Courtesy of the Shootouts
The Shootouts.
Things kick off on June 3 with live music from the honky-tonk group the Shootouts, an Akron band whose third album, Stampede, will be produced by 10-time Grammy winner Ray Benson. The Akronauts will also perform, and additional live music will be programmed by Akron Recording Company and the youth-based nonprofit First Glance’s hip-hop program. In addition, Oddmall’s Great Grassman Gathering will feature more than 40 purveyors of art, games, toys, comics, collectables, and all things odd, geeky, bizarre, imaginative, and wonderful. Oddmall’s presence in June marks the first in a series of market partners scheduled to appear each month.
Kenmore First Fridays will take place every first Friday through Sept. 2. The free events will run from 6 to 9 p.m. and will feature live music, vendors, family activities, food trucks and an outdoor beer garden with a rotating cast of breweries that include HiHo Brewing Company, Lock 15 Brewing Company and Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.
“This year, we’re celebrating the fifth anniversary of our Kenmore Better Block event, which really kick-started our community’s revitalization efforts,” says Tina Boyes, executive director of Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, in a press release. “Since then, we’ve added more than $1.5 million in new investment, an historic district and 12 new businesses along Kenmore Boulevard, many of which support our budding music economy. And the growth can be attributable in part to events like Kenmore First Friday. So, this year we’re bringing in bigger bands, adding a new street stage, and partnering with well-known market partners to celebrate that and encourage people to come back.”
