Civic Saturday Akron, in partnership with Unify America, returns for its second year of programming on June 14 at Bounce Innovation Hub, 526 S. Main St. downtown.

This year’s first meet up will feature poetry from Xposyur and music from Kate Tucker, along with reflections from special guest Marjan Ehsassi of the Federation for Innovation in Democracy (FIDE).

Civic Saturday Akron is a grassroots group of artists and ”community catalysts” who host ongoing gatherings to “celebrate community and strengthen civic culture,” according to a news release. 

These neighborhood gatherings typically attract an intergenerational group of 80 to 100 attendees. Coffee, food from local purveyors, and Civic Matchmaking, where individuals connect with organizations and resources, are featured.

During a seated program, participants will hear poetry from local artists, sing with local musicians and hear their neighbors read inspiring texts. A community leader will share insights and ideas to challenge and inspire, then small groups will gather to share individual perspectives. 

Signal background

After the program, at Civic Matchmaking Hour, attendees will meet each other and connect with local organizations, including Signal Akron, League of Women Voters, People Feeding People, Akron Black Artist Guild, Community Support Services, offering resources and ways to make an impact in the community. 

Refreshments will be available for purchase from Akron Coffee Lab.

Civic Saturday Akron, June 14, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Bounce Innovation Hub, 526 S. Main St.

  • 10 a.m. — Doors open, donuts and coffee 
  • 10:30 a.m.— Seated program begins
  • 12 p.m. — Civic Matchmaking Hour 

Free tickets: RSVP on Eventbrite

Questions? Contact Kate Tucker at civicsaturdayakron@gmail.com

About Civic Saturday

The Civic Saturday model was developed at Citizen University in Seattle in 2016. Akron-area artist Kate Tucker was an early Citizen U Fellow, hosting Civic Saturdays in Nashville before bringing the gatherings to her hometown in 2024.

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.