abraham Lincoln?

Hale Farm & Village in Bath Township is your place. It’s the original homestead of Jonathan Hale, a Connecticut native who migrated to the Western Reserve in 1810. The openair interpretive museum has historic structures, farm animals and early American craft and trade demonstrations.

94Each June, Clay’s Park Resort in Canal Fulton plays host to The Country Fest, a three-day music festival featuring top country talent from across the country that draws over 15,000 attendees nightly. Grab your camping gear and stay on-site all weekend at one of Clay’s Parks campsites.

Akron Children’s Museum

COURTESY

OF AKRON

BEORIGINAL

Be an Original.

Support

for artists—whether they’re printmakers or poets—comes from all quarters here. And in turn, the region’s creators fill our lives and communities with art that reaches and teaches.

SUPPORT

The community is behind you.

Each year the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation holds the Knight Arts Challenge in Miami, Detroit and Akron where the Knight family began its newspaper dynasty. Knight funds the arts because they have “a unique power to connect people to place and to each other.”

This year’s winners and their projects include: Gum-Dip Theatre: A cross-cultural play created by a multiethnic former refugee ensemble that explores the navigation of their new world.

Akron Black Artist Guild: Performances, workshops and demonstrations produced by Black artists for public parks, hospital galleries and Akron neighborhoods.

Natalie Warren: A series of exhibitions to make Black history and culture more accessible to the residents of Akron throughout the year.

Radio on the Lake Theatre: A portable audio tour using the art of the radio play to illuminate five Akron historical landmarks for the visually challenged. The Wick Poetry Center: An interactive poetic map of Akron displayed in pop-up exhibits throughout the city.

QuTheatr: A community-driven performance crafted from stories collected during monthly queer gatherings throughout the city.

ArtsNow provides vital resources to and advocates for artists and supporting partners in Summit County. It also: Provides information about diverse arts and culture offerings in the region.

Gathers and analyzes data about arts and culture to drive improvements.

Builds and strengthens funding for arts and culture. ArtsinStark represents more than 900 cultural organizations and artists in Stark County with the guiding belief that arts and culture create new jobs, smarter kids and healthier communities. It operates the Cultural Center for the Arts, downtown Canton’s cultural centerpiece and home to four resident companies: the Canton Museum of Art, Players Guild Theatre, Canton Ballet and Sing Stark.

The Akron Soul Train is a fellowship program for artists and allies. Fellowships are generally one month but can be longer. It provides space, funding and time for artists; in turn they share their work and process with the public.

Derin Fletcher’s Green Girl

Sculptor Ron White in his Summit Artspace Studio

PHOTO COURTESY OF DERIN FLETCHER

PHOTO BY CORY KISTOW

Art Bomb Brigade’s Dawn Revisited mural on the Freedom Trail, Team Leader Mac Love

AKRON BLACK ARTIST GUILD SUPPORTS INCLUSIVITY

Akron Black artists have always worked in studios across the region. But in 2021—with support from the Knight Foundation and ArtsNow—they joined together to form the Akron Black Artist Guild (ABAG), a fellowship to provide resources, support and opportunities for Black artists. “As a Black artist, it’s easy to feel isolated from others and unconnected to opportunities in our region,” says Dana Harper, who co-founded the group with Diane Johnson and Dominic Moore-Dunson.

In 2022, partnerships, artist fellowships and workshops have dominated the scene.

Art in the Park Collective, a two-year collaboration with the Summit Metro Parks, puts performances and other outdoor activities into the park system for all to enjoy.

Through the Reimagine Fellowship, three talented artists are paired with three neighborhoods: photographer Talia Hodge/Kenmore, muralist Stephanie Stewart and daughter Kayla/West Akron and digital artist Chris Harvey/Reservoir Park.

Elevating Our Mood: Visual Artists of Akron Black Artist Guild portrayed Summa Health’s relationship with ABAG by opening a new gallery. Check out abaguild.org

Curated Storefront commissions the creation and installation of public art throughout Akron, making the city a dynamic destination for urban art while supporting artists. The mixedmedia installations are accessible to all.

SPACE

Find a place to express yourself. Summit Artspace is a community art center that brings together in one location some of the best local artists, arts organizations and educators. Its downtown studios are filled with quilters, potters, sculptors and more. It also operates two artist enclaves in Barberton.

The BOX Gallery features the works of Artists of Rubber City, a visual arts nonprofit founded in 1978.

The Canton Arts District downtown is filled with more than 30 galleries and studios as well as restaurants, taverns and cafés. It is supported in part by Canton city and Stark County governments. The First Friday party every month features live music and exhibitions. Avenue Marketplace and Theatre includes a gallery area, 15 studios and the Howland Theatre.

Named after a dye used in tire manufacturing, Carbon Black is the new event space for Crafty Mart . Crafty Mart supports local artisans and makers with educational

MORE LOVE

95Akron’s Northside District is a hip residential, arts and entertainment area in what once was the city’s red light quarter. Luigi’s, an Akron landmark, anchors the district. Jilly’s draws live music lovers. The Northside Marketplace mixes established retailers such as Rubber City Clothing with startups. Cyclists hop on the Towpath Trail only 100 yards away.

Northside

Lofts provide elegant, urban living.

programs, handmade markets and additional opportunities to elevate their creative businesses. Carbon Black is on the second floor of the Bounce Innovation Hub, located in a former B.F. Goodrich Co. factory.

The Bounce Innovation Hub is home to Avant Garden, a unique space where artists and makers produce and showcase experimental and innovative art. Application is by invitation.

The Art Bomb Brigade uses creative placemaking to invigorate Akron with murals in high-traffic, public spaces. They pick a corner of the city and “bomb” it with art with the help of community members.

TOOLS

Create what you imagine; we have what you need.

Here are just a few items you can borrow from the Akron-Summit County Public Library :

Cake pans

Binoculars

Original artworks (in conjunction with the Akron Art Museum)

Hot Spots

Double row tambourine

16 mm film projector

Vinyl archiving turntable

…oh, and books and DVDs

The Library also offers a TechZone that has professional audio and video

recording studios, design computers, 3-D printers, laser engraver, media transfer station, vinyl printer and a crafting/sewing area that even provides a button maker.

The Bounce Innovation Hub’s Workshop has an artistic focus, available not just for makers, but all creatives. It is membership-based, offering workspace and state-of-theart equipment such as 3D printers, laser cutters and photography equipment. It is ideal for Akron’s makers, crafters, artists and builders.

Akron Makerspace is a nonprofit coop that grew from a two-car garage into a 10,000-square-foot space filled with equipment that ranges from artisan hand tools to industrial machines. Members get workspace and discounts on its classes and workshops.

COURTESY OF AKRON MAKERSPACE

3-3-G0!

The 3-3-G0! Dial into r sp ts scene. It’s off the h k.

Akron Marathon Race Series presented by Summa Health

A blue stripe runs down Akron roads for miles—26.2 of them to be exact. It marks the route of the FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon and Team Relay, the marquee event of this race series now celebrating its 20th year. The series begins in June and ends with its capstone race in September. The series is a true community-wide celebration of health and home, and funds raised benefit numerous non-profit organizations.

Regal Beagle Ultra Marathon

More than 250 runners turn out each November for this 50K run through wetlands, woodlands and hills in Bath Township. Proceeds benefit area parks. Those whose expectations are a bit more modest can run a 25K or 5K.

Hall of Fame Marathon

Four races make up this series that highlights the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. It begins with a 5K on the NFL Draft Day in Akron, followed by a marathon, half-marathon and team relay. In September, a 5K coincides with the start of football season. Proceeds benefit the Timken Family Cancer Center.

Up, Up and Away 5K

Part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival in summer, this race draws hundreds of runners, walkers, parents with strollers and trotters with pets. Hot air balloons, in town for the weekend’s Balloon Classic, float overhead.

Huntington Towpath Century Ride

A fundraiser for the beloved Ohio & Erie Canalway, a designated National Heritage Area, this 101mile ride traverses the towpath trail from Settler’s Point in Cleveland to Massillon. Do it in one day or two.

Summit Metro Parks Fall Hiking Spree

Each fall, hundreds of hikers lace up their boots to log miles at 15 designated trails in the Metro Parks. Complete eight trails, earn a hiking sta or shield. It’s the oldest community hike of its kind in the nation.

. . . or go fan-crazy for your favorite teams.

The Pros

The Cleveland Guardians—rebranded and renewed—play at Progressive Field, just a 35-minute drive from downtown Akron. It’s a fan-friendly ballpark, from its raised bullpens to

its Kids Clubhouse. Stadium Journey named it the best MLB ballpark in 2019.

The Cleveland Browns attract some of the most passionate fans in the NFL, win or lose. Just check out the insane Dawg Pound posse during the fourth quarter. FirstEnergy Stadium on the shores of Lake Erie is a gorgeous place to see a game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, which underwent complete renovations a couple of years ago. It’s a full fan and family experience. It’s also home to the AHL’s Monsters, the top a liate of the Columbus Blue Jackets hockey team.

The Akron RubberDucks, whose home is Canal Park in the heart of downtown Akron, is the minor league AA a liate of the Cleveland Guardians. Games, mascots, extreme food and up-and-

In. These are just a few of the places to test your mettle whether you walk, run or ride.

Hall of Fame Marathon

coming players make the Ducks a budget-friendly blast.

Legends of golf such as Ernie Els and Fred Couples take on the famed Firestone Country Club’s south course for the PGA Tour’s Bridgestone Senior Players Championship in July. After play, families can enjoy concerts and great food. Proceeds benefit many local charities.

The NFL’s annual Hall of Fame Game takes place in August in Canton, the birthplace of professional football. The game, at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, is part of the week-long festivities celebrating the induction of the game’s icons into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Go College!

The University of Akron Zips: 17 varsity NCAA Division I teams in the Mid America Conference, including a nationally ranked men’s soccer team.

Kent State Golden Flashes: 19 varsity NCAA Division I teams, including football and men’s track and field, the Mid America Conference champions.

Malone University Pioneers , Canton: 18 varsity Division II teams in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, including newly formed men’s and women’s lacrosse teams

Walsh University Cavaliers , North Canton: 20 varsity Division II teams in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, including football at the new Larry Staudt Field.

University of Mount Union Purple Raiders , Alliance: 22 varsity Division III teams in the Ohio Athletic Conference, including a century-old and storied football team

College of Wooster Fighting Scots: 23 varsity Division III teams in the North Coast Athletic Conference, of which it was a charter member.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Balloon Classic

MORE LOVE

96The University of Akron’s mascot is a kangaroo named Zippy. She’s one of only eight female mascots in the country. She may look adorable, but she can pack a punch.

97The Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Balloon Classic attracts balloonists from throughout the United States. Tens of thousands of festival goers watch the colorful balloons fly over Stark County.

SMART MOVE

DALLAS GRUNDY

The University of Akron, Sr. Vice President/Chief Financial Officer

LATIFAH GRUNDY

The University of Akron, Coordinator of Student Development and Student Partnerships

Moved from Marlton, NJ to Akron in November 2020.

Biggest surprise: The area is a beautiful place with a lot of personality. We were not surprised with the cold weather and snow; however, we were surprised by the snow showers late into April and May. Out-of-town visitor picks: Ken Stewart’s Grille, the Akron Zoo, The University of Akron campus, Akron Civic Theatre, Goodyear Hangar, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and the Hall of Fame museums.

Day-off Fun: Dining out, visiting Handel’s or Strickland’s ice cream, attending sporting events.

other it.

98The rivalry between Canton McKinley and Massillon’s Washington high schools is one of the longest and fiercest in the nation. They’ve been playing each other for 132 years, and more than 20,000 fans show up to the annual game. There have been movies made about it. And every baby born in Massillon is gifted a stuffed tiger (Washington’s mascot) from the high school’s athletic director.

99The University of Akron’s men’s soccer team, one-time national champs, has cultivated many of Major League Soccer’s best players. There are 20-25 UA grads in the MLS in any given year.

On the business/nonprofit climate: We appreciate the thriving small businesses in the local area and the many nonprofit organizations such as the Akron Urban League, Summit Education Initiative, and local fraternity and sorority chapters that support education, health and family.

Tips for newcomers: Be open-minded and immerse yourself into the community. You’ll love it!

Towpath Trilogy

University of Mount Union Football

NATURE’S WAY

Little Cuyahoga River

Breathe!

Ourparks are simply phenomenal. Let’s start with the fact that our backyard is the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the only national park in Ohio. We have state, metro and city parks, rivers, lakes, ledges, paths, marshes and wildlife preserves—not to mention the 91-mile-long Towpath Trail. There are more than 50,000 acres to soothe your soul. You’re bound to be in your element.

WATER

The Portage Lakes

With their recreational, restaurant and entertainment options, the Lakes have a vacation vibe all year. The area is anchored by the 411-acre Portage Lakes State Park. Rent a kayak, canoe or paddleboard or bring your own Fish at Nimisila Reservoir, a peaceful place to plant a pole

Ride the lakes with WakeSurf Ohio

Rent a Hydro Bike at Dusty’s Landing

Tour the lakes on a pontoon boat

Jet ski on the East Reservoir

The Cuyahoga River

A little more than 50 years ago, the Cuyahoga (kai-uhHOAG-uh) River was so polluted it caught fire. (Not our best moment.) But today, it is an American Heritage River— sparkling, healthy and perfect for watersports.

