A vision for an annual market rooted in a section of Highland Square is evolving into a series of pop-up events ranging from dinners and a show to local chef tastings that will rotate throughout the year. 

Brent ‘Wes’ Wesley, founder of Akron Honey and the Yellow Brick Road District on Jefferson Avenue just north of West Exchange Street, already participates with his family of seven in several markets across Northeast Ohio, but he became more intentional with the idea of his market “solving problems.”

“So, maybe it was we found a way to make the food super affordable for the folks who live in this neighborhood,” Wesley said. “And especially to the south of this neighborhood where it gets Black and brown, where food, education and health isn’t as prevalent as it is over on the north side,” Wesley said.

Akron Honey founder and owner Brent Wesley, who goes by Wes, (second from left) and his wife Rebecca Wesley (left) pose for a photo with their children Kassian, 6, Loukah, 6, Samuel, 7, Caedance, 14 and Bella, 18 (left to right). (
Akron Honey founder and owner Brent Wesley, who goes by Wes, (second from left) and his wife Rebecca Wesley (left) pose for a photo with their children Kassian, 6, Loukah, 6, Samuel, 7, Caedance, 14 and Bella, 18 (left to right). (Ryan Loew / Signal Akron)

Every summer, Wesley invites the community to Highland Square for Akron Honey Market Day. The event is equal parts neighborhood block party, vendor fair and foodie experience. (This year’s honey-centric collabs included honey cornmeal cookies from Baked AF and the Akron Honey Dog from FrankieLynn Hot Dogs.)

The Yellow Brick Road District, named for Jefferson Avenue’s yellow bricks, sits next to Akron Honey’s production facility at 1030 Jefferson Ave. It’s the former site of a hair salon that burned down in 2023. Wesley purchased the land in December 2024 and spruced it up with a new mural commissioned by creative agency Art x Love.

Although it’s a work in progress, the space hosted its first events in the past few weeks — two Dinner and a Movie nights offered food, drinks and scary movies, including the 2017 version of “It” and “Nightmare on Elm Street.”

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The looks of the alley are changing too. Patches of grass in the space will soon be replaced with yellow bricks looping around the storefront of Akron Honey and into the sidewalk leading up to the alley. 

On tap for the next event is a free Cookies and Milk Pop-up with Fat T’s Cookies on Nov. 2 from 1 to 5 p.m. inside the Akron Honey Production Room at 1036 Jefferson Ave.

“We’ve always wanted this place to be the Disney World of neighborhoods,” Wesley said. “I wanted it to be magical.”

Culture and Arts Reporter (she/her)
Kelsei centers arts and culture, food and identity in her storytelling. She uses her professional experience and editorial skills to focus a community-first mindset and a strategic approach to her reporting. Kelsei’s previous reporting experiences include food, community and culture coverage at 225 Magazine in her hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Kelsei is a recent alumna of Northwestern University and a 2023 graduate of Jackson State University.