AKRON, Ohio – The Downtown Akron Sakura Festival will return Saturday, April 15 with an expanded footprint and more activities, according to event organizers.
It’s the third year for the festival, which celebrates the arrival of spring and Japanese culture. “Sakura” means flowering cherry tree in Japanese. This year’s festival will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. along the Towpath Trail.
“We are excited to be able to expand the Sakura celebration into a full-fledged festival with multiple ways to enjoy and celebrate the wonderful public space that is the Towpath Trail, which runs right through downtown’s backyard. It is especially enchanting each spring, when, thanks to the Japanese Association of Northeast Ohio and the city of Akron, the 470+ Japanese cherry blossom trees fill the trail with delicate pink and white blossoms,” Downtown Akron Partnership President and CEO Suzie Graham said in a news release.
The event is free. View the festival schedule online.
This year’s festival includes live performances, Japanese music, a story walk, a sake and sushi tasting in Lock 3, crafts, local bonsai vendors, ikebana (flower arranging), traditional food and more. Activities and performances are scheduled to take place every 30 minutes throughout the festival. Areas of interest along the Towpath include The Mustill Store (4-6 p.m.), Williams Tower in Ohio & Erie Canal Park (4-6 p.m.), the Lock 3 Common Room, Lock 2 and the Towpath Trailhead at Spaghetti Warehouse, according to event organizers.
The exact dates the trees will bloom are difficult to predict, which is why the Downtown Akron Partnership, Japanese Association of Northeast Ohio and students at National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle School are watching the trees and will inform community members when the trees will bloom via social media. For updates, follow Downtown Akron Partnership on social media channels at @downtownakron. The festival will take place April 15 regardless.
If the trees are not at peak bloom on April 15, Downtown Akron Partnership will place thousands of luminarias on the trail during one of the peak blooming days, along with wind chimes and tree lights. During the peak bloom period, the organization will host a photo contest on social media, with prizes for the top three photographers and a haiku contest.
Parking
Parking is available behind the Spaghetti Warehouse, and attendees can access the Towpath directly behind the parking lot. Parking is also available in the State Street parking deck. The Towpath is accessible from the State Street trailhead entry (behind Canal Park Stadium). Parking for the Mustill Store is located on 57 W. North St. at the Mustill Store, or across the street at the Towpath Trailhead. Parking for Williams Tower is located in the Channelwood lot, located behind Williams Tower, off of Dart Avenue.
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