The Cuyahoga River Water Trail, an Ohio Water Trail, is divided into five sections with varying degrees of difficulty. For details on access, visit cuyahogariverwatertrail.org

Rent a kayak from Cuyahoga Valley Adventures , take it one way on the Cuyahoga Valley Railroad and paddle back. cvsr.org

Float the River in Cuyahoga Falls lets you and your friends tube down the river and then shuttles you back. floattheriver.net

West Branch State Park (5570 Esworthy Rd, Ravenna)

The park’s 2,650-acre lake with its many forks and coves is popular with fishermen, swimmers and boaters with no limit on horsepower. Boat rentals, gas and supplies are available at the marina. ohiodnr.org

Summit Lake (411 Ira Ave., Akron) Once “Akron’s Coney Island” and then neglected, Summit Lake on Akron’s south side is renewed and now open for fun. Visit the Summit Lake Nature Center in an old pump house and then paddle around the highest point along the Ohio-Erie Canalway.

AIR

Grab the binoculars and meet the original tweeters. The various habitats of the Bath Nature Preserve attract Henslow’s Sparrows, Bobolinks and Eastern Meadowlarks. The Coliseum Grasslands , Richfield, once the site of a sports arena that has literally gone to seed, is now home to Grasshopper Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlarks and Shorteared Owls.

Springfield Bog Metro Park , Akron, is a prairie habitat that draws Northern Bobwhites.

Hinckley Reservation has Swallows, Belted Kingfishers and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

You’ll find wild Turkeys and migratory waterfowl at Walborn Reservoir in Alliance. Check out a nesting family of Bald Eagles from the observation deck.

Blue Herons, the largest Herons in North America, arrive in spring to nest in the Merriman Valley of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Flutter By Here

The Butterflies of North America exhibit at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens puts visitors up close to several species, including the Monarch and Black Swallowtail. Species rotate through the summer. stanhywet.org

Float the River

Summit Lake

COURTESY OF STARK PARKS

PHOTO BY TIM HITE

COURTESY OF SUMMIT METRO PARKS

NATURE’S WAY

The Butterfly House at Beech Creek Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve in Alliance has more than 20 species of butterflies native to Ohio plus the plants that support them. beechcreekgardens.org

The Monarch Waystation at the Akron Zoo provides a resting place for this king of butterflies, which is losing its habitat at an alarming rate. The Waystation has several species of milkweed and other native plants to benefit pollinators. akronzoo.org

Fling It

Let your freak Frisbee fly at the region’s many disc golf courses. Here are a few. For a complete list, check out PDGA.org

Portage Lakes State Park , 5031 Manchester Rd., Akron

Silver Creek Metro Park , 5000 Hametown Rd., Norton

Roscoe Ewing Park , 599 Berkshire Dr., Medina

Boettler Park , 5300 Massillon Rd., North Canton

Hudson Springs Park , 7095 Stow Rd., Hudson

See Stars

The Fairlawn Rotary Observatory at the Bath Nature Preserve is run by the Summit County Astronomy Club. It has 10 telescopes and dedicated volunteers to help with special viewing events. facebook.com/ summitcountyobservatory

The Astronomy Club of Akron Observatory at Portage Lakes State

Park (5031 Manchester Rd.) holds both scheduled and impromptu star-gazing gatherings. asaoh.org

The Fred F. Silk Planetarium at the Wilderness Center in Wilmot (9877 Alabama Ave. SW) holds public viewing nights the first Friday of every month. twcac.org

Catch Big Air

Akron Skate Park , 990 Derby Downs Hudson Skateboard Park , Stow and Middleton roads

Dogwood Skateboard Park , 701 Dogwood Ave. NE, North Canton

Reagan Skate Park , Reagan Park Trail, Medina

Stonewater Skate Park , 459 Stonewater Dr., Kent

EARTH

Live on the Ledge

Much of Northeast Ohio’s unique geology is on display at our ledges— perfect for waterfall watching and sunset gazing.

Ritchie Ledges at Virginia Kendall Park: A photographer’s dream of the river valley. (1000 Kendall Lake Rd., Peninsula)

Whipps Ledges: Where the buzzards come home to roost (1039 Bellus Rd., Hinckley)

Worden’s Ledges: Crazy carvings in sandstone cliff s (859 Ledge Rd., Hinckley)

Liberty Park Ledges: Cliff s, caves and a boardwalk across wetlands (9999 Liberty Rd., Twinsburg)

Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park : Pass the Devil’s Icebox to see Cascade Falls (12440 OH-282, Garrettsville)

Gallop Along

If you want to see nature from atop a horse, you’ll have to bring your own. None of the parks rents horses, although there are many stables nearby that do.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park : Riders can take several trails, from short loops to a 4.5-mile, challenging run.

Silver Creek Metro Park : Ride two easy loops a little more than three miles each. (5000 Hametown Rd., Norton)

Walborn Reservoir : Enjoy a five-mile network of trails with views of the reservoir (11324 Price St. NW)

Headwaters Trail

Travel an eightmile trail between Garrettsville and Mantua in Portage County (10647 Freedom St., Garrettsville)

Quail Hollow Park : This moderate five-mile trail is good for beginners (13480 Congress Lake Ave., Hartville)

: Stark Parks

Towpath Trail Springfi eld Bog Prairie Trail

COURTESY OF SUMMIT METRO PARKS

PHOTO BY ROB BLAIR

Hartville)

Cycle It

There are hundreds of miles of bike trails in the Akron-Canton region. Get started here.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s Bike Aboard program lets you bike the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, then hop on for a relaxing ride bike. (You can also do this with a kayak.) There are several stations. Cost is $5. cvsr.org

The Freedom Trail runs from the Portage County line to Union Street in Akron. It will eventually extend to The University of Akron campus. The Middlebury Trailhead in Kent is a good place to start (1324 Middlebury Rd.).

The historic Towpath Trail, which follows the path of the old Ohio & Erie Canal, is now 91 miles long. It will be 101 when finished. Bike it, hike it, love it. ohioanderiecanalway.com

Hampton Hills, Summit Metro Parks has seven miles of mountain biking trails with no pedestrians. (2092 Theiss Rd., Akron)

The 34-mile Summit Metro Parks Hike & Bike Trail follows the lines of an old railroad between Cleveland and Akron. Construction may be underway in some sections. Check summitmetroparks.org for details.

The Portage Parks District Hike & Bike Trail is the major east-west link between major regional trails. portagecounty-oh.gov

portagecounty-oh.gov

Bike Aboard! Summit Metro Parks I I DISCOVER SMP Image ad '22 - Experience Greater Akron 4 5/8x10 FINAL.indd 1 3/30/22 11:24 AM

VALLEY NATIONAL PARK 37

NATURE’S WAY

to advanced (855 Weymouth Rd.) medinaoh.org

Lace Up

Akron-Canton has oodles of amazing trails. Pick your favorite, whether you’re pushing a stroller or pushing your limits.

Springfield Bog Prairie Trail (1400 Portage Line Rd., Springfield) This gentle two-mile trail leads visitors through a thriving prairie, complete with boardwalks and an observation deck.

Tree Farm Trail (2075 Major Rd., Peninsula) This three-mile loop on a former Christmas tree farm has a scenic view of Horseshoe Pond.

The Gorge Trail (1160 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls) Old Maid’s Kitchen is an easy half-mile walk from the parking lot, but the trail quickly becomes rugged as it passes through stunning ledges.

Boston Run Trail (501 W. Streetsboro Rd., Hudson) Park at the Happy Days Lodge and take in the forested (namely birches, beeches, oaks) and moderate path.

Sand Run Trail (1300 Sand Run Pkwy., Akron) This popular trail on the west side runs along the parkway. You’ll see plenty of joggers and dog walkers. For seclusion, hit the park’s other trails.

FIRE

If a crackling campfire sparks your imagination, you’re in luck. Our state and local parks have several appealing campgrounds, from primitive to plugged-in.

Sand Run Metro Park , Big Bend trailhead (1337 Merriman Rd.), Akron: Adjacent to the Towpath Trail, the trailhead offers onenight primitive camping. summitmetroparks.org

Nimisila Reservoir Metro Park (5550 Christman Rd., Green). This popular camping spot has 29 individual campsites with fire rings. Six have electricity; three are ADA accessible. Make reservations through ReserveAmerica.com or at the Park’s offices (975 Treaty Line Rd., Akron)

West Branch State Park (5570 Esworthy Rd., Ravenna) The park has 29 full-service sites, including 13 with electricity. Showers, flush toilets and laundry available. ohiodnr.gov

The Rivers Edge Campground at the Bridgeport Quarry trailhead (3400 block Erie Ave., Massillon) welcomes those hiking/biking the Towpath Trail. starkparks.com

and Chills

access point in the Cascade Valley Metro Park (experienced paddlers only).

Jump on the stump hoppers in the Goodyear Heights Metro Park; make a mud pie while you’re at it. Get questing in the Ohio & Erie Canalway. Follow rhyming clues to a hidden treasure.

Sled with spectacular views at Firestone Metro Park in Akron.

mindfulness walk and Zen garden.

companies at the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival in Akron

Stark Parks

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

PHOTO BY ROBERT GEORGE

COURTESY OF STARK PARKS

100ReneePowell, the second AfricanAmerican woman to compete on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour, is head professional at Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, the course built by her father decades ago. She has worked tirelessly to diversify the game. In 2011, she launched Clearview HOPE, dedicated to helping female veterans through golf.

TIRETOWN

An Akron park is home to the largest AfricanAmerican golf club in the country. The Tiretown Golf Club and its associated charities have a home base at the J.E. Good Park, a public course on the west side of Akron. Good Park was one of only two golf courses in Northeast Ohio at the time of the club’s founding in 1950 where African American golfers could play. (The other course at the time was Ridge Top Golf Course in Medina.)

But Tiretown has gone without a home course until spring of 2022 when it joined forces with the City to make Good Park its home. Members say it’s important to have a home course where the club’s distinguished history and good works can be displayed.

Tiretown and its 182 members work to expose young people to the game and raise money for college scholarships and community programs. Good Park received a four star rating for public courses from Golf Digest.

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan with Tiretown members at the home course naming ceremony.

Tiretown nurtures a love of golf among African-American youth.

Renee Powell

Tiretown is the largest predominantly African-American golf club in the country with 182 members.

OPENMINDS

Opening Minds

Greater Akron-Canton has extraordinary public, private, religious, single-sex, boarding and country day schools. Find your family’s fit.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Whether they want to be IT experts or actors, our students have the whole community behind them. Nowhere is that clearer than the College and Career Academies (CCAs) of Akron at the Akron Public Schools (APS). With the CCAs at the district’s high schools, APS is expanding the program to middle schools and, eventually, to elementary schools. The CCAs of Akron began with a partnership among APS, ConxusNEO and Ford Next Generation Learning, which has developed models for career-centered education that leverage business and community resources.

About 400 community partners take part in the CCAs. They range from corporate giants such as The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and FirstEnergy Corp. to local grocery chains and health systems. The relationship is symbiotic. With the support of business partners, academies give students real-world experience while the companies get a better-prepared workforce in the future. Pathways include the health professions, engineering and the performing arts, among others. Students learn in small groups with a core group of teachers, community partners and peers.

Unlike the high schools, the middle schools partner only with nonprofits such as food banks, legal aid societies and zoos. The program began in 2021 with sixth graders they dubbed Trailblazers. Each new sixth grade class from now on will enter into the CCAs. Through service learning, the students will begin to build the personal and professional skills they’ll need for a lifetime of success.

FUN FACT: APS translates its essential information for families into 47 languages.

OLD SCHOOL, NEW IDEAS

Two centuries of tradition run deep at Western Reserve Academy, a co-ed boarding and day school in Hudson founded in 1826. Boys still wear coats and ties to class, and green blazers are required twice a week. But the school is

breaking with tradition by eliminating all its AP classes. The move frees faculty members to teach without worrying whether their material applies directly to AP exams, school officials said.

Learning is changing in other ways at the storied school. Among the historic red brick buildings is the Wang Innovation Center (WIC), a 6,000-square-foot makerspace where students can conceive of a product, plan it and prototype it.

More than a collection of 3-D printers, the WIC is packed with equipment such as green screens and CNC machines to help students take ideas from the classroom to reality. The center opened in 2017 and has since become one of the most popular spots for the 400 students on campus.

FUN FACT: The Loomis Observatory at Reserve is the second oldest observatory in the nation.

WE MAKE THE GRADE

Hudson High School, Twinsburg High School and Revere High School in Summit County; Jackson High School in Stark County; Aurora High School in Portage County and Highland High School in Medina County were ranked in the top 50 public high schools in Ohio by U.S. News and World Report

Old Trail School, a co-ed, Pre-K through 8 school in Bath Township, is the only independent school in the nation located in a national park.

Students at six Akron-Canton schools won gold medals in the prestigious Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for 2022. The competition is the longest-running and

Akron Public Schools

Wang Innovation Center 3-D Printers

Our Lady of the Elms Farm

Medina College Career Center-Cosmotology

Canton County Day School

Akron Public Schools College and Career Academies, Culinary Program, Kenmore-Garfield High School

PHOTO BY DIANA ROSS

Continued from page 41

most prestigious competition for creative teens. The students came from the following schools: Hudson High School, Edison Middle School in Massillon, Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, Cuyahoga Falls High School, Copley High School and Firestone Community Learning Center in Akron.

FROM FARM TO DESK

The three Rs at Our Lady of the Elms in Akron could stand for rototilling, reaping and raking. The all-girls Catholic K-12 school has added urban farming to its list of subjects for its K-8 students. The girls have designed and constructed chicken coops, runs and fenced areas for its growing menagerie, which includes nine chickens and two goats that are kept in a barn onsite in inclement weather. The students provide ongoing care for the animals, collect the eggs and sell them to buy animal feed.

