AKRON, Ohio — The Akron Pride Festival is returning to downtown Akron this weekend with a slew of events, activities and performances celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
With events over two days, highlights include a 5K run, an "Equity March" through the streets, and performances by local drag artists as well as headline acts by stars from two recent seasons of "RuPaul's Drag Race."
Here's what you need to know about all the events, exhibitors and performances that are a part of this year's Akron Pride Festival.
Friday, Aug. 23
Akron Pride Festival 5K
The festival kicks off on Friday evening with a 5K run through downtown Akron and the Ohio & Erie Canal towpath from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The race begins at the Bounce Innovation Hub at 526 S Main St. and ends at Canal Place. Registration is still open and also includes a virtual option. Click here to register.
Saturday, Aug. 24
Akron Equity March
Saturday's festivities begin with the sixth annual Akron Equity March at 10 a.m. Organizers say the march is a "celebration of our lives and our community" and is meant to "show that Akron as a whole, supports equality and equity for all people!" The theme for this year's march is "Stand Up, Lift Up."
The march steps off on Main Street in front of Spaghetti Warehouse and will conclude near at the rest of the festival setup near Lock 3 Park. Coffee and breakfast snacks will be provided near the step-off location.
Click on the following links for: march rules and FAQs.
A map of the march route courtesy of Akron Pride Festival can be seen below:
Entertainment & performers schedule
The festival will feature performances by a wide range of performers on two stages, including among others, local artists like Lovers in Reverse, Timi Funk and 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Artist in Residence Charity Evonna. Other high-profile performers include TikTok famous singer Jordy and house music icon Crystal Waters.
Also well represented will be drag and ballroom acts, including the House of Makaveli, featured in the third season of HBO Max's "Legendary," as well as past "RuPaul's Drag Race" contestants Lady Camden and Nina West.
Here's the full performance schedule:
Lock 3 Stage
- 10 a.m. DJ Honk
- 11 a.m. Inner Circle Avenue
- 12 p.m. Lovers in Reverse
- 1 p.m. Timi Funk
- 2 p.m. A-Go-Go
- 2:30 p.m. DJ Nikolina
- 3 p.m. Crystal Waters
- 4 p.m. Drag show featuring Lady Camden and Nina West
- 7 p.m. Jordy
- 8 p.m. Drag show featuring Lady Camden and Nina West
- 10 p.m. Fireworks
Equity Stage
- 11:30 a.m. Corry Michaels
- 12:30 p.m. Millennial Theatre Project
- 1:30 p.m. Vanity Crash
- 2:30 p.m. House of Makaveli
- 3:30 p.m. Wednesday Demonstration
- 4:30 p.m. Charity Evonna
- 5:30 p.m. The Phantom Creek
- 6:30 p.m. Krown Bay
Children's area
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a kids zone will be available to families featuring an inflatable slide, kids activities and more. The children's area will be in Cascade Plaza.
Parking and road closures
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik announced road closures on South Main Street from State Street to Mill Street and Bowery Street from Center Street to Cascade Plaza beginning Friday and lasting through Sunday at 12 p.m. In addition, the Equity March will shut down much of South Main Street from 9 a.m. Saturday through the duration of the march. On-street parking is prohibited starting at 6 a.m.
See a parking map from the Akron Pride Festival website below:
Food and refreshments
The following restaurants and food trucks will have food, snacks and refreshments available across from the Main Stage on Bowery Street:
- A Movable Feast
- Cajun Boi Concessions
- City Diner Food Truck
- D.R. Concessions
- Johnny Lote's Latin Street Corn
- Greek & Mediterranean Cuisine Inc.
- Freaky Fruits
- Fabi's Taco Truck
- R&J Smokers BBQ
- Sandy Bottom Bowls
- Southern Thangs
- Sunny's Sweet Treats
- Taco Valez
- Thai it Up Food Truck
- The Eccentric Panda
- The Pierogi Lady
- Twisted Grill and Grind
- Uncle Bacon's BBQ
- Word of Mouth BBQ
- A Movable Parad-Ice
- Bitchy Vegan Homo
- Chocolate Dreams Treats
- Essential Dipped Delights
- Fizzles Concessions
- Happy Camper Lemonade
- Hokulia
- Henry's Creamery
- Ohio's Best Lemonade
- Rolling Refreshments
- Routine Coffee
- Tri-County Ice Cream
If you're still looking for more information, see a full 2024 Akron Pride Guide courtesy of the Akron Pride Festival below: