Akron Digest
August 7, 2026
Good Morning, Akron!
A recent report revealed the deadliest animal in every state. Most of the animals on the list are what you would guess: rattlesnakes, grizzly bears, sharks.
Ohio? The White-tailed Deer.
That feels right. Other states get apex predators. We get a large, nervous creature standing motionless in the road, frozen in place as if it’s unsure how it got there.
Let's dive into this week's issue.
📰 The Digest
Congress Eyes Permanent Daylight Saving Time. Here's What Ohio Would Look Like 🌅
Congress is one Senate vote away from making daylight saving time permanent, and for Ohio, that's not all good news.
The U.S. House passed the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act 308-117, sending it to the Senate. If it clears and Trump signs it, no more twice-yearly clock chaos. Sounds great, right? Here's the catch: Ohio would get the same total daylight either way; the only difference is when it shows up.
In practice, that means your commute in December would look a lot more like a cave expedition. Akron sunrises in November and December would push closer to 8 or even 9 a.m., with sunsets landing about an hour later than they do now. The tradeoff: you'd actually see daylight after work in January instead of driving home in pitch black at 5 p.m.
Summers would look essentially the same as they do now, since we're already on daylight saving time from March through November. The real change hits November 1st, the day we'd normally fall back, and stays through February.
The bottom line: Permanent DST is a coin flip. Night owls and after-work joggers win. Early risers and school-bus-waiting parents lose. The Senate hasn't scheduled a vote yet, so for now, set your clocks back on November 1 like usual.
Tax-Free Weekend Starts Tomorrow, but Read the Fine Print 💵
Ohio's sales tax holiday runs Friday, August 7 at midnight through Sunday, August 9 at 11:59 p.m., and if you shopped the last two years, don't assume it's the same deal. After 14 tax-free days in 2025 covering almost anything under $500, lawmakers rolled it back to the traditional back-to-school format.
Here's what's actually tax-free this weekend:
Clothing priced at $75 or less per item
School supplies priced at $20 or less per item
School instructional materials priced at $20 or less per item
Summit County's sales tax rate is 6.75%, so on a full back-to-school haul the savings are legit. A couple of other things worth knowing: retailers can't opt out. If you're charged tax, you're owed a refund. And online orders count, as long as the purchase is completed before 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
Bottom line: Great weekend to stock up on clothes and school supplies. Just don't come in expecting last year's anything-goes version.
🔥 Top Events This Weekend
Here is our list of hand-picked events around the area:
Lebanese Food Festival 🥙
Friday–Saturday, August 7–8 | 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM | Our Lady of the Cedars Maronite Church, 507 S. Cleveland-Massillon Rd, Fairlawn
The Tri-State's largest Lebanese festival returns for its 38th year, bringing authentic Middle Eastern food, music, and culture to Fairlawn. The two-day celebration features homemade Lebanese dishes prepared by church volunteers, live traditional music and dance performances, and a marketplace with handcrafted goods and cultural items.
This is the real deal when it comes to church food festivals. Arrive hungry, bring the family, and plan to stay for the music. The festival runs all day both Friday and Saturday, giving you plenty of time to sample the menu and soak in the atmosphere.
Akron Pickle Fest 🥒
Sunday, August 9 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Lock 3 Park
Lock 3 transforms into pickle paradise for a day of brine-soaked fun. The festival features dozens of food trucks and vendors serving pickle-inspired creations, a makers market with local artisans, live music throughout the day, and the infamous Picklelympics. Yes, that's a thing.
The Picklelympics include bobbing for pickles, a pickle-eating contest, greased pickle toss, and fishing for pickles. It's exactly as absurd as it sounds, and that's the point. Free admission, family-friendly, and a chance to eat things you didn't know could be pickled. Show up hungry and leave questioning your life choices in the best way possible.
Twins Day Festival 👯
Friday–Sunday, August 7–9 | Glen Chamberlin Park, Twinsburg
The world's largest annual gathering of twins, triplets, and multiples takes over Twinsburg for three days of double vision and family fun. What started in 1976 as a small-town celebration now draws thousands of multiples from around the globe. The festival features a parade, talent show, look-alike contests, fireworks, live music, and a midway with rides and games.
Whether you're a twin yourself or just fascinated by the spectacle, it's worth the 20-minute drive from Akron. Friday kicks off with the opening ceremony and parade, Saturday brings the Double Take Parade and fireworks, and Sunday wraps with contests and entertainment. Admission and parking are free.
Richfield Community Days 🎆
Friday–Sunday, August 7–9 | Richfield Woods Park
Richfield's 54th annual Community Days stretches across the entire weekend with small-town festival staples and some quirky additions. This year's theme ties to America's 250th anniversary, with a Pickett Fence Art Show, live music, food vendors, craft exhibits, and a beer garden. The weekend also features the traditional frog jump competition, because that's apparently a thing Richfield does.
Friday evening brings opening ceremonies and activities. Saturday offers a full day of entertainment, contests, and the art show. Sunday kicks off at 1 PM and runs through the fireworks finale. Free admission and parking, with activities for all ages scattered throughout the park.
📌 Everything Else Worth Knowing
Some bonus picks from us:
🎷 Music & Live Performances
Falls Downtown Friday
Friday, August 7 | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Downtown Cuyahoga Falls
Live music from Brent Kirby and Marc Lee Shannon featuring Michael Webber, craft beer from local breweries, food trucks, and fireworks at 10 PM to close the evening.
More info →
🛍️ Shopping & Markets
The Kent Flea & Makers Market
Saturday, August 8 | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM | 409 W. Main St, Kent
Over 90 vendors selling handmade items, upcycled goods, vintage finds, custom jewelry, pottery, and baked goods, plus food trucks and live music throughout the day.
More info →
🎨 Arts & Culture
GeekFest
Saturday, August 8 | All Day | Akron-Summit County Public Library Main Library
Free all-ages celebration for comics, gaming, manga, and TV fans with panels, vendors, cosplay contest, and art contest celebrating all fandoms.
More info →
📸 #SeenInAkron
🎬🎥 Akron Weekend Movie Action
Nightlight Cinema
Note: This is a partial list of showings. For the full list, follow one of the links below.
Wild Inside
Documentary following Flaco, an escaped Eurasian eagle-owl from the Central Park Zoo in New York City, capturing his unexpected freedom and the city's fascination with him.Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Olmo
A coming-of-age drama set in 1979 New Mexico following a 14-year-old struggling with family responsibility, identity, and the weight of growing up too fast.Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Cookie Queens
A celebration of girlhood and coming-of-age told through the lens of Girl Scout Cookie season, capturing ambition, entrepreneurship, and the bonds formed while selling Thin Mints door-to-door.Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Highland Square Theatre
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Peter Parker must fight crime as Spider-Man in a world that has forgotten him while battling a powerful invisible villain and watching his old friends move on without him.Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Weather
Friday
81 🌡 67 | ⛈️ | 55% 🌧️
Saturday
86 🌡 63 | ⛈️ | 88% 🌧️
Sunday
85 🌡 67 | ⛅ | 12% 🌧️
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Talk to you next Friday!