The girls also constructed 10 garden beds full of vegetables and herbs grown from seeds and maintained throughout the year. They collect rainwater in barrels and use the compost from their compost bin to keep the garden thriving. In the future, the girls plan to include residents from the nearby Ohio Living Rockynol retirement facility and the Dominican sisters at the Elms convent in their projects for intergenerational learning.

“Having the farm has helped the students see that they can garden or have animals on a smaller scale,” said Diana Ross, the middle school science teacher who launched the agricultural program. “They are learning many life skills. We cook with the vegetables and eggs and use critical thinking working on the farm.”

FUN FACT: In 2023, Our Lady of the Elms will celebrate its 100th anniversary.

CITIZENS OF THE WORLD

The Jackson Academy for Global Studies, part of the Jackson Local Schools in Stark County, operates under the idea that preparing globally competent students starts with a rigorous curriculum. Through its program based on the International Schools Studies Network model, students:

Work toward fluency in one of three languages.

Travel to experience different cultures.

Develop 21st Century work skills. Complete a related senior capstone project.

ST. SEBASTIAN

Educating students from preschool through 8th grade, St. Sebastian Parish School celebrated its 90th Anniversary in 2019. The school focuses on the directive outlined in its mission statement of “excellence in education and commitment to Christ.” Students participate in hands-on, problembased learning that is cross-curricular and features collaboration and critical thinking in the classroom and in the school’s Innovation Lab. They have the opportunity to learn about coding and 3-D printing in the Technology Learning Lab, and the 1:1 Chromebook program provides technology that personalizes the learning environment for every student in grades 5-8. Outside the classroom, students can participate in many extra-curricular activities and will reach out to others in need throughout the community through various service projects.

To learn more, call 330-836-9107 or visit stsebastian.org/school.

ST. SEBASTIAN PARISH SCHOOL OFFERS:

• A Faith-Based whole child approach

• A State of Ohio designated STEM school

• Governor Thomas Edison Award Winner for STEM Education, 3rd Straight Year

• High Achievement, High Growth in Math, Science and Language Usage

• Technology consisting of iPads, Chromebooks and laptops

• SMARTboards in every classroom including kindergarten

• STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art and Math) lessons in every grade

• State-of-the-art Science Lab, Technology Learning Lab, Innovation Lab

• Auxiliary tutoring and classroom aides

• Our School Garden, an outdoor classroom for our students

• Before and After Care Program, Daily Hot Lunch Program

• Extracurricular programs such as Power of the Pen, Robotics and Drone Club, Genius Project, Lego Club, MathCounts, Gravity Racing Challenge, Student Council, Student Ambassadors, School Band, CYO Sports, Youth Ministry, Community Service Projects and many more.

* Scholarships and Financial Aid are available for all our students.

FUN FACT: The Jackson High School Mascot is a Polar Bear.

APPS, ART AND UNDERSTANDING

The Lippman School (K-8) in Akron, which was founded on Jewish values in 1965, boasts renowned cross-cultural education, including a longstanding partnership with the Northern Cheyenne Nation in Montana. Tribal elders and educators develop an array of programming that takes place both on the reservation and in Akron. Students and educators from both communities visit each other to learn alongside each other about many subjects, including history, genocide and ancient indigenous art.

The students were key in helping develop new city and county legislation that established North American First People’s Day in Akron and Summit County, an annual celebration of indigenous people on the first Monday in October.

Lippman students also collaborated with peers at Portage Path Community Learning Center in Akron and students in the Cheyenne Nation to create an app about the Portage Path, one of Akron’s most ancient and historic landmarks. You can learn about it at walkportagepath.com. Students have learned history together, studied genocide, explored ancient indigenous art, and spent time in each other’s school, homes and communities to learn what it’s like growing up in their respective worlds.

FUN FACT: The Lippman School is named for Jerome Lippman who founded GOJO, the maker of Purell.

COURTESY OF LIPPMAN SCHOOL

The Lippman School Cheyenne program

Photo: Bruce Ford

OPENDOORS

Kent State University Museum Exhibition, TEXTURES: the history and art of Black hair.

Higher Education Research

powerhouses and pathways to success, our colleges and universities move us forward.

The University of Akron

The University of Akron (UA), established in 1870, offers in-demand associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and law degree programs. With five Northeast Ohio campuses, UA provides 286 unique degrees, including top-ranked online programs for nontraditional students. UA is surrounded by thousands of businesses, including Fortune 500 companies, supporting student access to internships, co-ops and careers.

Ranked No. 1 in the world for polymer science and plastics engineering by global ranking site EduRank, UA is home to one of the largest and best-known research and academic programs dedicated to the study of polymers—long chains of molecules that make up mainly rubbers and plastics.

With championship-winning NCAA Division I sports teams, hundreds of student organizations and a highly ranked Student Recreation and Wellness Center, UA provides its students with the full campus experience.

Bragging Rights

UA School of Law’s intellectual property, trial advocacy and part-time studies programs were ranked among the top 50 in the country by U.S. News & World Report in its 2023 rankings.

95% of spring 2021 undergraduate degree recipients were employed or sought additional education within six months of graduation.

5,000+ employers nationwide recruit UA students for internships, co-ops and part- and full-time employment.

BRAIN FOOD

New Bachelor’s Degrees Offered at UA.

The University of Akron is the first public university in Ohio to offer a Bachelor of Science in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. Now students at the undergraduate level who are interested in technical solutions to sustainability, materials science, processing, soft-matter physics and biomaterials can earn a degree focused on polymers.

The new Bachelor of Science in Sport Analytics is designed for students with an interest in sports and business and who possess an analytical mindset. The curriculum was prepared in response to the industry’s need for business professionals.

UA’s Bachelor of Science in Sport Business provides a strong foundation in the core areas of business, along with experience applying business concepts in sport-specific settings.

BRAIN FOOD

NEOvations Bench to Bedside (NEOvations B2B) Features Collaboration on Healthcare Product Development.

NEOvations Bench to Bedside (NEOvations B2B) is Northeast Ohio Medical University’s medical innovation and entrepreneurship program in collaboration with other Ohio universities including The University of Akron School of Law, Cleveland State University, and Kent State University. The program features a multidisciplinary team of students who participate in an intense hands-on experience in healthcare product development. Participants interact closely with mentors, such as physicians, health care providers, clinical partners, and industry leaders to identify a patient’s need at the bedside and aid in their search for a medical solution. The program provides the intellectual environment, resources and education to successfully develop novel medical solutions.

NEOvations B2B provides a stipend for prototype development and introduces interdisciplinary student teams to a broad range of professionals and consultants who teach them to critically assess the problem, design and create a proof of concept prototype, evaluate the legal landscape, establish a regulatory pathway, protect their intellectual property and develop a go-to-market strategy for commercialization.

Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)

Founded in 1973, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) harnesses diversity, innovation, and collaboration to create transformative leaders and improve health through education, discovery and service. NEOMED values leadership, excellence, advocacy, diversity, equity and respect. The total enrollment consists of nearly 1,000 future medical professionals, most of whom return to live and work in Northeast Ohio.

The University has three Colleges— Medicine, Pharmacy and Graduate Studies—and offers Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degrees, as well as master’s and doctoral degrees and research opportunities in other medical and life science areas. In addition to the basic sciences at its Colleges, NEOMED conducts research to advance innovation and research in health care through six research focus areas of excellence. NEOMED’s unique areas of service include Coordinating Centers of Excellence which disseminate best practices for treating mental illness; online didactics and onsite training through several programs; and patient services through its centers at NEOMED Health Care and its award-winning Studentrun Free Clinic.

NEOMED has graduated more than 5,000 medical students—Doctors of Medicine (M.D.), Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Philosophy (Ph.D.) and other health professionals and researchers— more than half of whom practice in Ohio and are now contributing to economic development and providing excellent care to the patients in the region. Learn more at neomed.edu

Bragging Rights

Offers six research-focused areas.

Since 2016, the Student-Run Free Clinic at NEOMED has been providing high quality, nonemergent, no-cost health care to the hundreds of medically underserved residents of Northeast Ohio.

The University launched NEOMED Health Care in 2021, offering a comprehensive suite of services in-person and by telehealth for the general public.

Pathways to Pharmacy oneweek program introduces high school students to pharmacy compounding, patient counseling, over-the-counter products, vitals training and careers in pharmacy.

COURTESY OF NEOMED

Rise to your full potential

From world-class academics on our beautiful campus to real-world experiences in our vibrant city, The University of Akron has everything you need to reach your goals.

• 200+ programs in engineering, business, computer technology, health care, education, and the arts and sciences

• 330+ student organizations, award-winning residence hall programs, and a nationally recognized Student Recreation and Wellness Center

• 20,000+ employers recruiting UA students and alumni for internships, co-ops and careers

SHATIERA W. exercise science, coaching/conditioning major

BRAIN FOOD

Design Innovation Initiative Connects Collaborators.

The Design Innovation (DI) Initiative at Kent State University brings together students, faculty and community members from diverse disciplines who are thoughtfully addressing technology and society through design to become fearless collaborators in the face of complex problems.

The DI Initiative offers courses and creates co-curricular competitions and hackathons as part of a “challenge-based innovation” strategy. To support these activities, the DI Initiative connects existing makerspaces and resource labs across the entire university, making them into an accessible network of “Design Innovation Nodes,” which support cross-disciplinary collaboration. This network is linked to the Design Innovation Hub, which sits at the center of the Kent Campus and serves as an open-access, innovationaccelerating maker environment meant to inspire the community’s doers and experimenters.

For more information about Kent State’s DI Initiative, visit www.kent. edu/designinnovation

Kent State University

Kent State University (KSU) is the highest-ranked public university in northern Ohio on the Top Public Schools and Best National Universities lists by U.S. News & World Report. KSU offers more than 350 undergraduate programs of study and more than 200 master’s and doctoral programs of study. The Kent Campus is located on the banks of the Cuyahoga River and combines a friendly, small-town ambience with proximity to metropolitan centers.

With eight campuses spanning Northeast Ohio, a College of Podiatric Medicine, a Twinsburg Academic Center and academic sites in major world cities such as New York City, Geneva and Florence, Kent State is one of Ohio’s leading public universities and a major educational, economic and cultural resource far beyond the Northeast Ohio region it has served since 1910. Kent State is a national leader in award-winning student support services to graduate students. The student body comprises about 35,000 students, including

1,370 international students from nearly 100 countries. Kent State’s worldwide alumni family exceeds 264,000.

Kent State University at Stark is the university’s largest Regional Campus. Founded in 1946, Kent State Stark students receive an affordable university education on a beautiful 200-acre campus with a private college feel. Stark County’s only public university, Kent State Stark serves nearly 5,000 students yearround. In addition, 1,300 high school students from the Stark County area take advantage of the College Credit Plus program.

Bragging Rights

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education awarded Kent State the esteemed R1 status for research, the highest recognition that doctoral universities can receive. This prestigious designation affirms Kent State’s place as an elite

Two Kent State University students work with a vinyl cutter in the Reactor makerspace housed in the Design Innovation Hub.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

research institution and puts the university in the company of universities such as Yale, Harvard and the University of CaliforniaBerkeley.

Kent State is the sole university in the U.S. to receive the prestigious 2022 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization from NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The honor recognizes Kent State for overall excellence

MORE LOVE

101Kent State University’s Fashion School is consistently rated one of the top five in the nation and one of the best in the world. Its campus museum has more than 40,000 pieces of apparel dating from the 18th century to today.

in integrating international education throughout all facets of the university and its campuses.

Kent State’s School of Fashion is consistently ranked in the top 25 internationally and in the top 10 in the United States.

For the 13th consecutive time, Kent State has earned the 20222023 Military Friendly® School designation for its Kent Campus.

SMART MOVE

RANDALE RICHMOND

Kent State University, Director of Athletics

Moved from Chesapeake, VA to Stow in 2021.

Biggest Surprise: Even though I grew up in Akron and was familiar with the Canton area, having returned, I have been impressed with the growth in dining and entertainment options.

Out-of-town visitor picks: Pro Football Hall of Fame, an Akron RubberDucks game, the Gervasi Vineyard, various places in Portage Lakes, and of course the entirety of Kent.

Day-off fun: I really enjoy kicking back and being around my kids. My wife has done an amazing job of providing them wide-ranging experiences, so their conversations are rich and engaging. I love hearing their thoughts as we ride around in the Jeep or sit on the back swing and listen to music. On the nonprofit/arts climate: There is a high level of care in Kent area. KSU is a place of belonging, so you can explore your interests from art to music, from dance to theater, from libations to activism.

Tips for newcomers: Sample the unique experiences this region offers.

102Kent State University was founded with a charitable gift, the foundation of the 53-acre William S. Kent Family Farm.

COURTESY OF KENT STATE UNIVERSITY FASHION SCHOOL

COURTESY OF KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences is the only healthcare system-affiliated college in Northeast Ohio and has the longest running nursing education program in the region. The college is focused on preparing students to become successful practitioners and leaders in the healthcare field. Located near downtown Canton, the college shares a campus with Aultman Hospital, Stark County’s largest hospital and the area’s only Magnet-designated facility. As part of this renowned health system, Aultman College students receive unparalleled clinical and learning experiences.

Aultman College offers programs in nursing, radiography, social work, medical assisting and health sciences, as well as community education courses. Nearly 340 fulland part-time students are enrolled.

