I’m attending the Akron Bicentennial opening ceremony this evening at the Civic (check Signalakron.org for the story Thursday). I’ve heard rumblings about the bicentennial since moving to Akron a year ago. The celebration continues throughout 2025 with a variety of events around the city.
Highlights include a bicentennial neighborhood bike tour, a downtown festival and parade and a new outdoor historical drama about Akron’s history.
For more events, check out Akron 200’s calendar. Launched in January, Akron 200 is a nonprofit formed by the City of Akron and the Akron Bicentennial Commission to oversee the city’s 200th anniversary.
Warming center open in Summit Lake neighborhood
Summit Lake Community Center (380 W. Crosier St.) will serve as a warming center for residents in need Thursday. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will return to its regular operating hours Friday.
Residents can also utilize the Emergency Overnight Shelter (111 E. Voris St.). The shelter is open from 7 p.m. Thursday to 8 a.m. Friday. It is open on evenings when the temperature is 15 degrees or lower.
The city will continue to monitor the temperature and will extend community center hours as needed, Mayor Shammas Malik’s office said in a Wednesday press release.
Your weekend plans
Travel back to the 19th century during Hale Farm & Village’s Holiday Lantern Tours on Friday. Now in its 28th year, the tours give visitors a chance to experience the historic village during Christmastime. Tours depart every 20 minutes, with the first one at 5:20 p.m. and the last one at 9 p.m. Tours last about 90 minutes. Tickets are $17.53 to $28.19, and it is recommended that guests purchase them in advance. Holiday Lantern Tours run through Monday, Dec. 23.
Can one green puppy get adopted before the holidays? Find out when the Akron-Summit County Public Library hosts “I’ll Be Homer for Christmas.” The free family-friendly musical is Saturday at noon at the library’s downtown branch. For more tail-wagging fun, get to the library early for Paws for Reading at 11 a.m. Kids can pick a book to read to a therapy dog.
Contribute to the country’s oldest community science bird project Sunday at the Christmas Bird Count Walk. The annual program from the National Audubon Society — think of it as a bird census — takes places across the United States and Canada. Participants will meet at the F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm at 8:30 a.m. They will walk about 2 miles, counting bird species they see and hear. Birders of all experience levels are welcome. Binoculars are recommended.
