Main Street Kent, in partnership with Acorn Alley, is launching the 2026 Kent Rainbow Weekend this Friday, Oct. 16, through Sunday, Oct. 18.
The three-day festival coincides with LGBTQ History Month and aims to bring together residents, Kent State University students, visitors and local businesses for a series of events celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
The weekend kicks off Friday with a Plexus Social Hour(ish) at Laziza Craft Kitchen from 5 to 7 p.m., followed by Pride Trivia at Bell Tower Brewing from 6 to 8 p.m. Live music begins at Zephyr Pub at 7 p.m., and the night concludes with a Poetry Open Mic at Last Exit Books from 8 to 10 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17, features the Rainbow Weekend 5K starting at 11 a.m. at North Water Brewing, with proceeds benefiting the Portage County Pride Fund. Later that day, the Browse & Bloom floral adventure invites participants to collect stems at downtown businesses before arranging them at Leaf Home & Blooms. Other Saturday highlights include Crystal Shopping with Drag Queen Cara Bowdit at Hippie Fox Rocks, a program on LGBTQ artists titled "Born This Way" at Bell Tower Brewing at 4 p.m., a GSA Mixer at Board & Bevy at 5 p.m., "Courageously Queer Storytelling: Generations of Pride" at 6 p.m., and a Drag Show at Zephyr Pub at 8 p.m.
Sunday wraps up the festivities with "Dolly Does Pride: Rhinestone Brunch" at Laziza Craft Kitchen from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring rainbow mimosas and Dolly trivia. At noon, the Kick the Hate Kickball Tournament takes over Kramer Fields, with registration fees also supporting the Pride Fund. The weekend closes with a final Drag Show at Bell Tower Brewing at 3 p.m.
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, the event organizers hosted Safe Space 101: LGBTQ+ Cultural Competence Community Training to explore identities and allyship.
"Rainbow Weekend is a chance for our entire community to come together," said Heather Malarcik, Executive Director of Main Street Kent. "It’s about celebrating the people who make Kent such a welcoming and inclusive place, supporting our local businesses and creating opportunities for people to connect, have fun and learn from one another."
Participating downtown businesses will offer special promotions throughout the weekend. The event is supported by Acorn Alley, Andra & Mark Polasky, Bella Vita Wellness, Board & Bevy, Brimfield Insurance Group/Ohio Mutual Insurance, Chrystal Shook, Embrace Pet Insurance, Flourish Plant Market, Franklin School of Dance, Franklin Square Deli, Hazelmade, Hometown Bank, Keleigh Veraldo-Zucchero, Ken Ditlevson, Kent State Hotel, North Water Brewing, OmniFiber, PFLAG Akron, Portage Community Bank, Route 8 Studios, Summit County Public Health, Summit FM, Sun in Leo, The Performance Collective, The Portager and The River Merchant.
For the complete schedule and registration links, visit mainstreetkent.org/rainbow-weekend.