Bragging Rights

Aultman College’s nursing program consistently ranks high on national and statewide lists. Most recently, it was recognized as a best value RN program.

The college was ranked second in the nation by Newsweek for “Community Colleges with The Most Bang for Your Buck.”

Radiography and nursing graduates consistently exceed state and national averages on licensing exams.

The University of Mount Union

The University of Mount Union, a private institution founded in 1846, offers a rigorous and relevant academic program that is grounded in the liberal arts tradition. Mount Union’s nearly 2,200 students can select from 41 broad-based and career-specific undergraduate majors as well as master’s programs in physician assistant studies, business administration and education, as well as a doctoral program in physical therapy.

The University strives to make its exceptional educational experience accessible to students of all financial backgrounds. Its increasingly diverse campus community benefits from a student-centered approach and array of activities for cultural, civic, and social development. Students experience outstanding opportunities for success after graduation, both in the workforce and in graduate study.

For more information, visit mountunion.edu.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AULTMAN COLLEGE OF NURSING AND HEALTH SCIENCE

Bragging Rights

About 99% of undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid, and nearly 87% receive need-based aid. The University also offers more than $34.5 million in grants and scholarships each year.

Recent curricular additions include programs in a second-degree accelerated BSN, a major in data science and analytics and a minor in autism studies.

Mount Union has a network of more than 18,000 alumni across the world. Notable alumni include actress Carrie Coon; ESPN SportsCenter anchor Antonietta Collins; and Dr. Shuvo Roy, coinventor of the world’s first implantable artificial kidney.

Music Technology: BUILDING A TOOLKIT FOR A CAREER IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

The Bachelor of Science degree in Music Technology prepares students as musicians within a broad field of constantly changing technology. Students study in courses that will develop expertise in music computer technology for application in the recording industry, audio-engineering and music production.

The development of music technology has had an enormous impact on the music industry. There are many career opportunities for talented musicians in the field. Skilled musicians can apply formal training to recording careers, studio performance, arranging or producing and live performances. Opportunities are also available in non-traditional, contemporary popular music venues, the movie industry, television, multi-media events, and music for advertising as well as traditional performing arts venues. The growth of music technology has made knowledge and experience in this area a necessity for all students preparing for a career in any area of the music industry. To compete effectively in the contemporary music world, one must possess a strong traditional music background, plus the technical expertise required to make the most of a rapidly changing and developing technology.

For more information, please visit: https://www.kent.edu/stark/ music-technology-major

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

There are many career opportunities for talented musicians in the field.

BRAIN FOOD

Stark State College Partners with NEOMED.

Stark State College collaborates with Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) to bring human cadavers to anatomy and physiology classes and laboratories, making SSC one of the few institutions in Ohio providing undergraduate students this hands-on learning opportunity.

Stark State science students can earn college credit and gain research experience through work with NEOMED researchers in areas such as biomechanics, bone biology, cardiovascular physiology, community mental health, drug discovery, neurobiology and quantitative genetics.

Stark State students can apply for direct admission to NEOMED’s doctor of pharmacy program with an associate of science degree plus an additional 14 sciences credit hours. A growing number of students are enrolling in this premedical professional concentration and students have established a PreProfessional Club for prepharmacy and premed majors.

NEOMED’s Bio-Med Science Academy provides science, technology, engineering, math and medical education to Stark State’s College Credit Plus high school students and others in the region.

Stark State College

Stark State College offers affordable, quality education that propels students of all ages to career success or launches them toward advanced degrees.

As a regional community college, Stark State’s strong partnerships move Akron, Canton and surrounding communities forward via economic development initiatives such as Strengthening Stark and Elevate Greater Akron; employer-led partnerships that include Mercy Medical Center, Akron Children’s Hospital and FirstEnergy Power Systems Institute; and unique academic partnerships, including a Direct Connect transfer initiative with The University of Akron.

The College meets the critical need for skilled employees with in-demand programs and standout facilities, including the WR Timken Advanced Manufacturing Lab and a community dental clinic on the Stark County main campus. In Summit County, the College has state-of-the-art medical labs and IT equipment, a commercial driver’s license training site and more.

Bragging Rights

Lowest tuition in the area

Small class sizes for one-on-one attention

Professors with real-world experience

COURTESY OF STARK STATE COLLEGE

Rachael Ligas, PharmD SSC-toNEOMED pharmacy program graduate

Walsh University

Walsh University is an independent, co-educational, Catholic, liberal arts and sciences institution that promotes academic excellence and diversity and provides close faculty-student interaction. It is dedicated to teaching its 2,450 students from 46 states and 35 countries to become leaders in service to others through a valuesbased education with an international perspective in the Judeo-Christian tradition. www.walsh.edu.

Bragging Rights

100% of Walsh students complete an internship before graduation.

4-Year Graduation Guarantee Walsh students receive nearly $32 million in grants, scholarship and other institutional support each year.

SMART MOVE

BERNHARD FASSL, M.D.

Northeast Ohio Medical University, Director of the Center for Global Health Innovation

Moved from Salt Lake City, UT to Rootstown in 2021.

Biggest Surprise: Meeting so many welcoming and pleasant colleagues at my new workplace. Friendliness and warmth of the Midwest is not just an idealistic concept, but reality. I was also pleasantly surprised by the amount of open space and the beauty of the countryside.

Out-of-town visitor picks: I would take them to the minibike and running trails around the lakes in the Rootstown area.

Day-off fun: Going on a 60-mile bike ride on great country roads and stopping for coffee or a drink on the way.

Tips for newcomers: Explore the small bars and breweries. These are hidden gems.

Malone University is a Christian university for the arts, sciences, and professions in the liberal arts tradition, affiliated with the Evangelical Friends Church. With more than 14,000 living alumni, Malone provides a transformative, faith-integrated environment that equips transform the communities in which they live and work.

transformative, faith-integrated environment that equips its graduates with the skills necessary to serve, engage and U.S. News , achieving #71 overall and #53 for Social as

curriculum helps students understand how their faith impacts all areas of life, including intellectual, spiritual, and community pursuits. Faculty and staff walk alongside students as they discover who God has called them to be.

Malone once again ranks among the Best Regional Universities in the Midwest in a recent survey by

Mobility in 2020. Malone is also identified by U.S. News  a Best Value School, ranking 33rd among colleges and universities in the Midwest. In 2020, the first-time pass National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) was 90%; similarly, social work graduates passed the licensure exam at a rate of 100%, 32 percent higher than the national average. The University has had four faculty Fulbright Scholars in the last ten years and 82% of the full-time faculty have earned the terminal degree in their discipline.

wide commitment to support the vocational and personal growth of every Malone student through mentoring, experiential learning and holistic career preparation across the curriculum.

rate for bachelor of science in nursing graduates on the opportunity to work closely with faculty members to formally present their own research, showcasing the academic and creative work that prepares undergraduates for graduate-level education.

Significant Malone-funded financial aid ($16.1M in 2021) is one way that Malone University demonstrates a commitment to affordability

for all students.

thousands

Start here

with a high-quality, low-cost, two-year degree transfer to any four-year university apply today

CARE

Health and healing are here.

Our healthcare system includes nationally ranked providers, booming biomedical companies, an innovative medical and pharmacy school and robust research universities.

Akron Children’s Hospital

Akron Children’s Hospital has been caring for children since 1890. The hospital’s pediatric specialties are ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report. With two hospital campuses, regional health centers and more than 50 primary and specialty care locations throughout Ohio, they’re making it easier for today’s busy families to find the high-quality care they need.

In 2021, Akron Children’s Hospital system provided more than 1.2 million patient encounters. The system also operates neonatal and pediatric units in the hospitals of their regional health care partners. Every year, Akron Children’s Home Care nurses provide thousands of in-home visits, and their School Health nurses manage clinic visits for students from preschool through high school. With their Quick Care Online virtual visits and Akron Children’s Anywhere app, they’re available for families whenever and wherever needed. Learn more at akronchildrens.org.

Bragging Rights

Willie Nelson, a therapeutic miniature pony, visits children at Akron Children’s Hospital regularly. After getting cleaned up, Willie follows his handlers from Victory Gallop into the hospital, up the elevator and arrives bedside to lots of questions, giggles and looks of surprise. He’s actually a member of the Doggie Brigade™

Since 1993, visitors to Akron Children’s Hospital have marveled at the sights and sounds of artist George Rhodes’ Incrediball Circus 2. The 20 x 9-foot art installation in the atrium lobby of the main hospital building is a fun “Rube Goldberg” contraption that sends balls on a never-ending roller coaster ride tucked inside a glass case. The colorful and whimsical art is just one of the pieces that declare this is a hospital for children and has become so synonymous with Akron Children’s that smaller versions of it greet visitors at all of the hospital’s regional health centers. You may even spot one at the airport!

Since 1992, the Doggie Brigade™ has brought joy, comfort and wagging tails to patients at Akron Children’s Hospital. These four-legged volunteers tour the hallways, visit patients in their rooms and stop in the activity rooms to see children who would like a visit. Patients often report that for the duration of their 5-10 minute visit, they forget about their illness or pain and feel like a kid. Happy 30th Anniversary to the second oldest program in the country!

HEALTHY FOOD

Safer—and Stronger—Together: Akron Children’s Hospital and The Goodyear Foundation’s “Safe Mobility Project”

Since 2016, Akron Children’s Hospital and The Goodyear Foundation have teamed up to offer the “Safe Mobility Project,” enabling the hospital and community partner organizations to expand child safety programs focusing on child passenger seats, bike helmets, pedestrian safety and teen drivers.

The foundation funding allows Akron Children’s injury prevention experts to distribute child passenger safety seats and bike helmets and conduct educational events in neighborhoods where children are most at risk. Recently, the team has been taking a simulated go-cart teaching tool to high schools to demonstrate the impact of distractions on a teen’s driving abilities.

At www.safemobilityproject.org, parents can learn how to choose the proper type of car seat based on their child’s weight and height, take a bike helmet fit test and have their teen sign a safe driving pledge.

SIDNE, Distracted Driving Simulation Device

HEALTHY FOOD

Summa Health Joint Replacement Center of Excellence

If you’re experiencing chronic joint pain, don’t wait too long to see an orthopedic specialist. The earlier you get diagnosed, the more treatment options will be available and the faster

Summa Health

your recovery can occur.

The recently opened Summa Health Joint Replacement Center of Excellence, located at the Summa Health System—Barberton Campus, delivers comprehensive compassionate surgical care to total joint replacement patients. With a mission to help eliminate pain and restore function to joints, it offers the latest in robotic surgery and innovative procedures, such as digital hip navigation and minimally invasive anterior hip replacement surgery.

The Summa Health Joint Replacement Center of Excellence also provides total knee and hip replacement patients with a dedicated orthopedic nurse navigator to help guide them along the patient care journey, as well as an informative pre-surgery class through the Joint Effort Academy.

For more information, call 877-203-0686 or visit summahealth. org/Joint-Replacement-Center

Summa Health, headquartered in Akron, is one of the largest integrated healthcare delivery systems in Ohio. Formed in 1989 with the merger of Akron City and St. Thomas Hospitals, this nonprofit system now encompasses a network of:

• Hospitals

• Community-based health centers

• SummaCare Insurance

• A multi-specialty group practice

• Research and medical education

• The Summa Foundation

Summa Health offers exceptional approaches to healthcare delivery through multiple operating entities and has served millions of patients in comprehensive acute, critical, emergency, outpatient and longterm/home-care settings. In addition, Summa represents more than 1,000 licensed inpatient beds in the following clinical settings:

• Summa Health System—Akron Campus

• Summa Health System—Barberton Campus

• Summa Health System—St. Thomas Campus

• Summa Rehab Hospital

Outpatient care is extended throughout Summit, Medina, Portage,

Stark and Wayne counties in multiple community health centers. Providing superior, multi-specialty patient care, medical research and continuing medical education, Summa is consistently ranked one of the best healthcare providers in the country.

Bragging Rights

Serves patients throughout its five-county region each year in comprehensive emergency, acute, critical, outpatient and long-term/ home care settings.

Is the largest employer in Summit County with more than 8,000 employees.

Its Accountable Care Organization, NewHealth Collaborative, is regularly recognized for achieving outstanding quality and financial outcomes.

Currently constructing a new 60-bed inpatient and outpatient Behavioral health Pavilion on the SummaHealth System—Akron Campus.

Its Akron and Barberton Campuses have been recognized by Healthgrades as a recipient of the 2022 America’s 100 Best Hospitals Award™.

COURTESY OF SUMMA HEALTH

Western Reserve Hospital

Western Reserve Hospital, based in Cuyahoga Falls, is Northeast Ohio’s only physician-owned and operated hospital, offering a full range of healthcare options and services. The hospital is committed to providing the safest, highest quality healthcare available and improving the overall health of the communities it serves.

Western Reserve also works closely with local organizations, businesses, schools and first responders to implement effective, far-reaching programs for families and children. Over the last few years, it has expanded specialty services to meet the region’s increased demand in areas such as Bariatric Surgery, Medical Weight Management and Women’s Imaging.

Western Reserve Hospital has specialty physicians dedicated to care and treatment services including Bariatric Surgery, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Endocrinology, ENT, Orthopedics, Head/Neck/Plastic Surgery, Hematology/Oncology, Medical Weight Management, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pain Medicine, Sports Medicine, Urgent Care, Urogynecology, Vascular Surgery and Women’s Health.

