Akron Digest
August 28, 2026
Good Morning, Akron!
A tiny orange kitten named Sue was rescued from inside an excavator at a local construction job site, then promptly promoted herself from emergency passenger to future shop cat. Even Komatsu sent along a tiny hard hat and safety vest.
Judging by the picture, she’s not putting up with any horseplay on the job.
Source: reddit.com
Let’s dive into this week’s issue.
📰 The Digest
New Sculpture Coming to Lock 3 👩🎨
Akron is getting a large new piece of public art at Lock 3 this fall. The city, Curated Storefront, and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition announced that sculptor Chakaia Booker will install a 17-foot work near the Main Street entrance. Booker is known for turning discarded tires into sculptural forms, and this one will use recycled Goodyear Racing Eagle tires alongside stainless steel. The project is billed as Akron’s first major contemporary outdoor sculpture by a woman artist.
Installation is scheduled for October 26 and 27, followed by a free artist talk at the Akron Art Museum on October 28 and a Lock 3 dedication on October 29. The estimated project cost is $550,000, with support from Curated Storefront, the city, the canalway coalition, VIA Art Fund, and other donors.
Akron Extends Help to First-Time Homebuyers 🏡
Akron is trying to turn more renters into homeowners, and it's stretching its dollars to do it. A new city down payment assistance program, funded with $300,000 in federal HUD money, will give first-time buyers up to $7,500 toward a home inside city limits. By capping the aid at that level, the city now says it can reach roughly 35 households in the first year, up from the 10 it originally envisioned when larger grants were on the table.
The money comes as a forgivable loan: stay in the home for five years and it's forgiven, with 20 percent forgiven for each year if you move sooner. There are income caps (about $56,000 for an individual, $80,000 for a family of four) and price limits, and buyers must put 1 percent of their own money down.
It's a modest start, but for families weighing rent against a mortgage, it could tip the math.
🔥 Top Events This Weekend
Here is our list of hand-picked events around the area:
Akron Pizza Fest 🍕
Friday—Saturday, August 28—29 | Lock 3 Park
Akron Pizza Fest returns to the renovated Lock 3 Park for its seventh year, bringing pizza parlors from around the area together with live music. The festival’s schedule includes a Friday lunch window, then evening hours Friday and Saturday for a post-work slice.
Lock 3 sits directly off Main Street, so it is an easy stop before or after a walk through downtown. Come hungry, but expect the decision-making to take longer than the eating. The event’s pizza-eating contest is also back for people who prefer their weekend entertainment with a timer running.
Akron Food Truck Festival 🚚
Friday—Saturday, August 28—29 | Hardesty Park
The Akron Food Truck Festival brings two days of rolling kitchens, live entertainment, and local makers to Hardesty Park. Admission is free, and the festival is built for wandering: sample a few trucks, browse the Cleveland Bazaar’s vendor lineup, then circle back when somebody spots a dessert they regret not ordering the first time.
Families and well-behaved dogs are welcome. Friday is a compact after-work version; Saturday offers the fuller window for a leisurely lunch, dinner, or both.
VASAR 🥬
Sunday, August 30 | 1:00–5:00 PM | Hungarian American Club, 696 E. Waterloo Rd., Akron
The Hungarian American Club’s annual VASAR puts food, music, and community in one Sunday-afternoon package. A $5 entry fee gets visitors in, with food service beginning at 1:30 p.m. and a menu of cabbage rolls, chicken thighs, kolbasz, nokedli, hot dogs, and langos, the fried flatbread that is reason enough to arrive hungry.
The gathering is at the club on East Waterloo Road, a place built for this kind of all-in-one cultural afternoon rather than a quick grab-and-go stop. Bring cash for admission and give yourself time to explore the food options before the 5 p.m. finish.
Romanian Festival ⛪
Sunday, August 30 | 12:00–7:00 PM | St. George Byzantine Catholic Cathedral, Canton
St. George Byzantine Catholic Cathedral’s Romanian Festival fills Sunday with traditional food, pastries, drinks, folk dancing, live music, a gift shop, and children’s activities. The event starts with Divine Liturgy at noon, then carries through the afternoon with a free bounce house and slide, face painting, and a balloon artist from 2 to 5 p.m.
Admission is free, and both cash and cards are accepted. It is a Canton day trip with more to do than simply grab lunch, especially for families who want both the pastries and some time at the bounce house.
📌 Everything Else Worth Knowing
Some bonus picks from us:
🎨 Arts & Markets
44th Art on the Green
Saturday, August 29–Sunday, August 30 | 10:00 AM–5:00 PM | Hudson Greens, Hudson
More than 150 exhibitors, including 45 new artists, set up for Hudson’s free annual juried outdoor art show on the historic greens.
More info →
🦸 Collectibles & Community
Canton-Akron Comic & Toy Show
Sunday, August 30 | 10:00 AM–4:00 PM | St. George Serbian Event Center, North Canton
Thirty-plus vendors bring more than 100,000 comics, plus toys, collectibles, guest artists, food-truck fare, free parking, and $7 cash admission.
More info →
📸 #SeenInAkron
🎬🎥 Akron Weekend Movie Action
Nightlight Cinema
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
After years of limp sequels, a young director tries to revive the Camp Miasma slasher franchise, only to fall into a bloody, surreal world with the original film’s reclusive star.Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Coyote Vs. ACME
After decades of disastrous ACME products, Wile E. Coyote joins forces with an accident lawyer to take the cartoon conglomerate to court.Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Tony
Nineteen-year-old Anthony Bourdain heads to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic restaurant world during a summer that changes his life.Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Highland Square Theatre
The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan’s adaptation follows Odysseus on the long, dangerous journey home after the Trojan War.Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Weather
Friday
77 🌡️ 52 | ☀️ | 25% 🌧️
Saturday
81 🌡️ 60 | ⛅ | 3% 🌧️
Sunday
84 🌡️ 65 | ⛅ | 5% 🌧️
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Talk to you next Friday!