Here are three things to do in and around Akron this weekend.

Your Akron weekend plans

Get ready for summer gardening and learn how to create a wild backyard at Summit Metro Parks’ annual Native Plant Festival on Saturday. A variety of native plants will be available to purchase from local nurseries. There will also be two educational sessions — Edible Native Plants for the Home Landscape and More Than Milkweed — for guests to attend. Visitors can also stop by Henry’s Creamery, Bereka Coffee or Rabbit Food for a bite to eat and enjoy musical performances from Jen Maurer & Bill Lestock and Hot Djang. The festival goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Munroe Falls Metro Park.

On Saturday, Buchtel Community Learning Center will present “Frozen Jr.,” its first musical in more than 20 years. Based on the hit Disney film, the hour-long production features a high school and middle school cast led by Randall Hall, the school’s director of choral activities. The show starts at 7 p.m. at Buchtel CLC. Tickets will be available at the door and are $6 for adults and $3 for students (cash only).

The Akron Zoo will transform into a land of knights, minstrels and maidens for its two-day Renaissance Faire. The event will feature a costume contest, vendors, live Dungeons and Dragons, sword fighting demonstrations, live blacksmithing, demonstrations from Akron Glassworks and more. This event is all-ages and costumes are encouraged. But please leave your swords, axes and other weaponry at home (plastic versions are OK). The fair goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $11 to $21.

Items of interest

“The Remember Balloons,” choreographer Dominic Moore-Dunson’s adaptation of the 2018 children’s book, will have its on-screen premiere Tuesday. The production will air on PBS Western Reserve at 8 p.m. Following the broadcast, “The Remember Balloons” will be available to stream via the PBS Western Reserve webpage, the PBS app and YouTube.

A community celebration in honor of Akron’s inaugural Sojourner Truth Day will be held May 29 at 5:30 p.m. at the United Way of Summit & Medina (37 N. High St.). The family-friendly event will feature a short commemorative program, local vendors, community resources, light refreshments and an opportunity to explore the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza. Reserve your free ticket today.

Culture & Arts Reporter (she/her)
Brittany is an accomplished journalist who’s passionate about the arts, civic engagement and great storytelling. She has more than a decade of experience covering culture and arts, both in Ohio and nationally. She previously served as the associate editor of Columbus Monthly, where she wrote community-focused stories about Central Ohio’s movers and shakers. A lifelong Ohioan, she grew up in Springfield and graduated from Kent State University.