Bragging Rights

Added Bariatric Center wing to hospital

Added Women’s Imaging Center for breast health

Opened Wound Care Center

Named a Level III Trauma Center

Expanded Hematology/Oncology services

Opening Cardiac Catheterization Lab

SMART MOVE

DR. SABIN SHRESTHA

Akron Children’s Hospital (East Clinic), Pediatrician Moved from Rolla, MO to Stow in 2022.

Biggest surprise: Two things— there’s lots of snow, but it does clear fast. And I’m pleasantly surprised there are Nepali-speaking populations.

Typical work day: I start my day with ice coffee, then drive to the clinic to see patients. After returning from work, I spend time with my kids and go for a walk that helps me decompress.

Robert Kent, DO, FACOI President and CEO

Love for your profession: It is so rewarding to see a baby grow into an adult. I get to work with families and help them through every step when they need help. And I help kids maintain good health and make a difference in their adult life.

Bariatric Surgeon

On the healthcare climate: I feel honor working at Akron Children’s hospital and to be able to help underprivileged/immigrant patient populations. I have an opportunity to grow both as person and physician.

Day-off fun: Cycling with my daughter, playing soccer, fishing, and hiking.

Walter Chlysta, FACS, FASMBS

HEALTHY FOOD

CenteringPregnancy Helps Women

Have Healthier Pregnancies.

Cleveland Clinic Akron General is pleased to offer pregnant women the chance to participate in CenteringPregnancy, an exciting national program in which prenatal care is offered in a group setting as women with similar due dates prepare for the challenges and excitement of labor, delivery and parenting together. Ninety-minute appointments are conducted over 10 sessions. They offer expectant mothers one-on-one care with a provider for their regular prenatal health screenings, as well as group time with eight to 10 other women where a wide variety of topics is covered, including prenatal nutrition, breastfeeding, infant care, stress management and more.

This program offers significantly more time with a provider than traditional appointments and allows expectant mothers to share experiences. It has been shown to dramatically improve maternal outcomes, such as reducing low birth weight and prematurity. The program is open to all pregnant women who are patients at Cleveland Clinic Akron General’s Women’s Health Center. To make an appointment at the center, call 330-344-6800.

Cleveland Clinic Akron General and Medina Hospital

Cleveland Clinic Akron General, a notfor-profit healthcare organization, was founded in 1914 as Peoples Hospital and affiliated with Cleveland Clinic in 2015. Akron General’s main campus in downtown Akron is anchored by a 532-registered-bed teaching and research medical center. Its Emergency Department was built in 2018 and is capable of handling almost any type of emergency, as a designated Level I Trauma Center. Akron General also has Health & Wellness Centers in Bath, Green and Stow, offering a variety of integrated outpatient services, including 24hour emergency departments, primary and specialty care practices, and medically supervised exercise programs. Akron General also operates a small hospital in Lodi, Ohio, that provides crucial access for residents of that rural area. In 2021, when Cleveland Clinic was named the No. 2 hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Cleveland Clinic Akron General was named No. 7 in Ohio and the No. 1 hospital in the Akron metropolitan area.

Cleveland Clinic Medina Hospital, originally the four-bedroom home of the Theodore Weidner family, opened in 1944. Today, the hospital is a modern 148-bed hospital located on Route 18 near I-71 as you enter the Medina community from the East. Part of the Cleveland Clinic since 2009, the hospital features the latest technology and procedures with more than 600 physicians on the medical staff covering more than 30 areas of specialization, including general surgery, orthopaedics and emergency medicine. The hospital recently launched the Logsdon Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine to offer patients alternative treatments that complement their medical care. The hospital has also recently upgraded its chapel to be more welcoming and more inclusive of all faiths. The Medina Hospital Foundation, along with the current medical staff, supports local high school graduates who plan to pursue a course of study in the medical field each year. It awarded $42,000 at the end of the 2021-22 school year.

Heading up Cleveland Clinic Akron General’s CenteringPregnancy program are Jennifer Savitski, MD, chair of OB/GYN, (left) and Holly Carder, the program coordinator.

Bragging Rights

Cleveland Clinic Akron General:

Is proud to serve its community, experiencing more than 25,000 patient admissions in 2021 and conducting more than 700,000 outpatient visits.

Has a walk-in clinic where patients can get quick treatment for minor muscle, bone or joint injuries. You don’t need an appointment! The Ortho Express Care at the Stow Health & Wellness Center offers treatment for patients age 7 and up.

Is committed to training the next generation of healthcare leaders, including launching a program to train psychiatrists to help meet the community’s increasing needs for mental health providers. Akron General also offers highly regarded training programs in internal medicine, family medicine, OB/GYN, emergency medicine, general

surgery, orthopedic surgery, urology, breast surgery oncology, pharmacy and vitreo-retinal and ocular trauma.

Has a team that works with patients addicted to opioids to create a treatment plan just for them. From immediate treatment, education and support, to assisting with the transition of care, support from Recovery’s in Reach is available 24/7 at the Akron General Emergency Department in downtown Akron.

Offers the PATH (Providing Access To Healing) Center to provide quality, trauma-informed, compassionate care to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, elder abuse and neglect, and other forms of violence, while also ensuring quality evidence collection when needed.

Cleveland Clinic Mercy Medical Center

Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital became a full member of the Cleveland Clinic health system on Feb. 1, 2021, and is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. Founded in 1908, the Catholic faith-based medical center operates a 476-bed hospital in Canton and outpatient locations in Alliance, Carroll County, Jackson Township, Lake Township, Louisville, Massillon, North Canton, Plain Township and Tuscarawas County.

Mercy Hospital has 620 members on its Medical Staff and employs 2,800 people. Mercy received an “A” in the most recently published safety grades by the Leapfrog Group.

Bragging Rights

Comprehensive cardiac care including diagnostic services and cardiac rehab program

Nation’s first accredited Chest Pain Center and Cardiac Catheterization Lab within an emergency department

Comprehensive cancer care accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC)

Level II Trauma Center, verified by the American College of Surgeons

Primary Stroke Center certified by The Joint Commission

Rated high-performing in U.S. News & World Report inaugural edition of the Best Hospitals for Maternity for uncomplicated pregnancies

HEALTHY FOOD

Hall of Fame Marathon Runners Raise $32,500 for Aultman Cancer Services. Runners racked up the miles and dollars during the Canton Hall of Fame Marathon, raising $32,500 for the Aultman Cancer Services fund. On May 12, Jim Chaney, race director, presented a check to Aultman Health Foundation.

“As the signature sponsor of the Canton Hall of Fame Marathon, we are honored to accept this generous donation on behalf of our cancer patients and their families,” said Tina Biasella, vice president of Aultman Cancer Services. “We are privileged to provide high-quality, comprehensive cancer care through our incredible care team, close to home, which will be further enhanced in our new Timken Family Cancer Center opening this summer.”

Set to open in September and funded by community donations, the Timken Family Cancer Center is a $28 million, 58,000-square-foot facility that will bring all cancer-related services under one roof for the convenience and comfort of patients and visitors.

Aultman Hospital

Aultman Hospital, Stark County’s first hospital, opened in 1892. The nonprofit hospital has more than 7,000 employees across the healthcare system and more than 1,000 active providers.

With 300 locations serving seven counties across the region—spanning multiple hospitals, outpatient facilities, physician offices, therapy locations and hospice care—Aultman opened its first freestanding emergency department in Massillon in fall 2019, and it will soon open the region’s first comprehensive cancer center with the Timken Family Cancer Center at its Canton campus this fall.

Aultman Health Foundation provides comprehensive healthcare services including heart, cancer and

emergency care, along with a broad spectrum of other specialties and services.

Aultman’s wide variety of unique, state-of-the-art services range from complex TAVR and Watchman heart procedures to comprehensive medical, surgical, interventional and radiation cancer care to roboticsassisted surgeries and more. It also participates in clinical research, pioneering future cardiac and cancer treatments. Aultman also serves as a teaching hospital, offering nine different residency and fellowship programs in interventional cardiology, cardiovascular disease, pharmacy, OB/GYN, radiology, orthopedics, emergency medicine, family medicine and internal medicine.

Pictured left to right: Vi Leggett, chief development officer of The Aultman Foundation; Dr. Sabrina Shilad, surgeon with Breast Surgery Specialists; Tina Biasella, vice president of Aultman Cancer Services; Tony Snyder, CEO of Aultman Hospital; Jim Chaney, executive director of Run To You Racing; Matt Mapley, vice president of Run To You Racing; Jim Savage, CEO of AultCare; Jim Harris, vice president of Aultworks, Sports Medicine PT/OT, Weight Management; Suzanne LaBuda, RN, cancer patient navigator; and David Beck, president of Run To You Racing.

Aultman Health Foundation provides comprehensive healthcare services including heart, cancer and emergency care, along with a broad spectrum of other specialties and services.

Bragging Rights

Constructing the $28 million Timken Family Cancer Center for state-of-the art, comprehensive cancer care in the Canton community.

Includes more than 7,000 employees and over 1,000 active providers.

Offers 1,032 private beds for the comfort of patients and their families.

MORE LOVE

103In Akron-Canton, we take care of each other. Two-thirds of the area’s young professionals surveyed by the Ohio Policy Center felt like “they could make a difference” here.

SMART MOVE

PENELOPE GORSUCH

Summa Health, Senior Vice-President and System Chief Nurse Executive Moved from Bellbrook, OH to Hudson, in 2021.

Biggest surprise: The weather! The winter was much colder and had more snow than I was expecting. The other nice surprise was the fabulous neighborhood in Hudson where many of the businesses and restaurants were beautifully decorated during the holiday season. Out-of-town visitors picks: Cuyahoga Falls and the Ohio and Erie Towpath Trails are favorites. The bike and walking trails are great places to take visitors to see how surrounded by nature we are in Northeast Ohio.

On the arts climate: The artistic community is thriving here. I was pleasantly introduced to Apollo’s Fire and found tremendous community support and pride for these artists and their work.

Tips for newcomers: Explore the area! We have something for everyone from the museums and arts to the rugged outdoors and beautifully built environments for evening strolls throughout our neighborhoods. There is a multitude of activities for the whole family!

COURTESY OF AULTMAN HOSPITAL

• Abdominal surgery

• Appendectomy

• Breast surgery

• Endoscopy

• Colon surgery

• Gall bladder disease/stones

• Hernia repair

MORE LOVE

Relocating to the Akron-Canton area? Here are some reasons to find your new start.

104North Canton was named one of the best cities to live in by a 24/7 Wall Street analysis that was published by USA Today.

105Akron and Canton are reinventing their downtowns, as private developers join in to create vibrant work-playlive communities in the heart of their cities.

Some examples:

The $42 million Bowery Block project in downtown Akron redeveloped six buildings on South Main Street into 100 apartments, retail space and Lock 4 Park, bisected by the Ohio-Erie Canal.

The new $13 million Centennial Plaza in downtown Canton has an event field, massive video screen and 11 towering pylons with the names of all NFL players in the league’s history.

The historic Renkert Building, Canton’s first skyscraper built in 1914, is being converted by Ceres Enterprises into a 92-room hotel at a cost of $35.5 million. The project also includes restaurant space in both the historic and new structures.

Part of the former B.F. Goodrich Co. plant on South Main Street, now known as Canal Place, has been converted into 139 apartments by Osbourne Capital Groups at a cost of $40 million.

The former Law Building on South Main in Akron was renovated and converted into the luxury 159 Main apartments at a cost of $30 million.

An Alabama developer has plans to remake much of the former Akron Beacon Journal building, a historic Art Deco gem, into 100-plus apartments at a cost of nearly $32 million.

SMART MOVE

HEATHER PRESTON, DO

Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Department of Orthopedics, Sports Medicine

GORDON PRESTON, DO

Cleveland Clinic Akron General,  Department of Orthopedics, Spine Surgery

Moved from Detroit, MI, to Akron in 2021. Originally from the Greater Cleveland area and met our goal to return to the area.

Biggest surprise: The amazing food scene in Akron! Our favorites include Luigi’s pizza, Crave, and Cilantro!

Out-of-town visitor picks: Cuyahoga Valley National Park; we would take out-of-town visitors on our favorite hike—the Three Waterfall Loop, which features Brandywine, Blue Hen and Buttermilk waterfalls.

Day-off fun: Hiking and kayaking in the national park and of course an ice cream cone from Pav’s Creamery to wrap up the day.

On the business climate: This area is incredibly friendly to small businesses, especially new restaurants. And the area is especially known for microbreweries.

Newcomer tips: You can enjoy the area year-round! From the local cuisine, to hiking and cross country skiing, there is a lot to do here any time of the year.

BIZ BEAT

MAGNET Helps EarthQuaker crank it up.

Whenyou go to the home page of EarthQuaker Devices, a guitar pedal manufacturer, you’ll realize it’s not your everyday company. EarthQuaker, it says, is based in Akron where “the fiery Cuyahoga River pumps white-hot liquid magma into the steam engine that powers our great riff factory in the sky.”

EarthQuaker is a great example of the gritty, punky undercurrent of cool that runs through Akron-Canton. And it’s a remarkable success story.

It started back in 2004 in the basement of Jamie Stillman, a musician and one-time tour manager for The Black Keys. He began tinkering and building pedals for friends, including Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach, also of The Black Keys. In 2007, he made his first full-production pedal, the Hoof fuzz. Word spread. Today, the company has more than 50 employees in a 15,000-squarefoot building downtown. It 2019, the company won the U.S. Small Business Association’s Exporter of the Year Award.

