Summer fun is back at Cascade Plaza. On Tuesday, Downtown Akron Partnership shared its schedule for Summer Downtown. Its season of free activities includes wellness programming, themed roller skating nights, lunchtime concerts, walking tours and more.

Those who want to take their workout routines outside can check out this year’s Wellness on the Plaza classes, including yoga, kickboxing, functional fitness, line dancing and Pilates. Downtown Akron Partnership will once again offer monthly outdoor yoga classes in the Northside District.

Gather the family for roller skate nights at the plaza. Each evening has a different theme (K-Pop skate, anyone?), and will also feature music, yard games and refreshments. Guests can bring their own skates or rent a pair for $2.

Looking for an outdoor activity with a little friendly competition? Sign up for a summer cornhole league. Downtown Akron Partnership and Summit Sports and Social will offer two five-week sessions, starting May 27. No partner? No problem. Interested participants can register as two-person teams or as free agents.

Back again this year are Midday on Main concerts featuring lunchtime performances from local acts including Anna Beau, Matt Zukes, Shelby Olive, Rachel Roberts and Scott Sopata.  The concerts will take place on the Frances and Richard Buchholzer Balcony at Lock 3 or in front of Cascade Plaza.

Also returning this summer are downtown walking tours and concerts. The hour-long tours are offered twice a month. Attendees will learn about developments happening downtown, explore public art and get to know local small businesses. 

Finally, a new offering this year is Create at Cascade, a monthly crafting series that kicks off May 24. Details will be posted on the Downtown Akron Partnership website soon.

Attendees skate at Cascade Plaza during a Skate Nights on the Plaza in summer of 2023.
Credit: Courtesy of Downtown Akron Partnership

Here’s Downtown Akron Partnership’s summer programming schedule:

Vinyasa Yoga on the Plaza with Yoga Squared 

May 19 – Sept. 1 | Tuesdays | 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. 

Kickboxing on the Plaza with Black2Life Fitness Ministry 

May 19 – July 7 | Tuesdays | 6:40 – 7:20 p.m.

Line Dancing on the Plaza with JustUs Line Dance Crew

May 20 – Sept. 2 | Wednesdays | 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

May 24 – Aug. 30 | Sundays | 3 – 4 p.m.

Pilates on the Plaza with PilatiBarre

May 21 – Sept. 3 | Thursdays | 6:40 – 7:40 p.m.

Functional Fitness on the Plaza with Operation Keep It Moving

July 14 – Sept. 1 | Thursdays | 6:40 – 7:40 p.m.

Pop-up Yoga in the Northside District

June 21, July 19, Aug. 16 and Sept. 6 | 10 – 11 a.m.

Weekly Cornhole League on Cascade Plaza

Wednesdays | 6 – 8 p.m.

  • Session 1: May 27 – June 24 (July 8 rain date)
  • Session 2: July 15 – Aug. 12 (Aug. 19 rain date)

Midday on Main Concerts

May 27 – Sept. 2 | Wednesdays |  Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Roller Skating on the Plaza

June 13 and 27; July 18; Aug. 1 and 22; Sept. 5 | 5 – 8 p.m.

Discover Downtown Akron Walking Tours

  • May 13, June 10, July 8, Aug. 12, Sept. 9 and Oct. 14 | 11:30 a.m.
  • May 30, July 25, Aug. 29 and Oct. 31 | Noon

Events meet and end at the entrance to Lock 3 on Main Street. Free parking is available in the State Street Parking Deck at 52 W. State St.

For more things to do this summer, check out our guide to local festivals and events or our community calendar here (you can add your own events as well). And for even more Lock 3 happenings, check out this calendar of events from the City of Akron.

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.