We treasure our community's strong support for music, fine and visual arts and their place in providing entertainment opportunities and building connections among residents of all ages.
What we've heard in surveys and community conversations:
“I’d like to see more opportunities for kids during the summer.”
“I hope for more summer outdoor community events.”
“There is a strong community spirit. I love the performing arts at both school and community-based; and that we have a school of performing arts!”
“I would like to see the opera house restored to its original design.”
“I believe that we should definitely have a more accepting community of all types of people. People feel like misfits because of who they are and that's incredibly unfair.”
“We could have more events related to the fine arts! Concerts and plays at the Opera House are always fun to be a part of, and attend.”
“Host more activities to bring people to Akron - 4th of July event at the Park and the Swing/Jazz night at the Opera House. Any activities like this really opens possibilities for outlying and internal residents to have something to do. The Community Plays are awesome too.”
“I would hope that Akron would be more open to differences in people and a more supporting community.”
“The Opera House is another gem that provides so much entertainment to our communities and offers so many opportunities to our residents to participate in theatre and music activities. The BCHSPA is a gift to this community by offering music and theatre enhancement to so many students. They definitely help to enrich the school's music programs one student at a time.”
“I’d like to see more community service type activities, more seasonal activities like the scarecrow festival, street dances (Diamond Avenue), Halloween gathering at the Akron Museum - all gatherings that will attract people.”
“Embracing the different cultures within our community.”
“I’d like to see new aquatic center, new assisted living facility, walking/running/biking trails around and through city of Akron, newly refurbished facilities at A-W school, an addition to Public Library, continued updates to Akron Area Museum and Opera House.”
Ideas we've heard:
More concerts and activities
More opera house performances of all types
Enhance and support diversity in our community
Improvements at the museum
More street art and alley art
More fine arts opportunities
Restore opera house
Increase support for arts events
Cultural festivals highlighting cultures and other countries
Concert series with different types of music – bluegrass, jazz, etc.
More arts and crafts for all ages
Art festival
Tour of homes and neighborhoods
Continue children’s theatre and have more kids’ opportunities to perform and learn