That kind of rapid growth has been a joyous thing, said Julie Robbins, chief executive officer of the company, but it led to challenges that called for some outside guidance, especially as sales surged 30 percent in 2021. As it navigated the pandemic, EarthQuaker turned to MAGNET, the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network. MAGNET offers guidance and practical advice to small and midsized manufacturers in Northeast Ohio to help them increase productivity and prosper.

The advisors at MAGNET met with EarthQuaker to review the business holistically to see if it could be more agile and efficient.

“It always starts with a conversation,” said Darlyn McDermott, director of client engagement and market leader. “(We ask) What’s keeping you up at night?”

MAGNET evaluated EarthQuaker’s software, billing systems, shop floor and other processes, and the company made some significant changes on MAGNET’s advice.

“There are a lot of resources in Northeast Ohio to help. It’s one of the great benefits of being located here,” said Robbins. Others are the low

cost of real estate, a manufacturing workforce and amenities for family life.

She has one piece of important advice to new businesses in Akron-Canton: “It’s important to get connected to the community,” she said.

Because of the changes it made, EarthQuaker was in a relatively good position when sales rose 30 percent during the pandemic and supply chain issues grew serious.

The lessons learned—and changes made—with MAGNET’s direction are helping EarthQuaker rock on.

There are a lot of resources in Northeast Ohio to help. It’s one of the great benefits of being located here,” said Robbins. Others are the low cost of real estate, a manufacturing workforce and amenities for family life.

— Julie Robbins, chief executive officer

Darlyn McDermott

Firecracker s!

The Akron-Canton region is populated by entrepreneurs using local resources to blast off.

Ryan Pritt, President Pritt Entertainment Group

When Ryan Pritt was looking for a permanent site for his burgeoning Pritt Entertainment Group (PEG), a video and graphics agency, there was no doubt where it would be.

SMART MOVE

KIMBERLY Y. MORGAN

GOJO Industries, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Sr. Director Moved from Indianapolis, IN to Akron in 2021.

Biggest surprise: I was surprised by the close proximity of communities within Akron. I love that from Akron in 10-15 minutes in any direction, you can visit Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson, Green and Canton.

Out-of-town visitor picks: I would take a visitor to all of my favorite restaurants. A must-visit is Downtown Cuyahoga Falls. Before moving to the area, I would visit all the great restaurants the city offers whenever I visited GOJO.

Day-off fun: My favorite activity is exploring and trying new things! Whether riding across 303 or searching in Google for Things

To Do Near Me, I have never been disappointed by what has popped up. Downtown Hudson is another great place to visit with a lot of exciting things to see and do.

On the arts climate like here: Amazing! There are hidden gems everywhere, from the Akron Art Museum to Lock 3 or The Jenks 1929 building, I have never had a boring weekend in the city.

PEG, who recently renovated

“Downtown Akron,” said Pritt, president and co-founder of PEG, who recently renovated the 122-year-old Carlton building on South Main Street into a sleek space with a modern industrial vibe.

“We really like being downtown. We’re in the middle of things. Our employees can walk somewhere for lunch. Lock 3 Park, the Akron Civic Theatre and Canal Park are right across the street. It’s great,” he said.

If you’re a sports fan, you’ve probably seen PEG’s work. The company, with its dozen employees, creates high-tech videos for teams and corporations all over the world. The firm has more than 20 major sports and corporate clients, from the Vegas Golden Knights to University of Akron football.

Pritt, 35, started the company in his home guest bedroom 14 years ago. He’d always been interested in sports and had some small-time jobs announcing and running electronic boards in stadiums as early as high school. He made connections in the sports world and developed the reputation as creative and reliable. His younger brother Jeff rey, 30, an animation and tech whiz, joined the endeavor as creative director. Soon, corporate sponsors were reaching out to the brothers for projects, and the company was off and running.

“It grew organically,” said Pritt. “We

didn’t start out in the traditional way

with a business plan, taking all the usual steps you’re supposed to take. We had to learn that kind of thing as we went along.”

For business guidance, the Pritts first relied on their father, who owned a foam manufacturer in Portage County, but they also just networked naturally, seeking help from the people they met along the way.

“Akron is a big enough city to have the support infrastructure you need but small enough that you can just call up somebody who knows somebody to help,” said Pritt. They also sought help from the Downtown Akron Partnership when looking for space as well as the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce and the City of Akron.

“Akron is friendly. It’s manageable, and everything we need is here,” Pritt said.

Tiffany Roper Serial Entrepreneur

Tiff any Roper sparkles with energy and excitement—about her life, her businesses, her community.

“Akron is such a resource-rich city,” she said. “Get connected and get

COURTESY OF PRITT ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

involved. Whatever your dream is, there are people to help.”

Roper, 38, is a mental health counselor by education and training, but she’s an entrepreneur in her heart and soul. At the beginning of the pandemic, Roper found herself assessing her career in mental health. It was important work, but it just didn’t fit her spirit and passion.

“I just decided I didn’t want to work nine to five behind a desk all day,” she said. She took the leap and became a full-time entrepreneur and now juggles four companies.

Her first company, Eat Speak Love, promotes other women- and minoritybusinesses. Its smallBIG Box, a subscription service similar to Birch Box or Bark Box, sends boxes filled with items and promotions from the region’s small businesses.

In September 2021, Roper opened the OH SNAP Photo Lab in downtown Akron. It is part selfie studio, part museum and part event space. She worked with local artists to create 30 different, stunning installations for snapping Instagram-worthy photos. Some backdrops are a bit edgy; some are fantastical, but all are family friendly.

Roper also runs a thrift shopping and styling business and, with her husband, a car detailing service.

The best advice Roper said she can give to fledgling entrepreneurs in Akron is to take advantage of the extensive help the area offers.

Roper received important guidance from the Bounce Innovation Hub’s MORTAR, a 15-week accelerator that helps established small business entrepreneurs take a deep dive into ownership. She made connections there with fellow entrepreneurs who remain important in her life and career. The Downtown Akron Partnership helped her find the 6,300-square-foot space for OH SNAP.

And when Roper stops a minute to gaze out the window of her event space, the Emerald Room, onto the expanse of Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron, the view brings her joy.

“I’m watching Akron become a center of arts, culture and business,” she said, “and I’m grateful every day to be a part of it.”

MANUFACTURING Northeast Ohio's Future

Lighter Than Air

TheAkron airdock, home to serious blimp history, is in the midst of making more.

The biggest airship since the 1930s is taking shape inside, led by LTA Research, a company founded by Google co-founder Sergey Brin. And it promises to be faster, safer, nimbler and more environmentally friendly than current airships.

The all-electric Pathfinder 3 will be the largest airship built in the United States since the Goodyear Zeppelin Co. built the U.S.S. Macon in the same location in 1932. The company says the new ship could revolutionize humanitarian efforts in remote regions where traditional transportation can’t reach.

LTA comes from the term “Lighter Than Air,” which describes airships that use a lifting gas such as helium, hydrogen or hot air to create buoyancy. Pathfinder 3 will initially be powered by batteries, but ultimately the helium ship will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

LTA is busy transforming the iconic Airdock into a state-of-the-art facility, but its history isn’t lost on those doing the work.

“LTA is standing on the shoulders of its predecessors here at the Airdock,” Alan Weston, the company’s chief executive officer, told the Akron Beacon Journal.

Give Me Five

Launching a business can be daunting, but people in Akron-Canton are ready and willing to help.

The Akron Urban League’s Entrepreneurship Empowerment Center works with businesses in all stages to grow, scale and sustain their businesses. The Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) Regional Director Misty Rogers , who oversees the center, has five pieces of valuable advice for emerging entrepreneurs and new business owners.

1 Do your industry research.

2 Utilize the resources in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and network.

3 Dedicate time to work on your business and not just in your business.

4 Set up your back office. Remember, financial documents and record keeping can be the key to success.

5 Build business relationships with “BAIL”— Banker, Accountant, Insurance agent and Lawyer

Want to get involved? Check out https://www.akronurbanleague.org/what-wedo/entrepreneurship/

MORE LOVE

106We’re a gateway to everywhere. Greater Akron-Canton is within 500 miles of 42 major cities. That means manageable weekend getaways. Our central location allows businesses to move their products with speed and ease.

107We’re also a gateway to Amish Country, which begins in southern Stark County. You can shop for handmade furniture, eat old-style, homemade food and enjoy the peaceful farmland south of Canton.

108The downtown Akron skyline includes old-fashioned grain silos. They were built in the 19th century by German immigrant Ferdinand Schumacher who had a crazy idea to market oats for breakfast (Quaker Oats). The silos and factory are now business offices and a University of Akron residence hall.

SMART MOVE

JASON CAMPBELL

FedEx Custom Critical, Vice President of Operations, Ops Systems & Support Moved from Memphis to Akron in 2021. Biggest surprise: How close and connected Akron and Canton are. There’s so much to do from museums (Akron Art Museum, Pro Football Hall of Fame, William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, etc.) to the Cuyahoga Falls Parks and The University of Akron area. There are also great food options.

Out-of-town visitor picks: Being the sports fan that I am, I would say the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s so nostalgic, and would be the first place I would take a guest whether they are a football fan or not!

Day-off fun: I start off with physical activity, so a run through the Towpath or Sand Run, then play a round of golf at J.E. Good Park Golf Course, and then grab a bite to eat at Edgar’s Restaurant. There’s live music on the patio at Edgar’s on the weekends adding to the great food and ambiance.

On the business climate: From my experience thus far, the business climate has been great. I have attended a few Greater Akron Chamber events, and there is good connectivity/ partnership from the private sector to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Elevate Greater Akron and Strengthening Stark serve as models for others.

A few years ago, the Akron area completely rewired its economic development strategy and named it Elevate Greater Akron. The shift was so dramatic, it attracted the attention of researchers with the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization in Washington DC, who held it up as a model for older industrial regions nationwide.

“(Greater Akron) is building an economy in which homegrown businesses can thrive alongside firms that are moving in to be part of the innovation ecosystem,” according to a case study by Brookings.

Elevate Greater Akron is doing nothing less than transforming the culture of economic development and expanding opportunity for all businesses, organizations and residents. The City of Akron, the Greater Akron Chamber, Summit County, the GAR Foundation and other partners are working to position the region on an upward trajectory that doesn’t hang its hopes on old, outdated economic models.

To be more dynamic, Greater Akron had to become more inclusive. It thus created a strategy that made these organizations work not as a collaboration but as a single enterprise. This required redesigning numerous systems in parallel, including startup support services, business retention and expansion, innovation and commercialization in the polymer cluster, neighborhood improvements, downtown revitalization and the growth of job hubs.

To the south of Akron, Stark County has assessed demographic and economic trends to steer Strengthening Stark , a county-wide plan focusing on business growth, talent development and quality places and processes. It offers specialized navigators to connect job seekers with employers.

Thanks to these efforts, AkronCanton has positioned itself to face the demands of the modern economy and help its businesses and residents thrive.

“(Greater Akron) is building an economy in which homegrown businesses can thrive alongside firms that are moving in to be part of the innovation ecosystem.”

— The

Brookings Institution

Akron Skyline COURTESY OF AKRON/SUMMIT CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

Upskill-Stark

Stark Tank

Bounce Innovation Hub

Second floor remodel to add space.

Whether it’s the weekly Pitch Day, the co-working space, the makerspace, the workshops or the coffee at the Stray Dog Café, the Bounce Innovation Hub in downtown Akron draws hundreds to its busy entrepreneurial hive.

The nonprofit Bounce has been so successful in providing space and programming that it soon will outgrow its first floor digs.

Bounce is a nonprofit that houses, trains and supports entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses through education, collaboration and investment.

In May 2022, Bounce announced it had received a $2 million grant from the federal government and the City of Akron for the second-floor renovation of the old B.F. Goodrich Co. factory it calls home.

“This space will allow Bounce to house and serve more small business clients, community members, and local organizations, while continuing to solidify our organization as a vibrant community hub,” said Chief Operating Officer Jessica Sublett, who will become Bounce’s chief executive in 2023. “Activating more of our facility also supports the long-term sustainability of our organization.”

Bounce will likely reach capacity in its

“This space will allow Bounce to house and serve more small business clients, community members, and local organizations, while continuing to solidify our organization as a vibrant community hub.”

— Jessica Sublett, Bounce, COO

first floor Generator within the next year or two, she said. The Generator includes co-working space, meeting rooms, a makerspace, event hall, café and offices in a modern industrial setting.

The Generator expansion project will include the addition of more private offices, conference rooms, class rooms, and additional open- and reserved-desk coworking space. Room for additional makerspace equipment will be included. Air conditioning will be installed throughout the floor, and hallways and restrooms will be renovated. And the project will put the finishing touches on Carbon Black, a community space operated by Crafty Mart, which supports Akron area artists and makers.

The expansion is expected to be complete in 2024.

SMART MOVE

ALEX WEST

LTA Research, Senior Mechanical Engineer

Moved from Carson City, NV to Hudson in 2022.

Biggest surprise: Growing up in the Rockies (and not spending much time east of Wyoming), I had the misconception of the Midwest as packed city streets and heavily regulated cityscapes. While the area is much busier than I am used to, I was surprised with the wide-open spaces Ohio maintains while still having booming industry and metropolitan centers.

Out-of-town visitor picks: Food options are really to die for compared to where I moved from.

So far, I have not ventured much from my area, but Cedar Point was especially fun for family adventures. I have a strong desire to visit the Sandusky islands too. The music scene is much more kinetic than where I have lived in the past, so a concert might be a fun outing for visitors.

