- Mike D. Ah, that wonderful warm weather that we have all been waiting for is finally here in Northeast Ohio. Along with baseball, cookouts, camping trips, and swimming holes, it brings with it the classic outdoor music season.
- Jeremy Brown. In 2017, artist Beth Stoneking and Rockton Lodge #316 Trustee Fred Moore teamed up to create the Kent Flea and Makers Market to raise funds to help maintain the former home of Marvin Kent and to give local craftspeople a venue to offer their artisanal and vintage goods to the community.
- Wendy DiAlesandro. Garrettsville is gearing up for Summerfest 2026, a weekend of live music and other entertainment.
- Adriana Gasiewski. The city of Ravenna will wish America a happy anniversary, inviting people to its America’s 250th Anniversary Community Picnic from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ravenna City Hall and America’s 250th After Party Concert at Sunbeau Valley from 7 to 9 p.m. July 11.
- Wendy DiAlesandro. Anyone interested in helping with the event should contact Clerk of Council Chelsea Gregor at 330-297-2155. With enough volunteers, people can take shifts and still go out to enjoy the celebration day.
- Submitted. The Garrrettsville Farmers' Market is open Thursdays through Aug. 27 from 4-7 p.m. on Main Street. The market also features a number of community events and programs throughout the summer. Here is the full schedule.
- Wendy DiAlesandro. Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day, has been celebrated since 1866. President Joe Biden declared it a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, but Portage County communities celebrated it before that and continue to do so.
- Roger Gordon. The Rootstown Historical Society will put on the township’s America 250 celebration Saturday, July 4 at the township park.
- Sandy Engle. Sixty senior citizens walked 7 to 12 miles a day with the Great Ohio Climate March to bring greater awareness of the dangers of horizontal shale drilling on public lands and mega data centers.
- Mike D. If you own a venue and want live performances included in this roundup, please email me at miked@theportager.com. I’ll want to know who you have booked, the date, time, and any costs or restrictions. If you know of a venue that provides live music, please contact me and I’ll take it from there.
- Wendy DiAlesandro. Local glass artist Henry Halem will be the featured speaker at the next Tap Talk, set for 7 p.m. June 16 at North Water Brewing Co., 101 Crain Ave. in Kent.
- Adriana Gasiewski. With the help of a Morgan Startup Grant, a grant the Burton D. Morgan Foundation donated to LaunchNET at Kent State University, owner of Sun in Leo Justine Gallo was able to open her upcycled clothing boutique in January 2023.
- Roger Gordon. “We’re working with our code. We went to Regional Planning, and they had some changes and suggestions, so we’re still doing that back and forth,” township Vice Chair Rich Gano said.
- Jackie Loreta-Rinearson. The Sip n' Shop on Main is coming together nicely. With more than 40 artisans and four wineries, the street is about full. Main Street in Garrettsville will play host to a wine tasting and artisan festival from 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday, July 25.
- Adriana Gasiewski. Cochairs of the revived Captain Brady Day Annette McMullen and Charlie Hall grew up attending the community festival at Brady Lake. McMullen recalled how the event was less centered around Captain Samuel Brady but bringing the then-Brady Lake Village community together.
- Roger Gordon. The Village at St. Edward partnered with developer Dan DeHoff to construct a 107-unit, 101,000-square-foot residential care facility that will serve independent, assisted living and memory care residents in Brimfield.
- Jeremy Brown. Some of the top tree climbers from the U.S. and Canada descended on the Davey Tree SEED Campus on Friday, May 15, for a weekend of fellowship and rivalry at the International Society of Arboriculture North American Tree Climbing Championship.