Akron Digest
May 1, 2026
Good Morning, Akron!
An Akron man is having a much better week than the rest of us after winning the lottery, and he’s crediting a sparrow for the whole thing.
According to the Ohio Lottery, the bird flew into his car and sat on the passenger side floor, which he took as a sign. A week later, he bought a few scratch-offs while getting gas… and turned one into a $2.4 million prize.
Personally, I admire the confidence it takes to buy lottery tickets after paying for gas in this economy.
Let's dive into this week's issue.
📰 The Digest
The Zoo Is Getting a Wild Upgrade 🦁
The Akron Zoo is reopening its renovated "Legends of the Wild" area on Saturday, May 16, and the new resident list is worth a look.
Debuting that day:
Via Akron Zoo
Two axolotls — Neo and Xochi — who, as a casual matter of biology, can regenerate their limbs, hearts, and parts of their brains
A family of white-faced saki monkeys from South America (Toumi, Clementine, and their one-year-old Ripley), who have the kind of dramatic hair that suggests they know exactly what they're doing
Critically endangered cotton-top tamarins, named for the white plume on their heads that makes them look perpetually startled
Endangered sun conure parrots named Vega and Archimedes, who are, respectively, very loud and presumably very smart
Green aracaris, which are technically small toucans
Golden lion tamarins — endangered little primates from Brazil who are bright orange from head to tail and have apparently never heard of blending in
Meeting a self-healing salamander named Neo seems like a pretty reasonable way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
🔥 Top 5 Events This Week
Here is our list of hand-picked events around the area:
Galactic Gathering 🚀
Saturday, May 2 | 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Downtown Cuyahoga Falls
Downtown Cuyahoga Falls transforms into a galactic adventure for its third annual Galactic Gathering — pubs, shops, and eateries become intergalactic outposts where you stamp your way through a free Intergalactic Passport for a shot at out-of-this-world prizes. Passports are limited to the first 250 space travelers, so grab one early.
Head to The Workz at 2 PM for the Galactic Costume Contest — best space, alien, or sci-fi look wins — and after-hours outposts keep the party going well past 5 PM. Free, all ages, and a blast from noon to the dark side of the moon. May the 2nd be with you.
Annual Goat Derby 🐐
Saturday, May 2 | 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM | The Winery at Wolf Creek, Barberton
Every year on Kentucky Derby day, the Winery at Wolf Creek holds its own version of the sport of kings — except the athletes have four legs, questionable racing instincts, and absolutely no interest in your mint julep. The Annual Goat Derby is exactly what it sounds like: real goats, real races, all bets and donations going to local animal rescue organizations.
The winery sits above the Barberton Reservoir, so the scenery is good even if the goats get distracted. VIP tickets are available if you want the full experience — red carpet entry, table seating, a private bar, derby-inspired food, craft cocktails, and a pre-race meet-and-greet with some of the competitors. VIP is 21+; the general event is family and pet-friendly.
Ballet Theatre of Ohio: The Wizard of Oz 🌈
Saturday–Sunday, May 2-3 | Akron Civic Theatre
Ballet Theatre of Ohio follows the Yellow Brick Road to the Akron Civic Theatre for three performances of The Wizard of Oz — costumes, choreography, and enough magic to make even the most skeptical grown-up reconsider their stance on ruby slippers.
Three chances to see it: Saturday at 2 PM and 7 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM. Tickets start around $42, and the Civic's Spanish Moorish interior, with stars on the ceiling and a century of history behind it, makes Oz feel like exactly the right kind of dream.
Kent American Roots Music Festival 🎶
Friday, May 1 | 7:00 PM | Downtown Kent
Now in its eighth year, the Kent American Roots Festival takes over downtown Kent for a free evening of Americana, bluegrass, country, folk, and a little bit of everything else. We're talking 20+ artists spread across bars, restaurants, and venues throughout the city — you just wander in, find a room you like, and stay as long as the music holds you.
The lineup includes The Shootouts, the Akron-rooted roots-country band that Rolling Stone once tagged with "perfect Rust Belt country." Also on the bill: Maura Rogers & The Bellows, Cats on Holiday (a Cleveland swamp pop band that has been doing this for 20 years), and plenty more across every corner of downtown. If you make it to midnight, the Crooked River Stompers play old-time rags and jump jazz until the lights come on. The whole thing is free, which honestly makes it one of the better deals in Northeast Ohio on any given Friday night.
Crowder with Special Guests Seph Schlueter and Patrick Mayberry 🎵
Sunday, May 3 | 7:00 PM | E.J. Thomas Hall
Grammy-nominated artist Crowder brings his spring tour to E.J. Thomas Hall for an evening of folk-inflected worship music alongside rising artists Seph Schlueter and Patrick Mayberry. He has a knack for blurring genre lines between folk, rock, and gospel, which makes him worth hearing even if contemporary Christian music isn't usually your thing.
E.J. Thomas is one of the better acoustic venues in Northeast Ohio, and tickets starting around $28 make it one of the more accessible live music options of the weekend.
📌 Everything Else Worth Knowing
Some bonus picks from us:
🎷 Music & Live Performances
Hotel California: The Original Eagles Tribute
Saturday, May 2 | 7:30 PM | Goodyear Theater
An Eagles tribute act with tight harmonies and a setlist full of songs you already know at Akron's classic Goodyear Theater.
More info →
Fiddler on the Roof
Now through May 17 | The Knight Stage
BOOM Theater (2025 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Award winners) brings Fiddler on the Roof to The Knight Stage for a multi-weekend run.
More info →
👪 Family & Community
Mustill Store Museum Season Opening Celebration
Saturday, May 2 | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Cascade Locks Park / Mustill Store Museum
The Ohio & Erie Canal park kicks off its 2026 season with a celebration at Akron's oldest commercial building — free, family-friendly, and a good excuse to explore a corner of the city most people drive right past.
More info →
The Little Monsters Matinee — Beetlejuice
Saturday, May 2 | 2:00 PM | Akron Public Library, Main
The Akron Library has partnered with Killer Video Retro Horror Museum to bring spooky movie screenings to the Main Library auditorium — kid-friendly enough for the whole family, weird enough to actually be fun. May's pick is Beetlejuice.
More info →
📸 #SeenInAkron
🎬🎥 Akron Weekend Movie Action
Nightlight Theatre
Note: This is a partial list of showings. For the full list, follow one of the links below.
Mother Mary
“Long-buried wounds rise to the surface when iconic pop star Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel) on the eve of her comeback performance.”Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Hokum
“When reclusive novelist Ohm Bauman (Scott) retreats to a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, the staff’s tales of an ancient witch haunting the honeymoon suite take hold of his mind. Soon, disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance draw him into a nightmarish confrontation with the darkest corners of his past.”Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
American Dream
“When workers at the Hormel meatpacking plant in Austin, Minnesota are asked to take a substantial pay cut in a highly profitable year, the local labor union decides to go on strike and fight for a wage they believe is fair. But as the work stoppage drags on and the strikers face losing everything, friends become enemies, families are divided and the very future of this typical Mid-American town is threatened.”Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Highland Theatre
The Devil Wears Prada 2
“As Miranda Priestly nears retirement, she reunites with Andy Sachs to face off against her former assistant turned rival: Emily Charlton.” (IMDb)Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
Weather
Today
47 🌡️ 37 | 🌧 | 86% 🌧️
Saturday
49 🌡️ 36 | 🌧 | 84% 🌧️
Sunday
57 🌡️ 46 | ⛅ | 1% 🌧️
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Talk to you next Friday!