Honestly, I was most excited about seeing fireflies for the first time in my life.

Day-off fun: I enjoy visiting parks with the kids, finding ice cream parlors and soaking in the greenery after living in the desert for 10 years.

ALL FORONE

Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs

We’re a place that embraces.

Wecare, we welcome, we support. If you’re looking to share your time, talent and treasure, you’re in the right place. If you need help or support, we’re on it. AkronCanton is a community dedicated to the common good with advocates in every corner. And no matter your abilities, your passions or position in life, you’re welcome here. Take a look at who we are.

Akron Rotary Camp

The Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs in cooperation with the Akron Area YMCA offers children and adults with disabilities the opportunity to experience the friendship and fun of camp. Day camp, weekend respites, sibling camps and week-long camps take place at Rotary campgrounds at Rex Lake and the Happy Day School in Portage County.

Akron Community Foundation

The motto tells it all: “By the people, for the people.” For 67 years, Akron Community Foundation has been a trusted way to give to a favorite cause through a variety of charitable funds For instance, the donoradvised fund is an alternative to establishing a private foundation. Choose your favorite nonprofit and the community foundation will make sure your gifts reach their targets. The Foundation has balanced $280 million in charitable assets in 800 charitable funds and given $209 million in grants for the greater good of the Akron community.

Stark Community Foundation

Since 1963 when the Stark Community Foundation was formed, tens of thousands of lives have been enriched through grants and scholarships. It’s the community’s trusted partner in effective philanthropy. Today, the foundation stewards more than 850 charitable funds totaling nearly $400 million in assets and has granted over $215 million to nonprofits in our community and beyond.

Leadership Akron and Torchbearers

Leadership Akron unlocks the potential of leaders and inspires them to create a stronger Greater Akron. Torchbearers and Leadership Akron have a partnership to enrich Greater Akron by supporting community leaders from high school through retirement. Diversity

on Board, created with the United Way of Summit & Medina, offers leadership development, education, and board matching services to advance minority representation on public and nonprofit boards.

United Way of Summit & Medina United Way takes on issues that matter most to children and families by focusing on four Bold Goals for the community.

 Raising third grade reading scores for Akron Public School (APS) students

 Raising four-year graduation rates among APS high schoolers and increasing college and career readiness among graduates

 Financially empowering families in Summit and Medina counties

 Reducing the Black infant mortality rate in Summit County

With more than a century of experience in Greater Akron, United Way brings together partners from the public, private and nonprofit sectors and thousands of volunteers.

United Way of Greater Stark County United Way of Greater Stark County fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in Stark and Carroll counties. United Way of Greater Stark County has identified four areas for investment: childhood success, youth success, access to health and economic mobility. By addressing these priorities, the United Way builds a foundation for stable households and helps to break the cycle of poverty.

Summit DD Akron Pride Festival

ALL FOR ONE

SMART MOVE

EMMA LIEBERTH OSBORN

United Way of Summit and Medina, Associate Vice President of Policy, Health and Financial Empowerment

Moved from Washington, DC after 10 years to return home to Akron in 2018.

Biggest surprise: Moving back as an adult, it wasn’t the same city I remember leaving. The city continues to evolve with amazing local restaurants and businesses.

Out-of-town visitor picks: Local breweries such as Akronym and Lock 15, custard from Strickland’s by the airdock and a drive through the city from University of Akron’s campus to Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Day-off fun: Visits to Graf Grower’s, Leaf Home and Blooms; a walk at one of our Summit Metro Parks, and going to a playground with my daughter.

On the nonprofit/arts climate: We’re lucky here because we’re so resource rich in many areas. There are many nonprofits, with caring people working to make our community and our residents better.

Tips for newcomers: Get involved in local organizations. The people and community in Akron are what make it such a special place.

CANAPI

A nonprofit organization dedicated to HIV support services and LGBTQ advocacy in Summit and Portage counties, CANAPI is a result of the merger of the Community Aids Network and the Akron Pride Initiative. It promotes the well-being of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) community and persons at risk or affected by HIV through education, support services, housing and advocacy.

Stewart’s Caring Place

Established in 2003, Stewart’s Caring Place provides non-medical supportive services and programs in a relaxed and caring environment to individuals and families touched by cancer. With fitness programs, meals, holistic services and more, Stewart’s supported more than 2,100 people in 2021.

Habitat for Humanity of Summit County

Habitat for Humanity of Summit County is a nonprofit, ecumenical organization that builds and repairs homes in partnership with qualified families. It is dedicated to making simple, decent and affordable housing available in our community for lowincome families in need. In Summit County, Habitat has already built more than 200 homes and housed more than 300 adults and nearly 500 children in just over 30 years.

International Institute of Akron

The International Institute creates and implements programs that assist

the foreign-born in integrating into the Greater Akron community. It also promotes the value of diversity and international communication. Programs include ESL and citizen classes, translation and placement of new refugees.

OPEN M

OPEN M is a Christian nonprofit organization that serves more than 40,000 individuals annually with food, health and employment services—all intended to create pathways out of poverty. Located in the Summit Lake Neighborhood of Akron, OPEN M leverages a community alliance of churches, businesses and more than 1,000 volunteers to offer programs to those in need residing in Summit County.

Jewish Family Services of Akron

JFS of Akron enhances the mental, emotional and social well-being of individuals ages 45 and older and their families through counseling, care management and education consistent with Jewish values; however, JFS serves both the Jewish

Yoga Fitness at Stewart’s Caring Place

OF STEWART’S CARING PLACE

International Institute of Akron COURTESY

Making Meaningful Connections

In Our Community

Connecting People with Disabilities to Supports that Fit Their Needs

Summit DD believes that the strongest communities are built by the abilities of all people. We’re here to realize the full potential in those we serve, one person at a time and one community at a time. Learn more at SummitDD.org

Developmental Disabilities

Check out stories of hope, support and determination at SummitDD.org

and non-Jewish community. No one is denied services based on their inability to pay.

Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank

The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank is the source of emergency good for nearly 500 food pantries, hot meal sites, shelters and other hunger-relief programs that directly service people in an eight-county region. In 2021, the foodbank helped provide 22.5 million meals to its network of hunger-relief partners.

County DD Boards

The four developmental disability boards of Summit, Portage, Medina and Stark counties provide services to thousands of people with disabilities and their families. Although services vary with each board, all four provide lifespan support to help people with disabilities work, live and learn as equal citizens. From early interventions with young children to daycare for older adults, the boards oversee coordinated, reliable care. For families, the boards provide guidance. For employers, they offer solutions to staffing issues. For the entire community, they offer a way to live a richer, more inclusive life.

United Disability Services (UDS)

For more than 70 years, UDS has been serving individuals with all types of disabilities—from mild to severe. Its sports program (sanctioned by the Special Olympics) is competitive and integrated. It loans developmental toys and offers resource material. The Taste Buds division is a catering service that offers boxed lunches while providing employment for the disabled. UDS offers local employers ways to reach their production goals.

Hattie Larlham

An independent nonprofit, Hattie Larlham offers medical, residential, recreational and work training services

COURTESY OF AKRON-CANTON REGIONAL FOODBANK

to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides 24/7 services to children and young adults at its center in Portage County and to adults in communitybased homes throughout Ohio.

Pegasus Farm

This farm in Hartville is dedicated to the idea that equine-assisted activities provide exceptional physical and psychological benefits. Each year, it serves more than 500 people from eight counties—primarily children— who face emotional, behavioral, cognitive, developmental or physical challenges or a combination. It is certified as a Premier Center by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship.

Gigi’s Playhouse

Gigi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome

Achievement Center in Canton is one of 46 locations of a Chicago-based nonprofit designed to increase positive awareness of Down’s. It provides a place for parents and caregivers to network and share ideas.

MORE LOVE

109In 2022, the United Way of Greater Stark County is marking its 100-year history of battling poverty, supporting communities and advocating for compelling policy change.

110The United Way of Summit and Medina Counties was founded 105 years ago as a Community Chest after World War I.

SMART MOVE

MALLORY PILZ

Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Program Outreach Coordinator Moved from Strongsville, OH to Akron in 2019.

Biggest surprise: There are so many small businesses you can support! I love walking to all the local businesses and coffee shops. Plenty of free events, too!

Out-of-town visitor picks: Visit Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Blossom Music Center, Leaf and Gervasi Vineyard.

Day-off fun: Spending the day in the Summit Metro Parks with my dog, husband, and friends and visiting local coffee shops.

On the nonprofit climate: I am fortunate to be a part of the AkronCanton Regional Foodbank and work among people willing to put in the work to feed people and fight hunger. The amount of passion and commitment of my teammates and the local nonprofit community has blown me away and allows us to make a bigger impact together.

Tips for newcomers: There is something for everyone! If you have a specific interest, you can most likely pursue it here!

United Way of Summit and Medina COURTESY OF UNITED WAY OF SUMMIT

Mixing, mingling and motivating

Young professionals in Akron-Canton can join any number of groups for networking, community commitments and fun.

Greater Akron Chamber’s Young Professional Network

YPN provides its members with opportunities to build relationships with local community, business and government leaders and gives a voice to Akron-area young professionals, 20-40 years old, from all professions. For more information, email ypn@greaterakronchamber.org, @grtakronchamber

30 for the Future Awards

Since 2016, this program has recognized stellar individuals from ages 25-39 for their professional accomplishments and community contributions. They are honored an annual event in the fall. greaterakronchamber.org, @grtakronchamber.org

Young Professionals of Akron

This group is open to anyone “young” and growing in their career. YPA members expand their professional and personal networks through social and community events; invest in the community through volunteerism and support of local business; and find new opportunities through the introduction to resources YPA is focused on connecting professionals to each other and the city through community and social events. Visit ypakron.org, @ypakron

Torchbearers Akron

The goal of Torchbearers is to ignite young change-makers to shape Akron and strengthen their connection to local nonprofit community organizations. Emerging leaders can network, enhance leadership skills and improve the Greater Akron community. torchbearersakron.com, @tb_akron

Akron Urban League Young Professionals

This group, an extension of the Akron Urban League, offers opportunities for emerging leaders ages 21-40 to participate in professional development programs, philanthropy and civic engagement with an emphasis on the minority community. akronurbanleague.org, @akronulup

Akron Urban League Young Professionals share ideas while socializing.

Akron Urban League Young Professionals

COURTESY OF AKRON URBAN LEAGUE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

yStark!

Emerging Leaders United

Young supporters who value the importance of philanthropy and support the work of United Way Summit County are invited. Members make yearly, undesignated gifts of $250 or more and channel their talents to advance the common good while expanding their social and professional networks. uwsummit.org @uwsummitmedina

Young Black Professionals Coalition (YBPC)

A nonprofit organization, the YBPC focuses on the professional and social development of future leaders, including high school and college students. Workshops, social activities and continuous education are aimed at improving the overall minority community. ybpc.info

yStark!

A program of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, yStark! offers networking, professional development and civic engagement opportunities for young professionals in Stark County. ystark.org, @ystarkyp

Twenty Under 40!

Twenty under 40! Is the signature event of ystark! And recognizes young professionals across the business, civic, arts, education and nonprofit sectors. Each demonstrates dynamic leadership and social responsibility in the workplaces and community. ystark.org, @ystarkyp

United Way of Greater Stark County

Young Leaders Society (YLS)

A group of passionate young professional who come together to educate, engage and inspire individuals across Greater Stark County. uwstark.org, @uwstark

Leadership Stark County Spotlight Program

Two Spotlight sessions a year are open to young professionals in their 20s and 30s ready to take their careers to the next level. It’s a great option for employers to cultivate leadership potential in their young employees. Apply online. leadershipstarkcounty.org, @leadershipstarkcounty

30 for the Future Awards

Torchbearers Akron

Twenty Under 40!

COURTESY OF THE GREATER AKRON CHAMBER

COURTESY OF TORCHBEARERS AKRON

COURTESY OF YSTARK!

COURTESY OF YSTARK!

HERE &THERE

Business? Fun?

Near? Far?

Whether you’re on a journey or a jaunt— around the world or across town— Akron-Canton has the means to make your travel easy and affordable.

CAK

Located just eight miles from downtown Akron and 10 miles from downtown Canton, the Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) is big enough to boast five airlines but small enough to be easily navigated. Parking is just steps away from the terminal. And no wandering long halls just to get to the baggage claims. Shorter lines and fewer people mean less confusion and easier travel. With onsite car rentals, ride share and shuttles available, your trip will be a snap.

The CAK airlines, including United and American, fly non-stop to about a dozen destinations and one-stop to nearly 100 more. Breeze Airways recently added nonstops from CAK to Charleston, SC; Nashville; New Orleans; Tampa; Palm Beach, FL and Las Vegas, bringing its nonstop flights from the airport to six.

The airport’s free business lounge, refreshed visitors’ center and kids play area are just three of the amenities in the bright, clean terminal that has been expanded and renovated in recent years.

CLE

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport—about 35 miles northwest of Akron—offers about 140 nonstop departures to more than 35 markets. It is the busiest airport in Ohio and easily reached from Akron via the interstate.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AKRON-CANTON AIRPORT

Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center

AKR

The Akron Executive Airport, formerly the Fulton Airport, is on the city’s east side and serves private planes, including corporate jets. It is undergoing a $6 million improvement project to reconfigure and repave its runway and upgrade its lights and fencing, The airport is home to 15 hangars for corporate aircraft and 75 planes housed in condo hangars.

The airport can support 70 planes a day. It is staffed from 6 a.m. until midnight seven days a week and offers first-class services including fuel, passenger and pilot lobbies, car rental, catering, aircraft repair, flight training, aircraft rental or charter, and pilot supplies.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Akron METRO Regional Transit Authority serves Summit County and transports six million passengers a year. Its home base is the Robert K. Pfaff Transit Center on South Broadway downtown. Real-time tracking on any mobile device allows riders to watch their bus in route. You can text your bus stop ID to 321-123 to find out when the next bus is leaving from your stop or download the MyStop app and sign up for alerts.

All fixed-route buses are equipped with bike racks. On weekdays, METRO’s DASH service runs a loop from the transit center through downtown Akron, to The University of Akron and back. The service is free.

This year, METRO was declared the Gold Winner in both Bus Safety Excellence and Bus Security Excellence by the American Public Transportation Association.

Greyhound Bus Lines operates out of the same transit center on Broadway as METRO. It includes a café, an ATM and a community room

Amtrak has lines/stops in Cleveland and Alliance, southeast of Canton, for passenger and cargo transit.

ROOTS

Our roots are deep, and we tend to them with care. Akron-Canton

has been the home of inventors and industrialists, poets and punk rockers, canal rats and Chippewas. And it’s the final resting place of the 25th President of the United States.

Hale Farm and Village in Bath Township is an outdoor living history museum that was once the homestead of one of the area’s first white settlers. It has 32 historic buildings, farm animals, handcrafting demonstrations and heritage gardens.

Cool thing: Tap in at the Maple Sugaring Festival, complete with pancake breakfast. wrhs.org

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens , built by the founding family of Goodyear, is a 65-room example of the American Country Estate period set on 70 acres of green space and historic gardens in Akron. USA Today called the guided tour the best historic home tour in America. The Manor House, constructed in 1912-15, is in the Tudor

Revival style. The English garden was done by pioneering female architect Ellen Biddle Shipman and is one of the only Shipman gardens open to the public. The Gate Lodge is the site of the first meeting of Dr. Bob Smith and Bill Wilson, founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Must go: Ohio Mart, an outdoor market with Elizabethan flair and Deck the Hall, one of the largest lights displays in Ohio. stanhywet.org

Colonel Simon Perkins, Jr, the son of Akron’s founder, built a Greek Revival home in west Akron in 1837 that is known today as the Perkins Stone Mansion . It is open for self-guided and guided tours from April to December. Across the street is the 1830 home

of abolitionist John Brown. Perkins farmed 1,300 head of sheep with Brown’s assistance, thus the earning the name of Mutton Hill. Tickets include both homes.

Don’t miss: A sheep herding demonstration with border collies. summithistory.org

A 96-foot-high dome of pink granite in Canton marks the final resting place of William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States. The bodies of McKinley and his wife lie side by side in two polished, dark-green, granite sarcophagi. The William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum is adjacent to the tomb, which is open from April to November during museum hours.

The Akron Civic Theatre

Try this: Kids can slide down a firepole at the museum’s Street of Shops, a replica of a historic town that includes a fire station. mckinleymuseum.org

The First Ladies National Historic Site consists of two properties in downtown Canton, the home of First Lady Ida Saxton-McKinley and a visitor center. Visitors learn about how the position of First Lady has evolved over time. Tours start at the visitor center where you’ll find The National First Ladies Library, the foremost repository of scholarly research about the First Ladies of the United States.

Just for Kids: One Saturday a month the museum puts on a special program for kids ages five to 12. firstladies.org

The Akron Civic Theatre on South Main Street was built in 1929 by Marcus Loew and designed by famed theater architect John Eberson. The interior structure was fashioned after a Moorish castle. The Civic is one of only five remaining atmospheric theaters in the country where patrons experience a twinkling star-lit sky on the ceiling inside the auditorium. In 2021, the Grand Lobby was restored to its former glory and an additional, intimate performance space called the Knight Stage was added. A deck overlooking Lock 3 Park and spectacular murals brings the theater experience outside and into the 21st century better than ever.

Check out: Wild Oscar’s, a new 60seat venue underneath the Civic and open to Lock 4. akroncivic.com

The Rubber Worker in the center of downtown is a 12-foot high cast bronze statue of a man wrapping a tire with rubber. The statue, which was erected in 2021, honors our industrial heritage and work ethic. Rubber built Akron, and we never forget it. Across from the statue is a plaza paved with commemorative bricks dedicated to Akron’s rubber workers. It includes a kiosk for visitors to view and listen to archival footage and oral histories from rubber workers and their descendants.

For more: Read about Akron and rubber in Wheels of Fortune by Steve Love and David Giffels. Available on Amazon.

Hale Farm and Village

Perkins Stone Mansion

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

PHOTO BY JIM CARNEY

The First Ladies National Historic Site

PLACE

Tallmadge

Find your happy place in Akron-Canton.

We’re big—we have more than one million people. But we’re not too big—no long commutes or traffic jams.

There are so many amazing places to live in Akron-Canton, we can’t list them all. But we’ll give you a geographic and economic range. Numbers are based on information from the U.S. Census Bureau where available and from area realtors.

Medina County

One of the fastest growing and wealthiest counties in Ohio, Medina is situated between Akron and Cleveland. It has three small cities scattered among 18 rural townships.

Medina

Home to a storybook downtown, the city works hard to maintain its small-town charm.

Population: 26,026

Median Home Value: $176,100

Check Out: The shops and restaurants on Medina Square.

Wadsworth

A rapidly growing city, its population increased more than 10 percent from 2010 to 2020.

Population: 24,261

Median Home Value: $171,200

Go to: The five-day Blue Tip Festival each June.

Brunswick

The largest and most northern city in Medina County draws people who work in Akron and Cleveland.

Population: 34,902

Median Home Value: $178,000

Brunswick’s name was picked via a community contest in 1815.

Sharon Township

Once wide-open farmland, Sharon has some of the area’s most magnificent homes.

Population: 5,353

Median Home Value: $317,300

Enjoy: Concerts at the charming Sharon Center Circle.

Hinckley Township

Home of the spectacular Hinkley Reservation park with its ledges.

Population: 8,028

Median Home Value: $329,600

Go to: The ledges in March when the buzzards come home to roost.

Portage County

This county makes up the eastern part of the AkronCanton region. It has two college towns, a medical school, working farms and small cities. It’s traversed by two east-west interstates.

Kent

The city is home to the main campus of Kent State University and has a great music scene and plenty to do.

Population: 309,698

Median Home Value: $154,400

Insider info: It’s home to the Davey Tree Expert Co., thus the nickname “Tree City.”

Aurora

This affluent area is in both Akron’s and Cleveland’s orbit.

Population: 16,165

Median Home Value: $290,000

Born there: Actress Ann Heche

Centennial Plaza, Canton

Medina’s Gazebo

Summit County

Between Cleveland and Canton, Summit County is diverse with city, suburban and rural living options.

AKRON

Population: 198,000

Downtown

Central city is becoming the first choice of millennials, students and empty nesters.

Average Rent: $1,282

Insider info: Luxury lofts are the heart of downtown living.

Ellet

This community has blue-collar roots but has in recent years attracted whitecollar professionals with families.

Average Home Value: $132,000

Yum: Strickland’s Frozen Custard on Triplett Boulevard

Merriman Hills

Stately homes built mainly in the 1920s for tire executives still grace this elegant neighborhood.

Average Home Value: $375,000

Insider info: Portage Path was briefly the western boundary of the United States.

Highland Square

Known as the artsiest Akron neighborhood, it’s where singles mix with families. Sixty percent are renters.

Average Home Value: $135,000

Hangout: Mustard Seed Market and Café

Fairlawn Heights

Fairlawn Heights is an affluent corner of Akron so named because it sits on a hill overlooking West Market Street near the city of Fairlawn.

Average Home Value: $223,400

Insider info: It has Akron’s largest concentration of owner-occupied homes.

Firestone Park

Harvey Firestone designed this stable community in 1915 for employees of his tire company.

Average Home Value: $124,900

Insider info: The park at its heart is the shape of the Firestone shield.

Sherbondy Hil

Once called Lane Wooster, the neighborhood recently was renamed to honor one of Akron’s founding families.

Average Home Value: $77,030

Insider info: Sherbondy Hill cemetery dates to 1907.

Barberton

Once strictly blue collar, Barberton is blossoming. It has a hospital, a children’s theater, art galleries and intriguing shops.

Population: 26,030

Median Home Value: $88,400

Barberton is known as The Magic City and has claimed purple as its civic color.

City of Green Music Festival

Cascade Lofts, Akron

Goodyear Heights Cuyahoga Falls

PHOTO BY BRUCE FORD

Leaning into Economic Development

Building Partnerships that Last Barberton Community Foundation partners with Akron SCORE, Bounce Innovation Hub, the City of Barberton, Barberton Community Development Corporation (BCDC), Barberton City Schools, Summa Health— Barberton Campus and Summit County Executive, Eileen Shapiro to strengthen the community and contribute to the health and vitality of those living, learning and working in Barberton.

Joyce Coburn and her daughter, Martine Wilson, rebrand their downtown Barberton 527 Tuscarawas Ave. business, Coburn’s Quilting Plus with their featured service—making T-shirt memory quilts.

E C O N O M I C

Eileen

Creating New Opportunities

We are investing in the economic future of Barberton by initiating new programs to support companies looking to expand or relocate to Barberton and to redevelop downtown.

Strengthening a Historic Downtown

The Foundation is working with Heritage Ohio to establish a needs assessment and create a vision for downtown rehabilitation projects.

Call us at 330-745-5995 or visit our website at barbertoncf.org

D E V E L O P M E N T

BARBERTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

TED HERNCANE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Our mission is to strengthen the Barberton community for current and future generations by providing leadership, fostering collaboration, and creating a legacy of giving to do good

Firestone Park

PHOTO BY BRUCE FORD

Green

A city that’s seen rapid growth, Green was voted one of the best places to live by Businessweek.com. It is situated between Akron and Canton, and near the Portage Lakes.

Population: 27,475

Median Home Price: $206,300

Happy Distraction: Hiking at Boettler Park.

Hudson

Between Akron and Cleveland, Hudson has the feel of a New England town and has preserved its history as a settlement of the Western Reserve.

Population: 22,263

Median Home Value: $359,900

Happy Distraction: The Learned Owl on Main Street is a booklover’s bookstore.

Cuyahoga Falls

The Falls, as it’s called, has revitalized its downtown, and the main drag—State Road—has plenty of shopping.

Population: 50,000

Median Home Value: $134,800

Check out: The summer splashpad in the heart of downtown.

Twinsburg

Halfway between Akron and Cleveland, Twinsburg is an unusual mix of a strong industrial base and a suburban vibe.

Population: 19,328

Median Home Value: $220,000

Twins Moses and Aaron Wilcox founded the town.

Stark County

Known as “America’s Playing Field,” Stark County residents are big sports fans. Its primary cities are Canton, Alliance, Massillon and Louisville, but it also has many rural areas and thriving suburbs.

CANTON

Population: 70,426

Central City

With the conversion of historic buildings into upscale lofts and apartments, downtown attracts millennials and empty nesters.

Recent rent: $1,265/month Don’t Miss: Everything downtown has to offer.

Historic Ridgewood

With its brick-lined streets, 1920s homes and old-fashioned lampposts, this neighborhood is the definition of gracious.

Median home value: $310,000

Ridgewood has a homeowners association

Avondale

An upscale neighborhood with lovely homes and plenty of green space.

Median Home Value: $400,000

Test scores at Avondale Elementary School are far above the national average.

Market Heights

Off Market Ave. between 30th St. NW and 37th St. NW, this neighborhood took off in the 1920s.

Recent sale: $149,900

Insider info: The first recorded deed was in 1813.

Jackson Township

One of 15 Stark County townships, Jackson is set between Akron and Canton. People work in both cities. It has many elegant, newer houses.

Population: 40,356

Median Home Price: $212,500

Don’t Miss: Shopping at Belden Village Mall.

Massillon

Once a booming canal town, Massillon has a fascinating museum, a historic downtown and a passion for high school football.

Population: 32,484

Median home value: $107,400

Born there: David Canary, famous for his role as Adam Chandler on All My Children

NORTH CANTON

Voted the best place to live in Stark County by Niche.com, residents like its conveniences and housing options.

Population: 17,991

Median Home Price: $160,000

Check out: The elegant Lake Cable neighborhood

Hartville

Look “small town” in the dictionary, and you’ll find Hartville. Although it’s

Lock 3

Rendering of Jackson Township Amphitheater

FIND YOUR PLACE

growing, it still maintains the feel of its rural roots. Home to one of the biggest flea markets in the country.

Population: 3,054

Median Home Price: $157,100

Yum: The Hartville Chocolate Factory.

Carroll County

In the foothills of the Appalachians, Carroll county is hilly and rural. No big cities here, but plenty of lovely lakes and beautiful vistas.

Carrollton

Carrollton, the county seat about 25 miles southeast of Canton, draws those who like its rural feel.

Population: 3,310

Median Home Value: $115, 900

Must go: The Algonquin Mill Festival in the fall has crafts, food vendors and tours of the mill complex.

Minerva

Part of three countries (Stark, Columbiana and Carroll) is a historic village along the Lincoln Highway (S.R. 30) with plenty of charm.

Population: 3,294

Median Home Value: $89,300

Go here: The Sandy Springs Brewing Co. is a stunning place with lovely overnight accommodations.

Onesto, Canton

Kent

Main Street, Hudson

PHOTO BY JOSEPH ALBERT

Weight