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Food, music, heritage to be celebrated this weekend at Lock 3 Park in Akron
By Mary Beth Breckenridge
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 11:46 a.m. EDT, Jul 08, 2009
This weekend, everyone's Italian.
You don't need a red, white and green branch on your family tree to be one of the paisanos when the Summit County Italian-American Festival takes over Lock 3 Park and the vicinity from Friday through Sunday. The annual bash of food, music and ethnic pride is sponsored by the city of Akron and the Council of Italian-American Societies of Summit County, a group that has celebrated its shared heritage every July for 62 years.
This year marks the festival's first in downtown Akron. The event moved from Cuyahoga Falls to take advantage of the additional space and more than 10,000 free parking spaces, said Lou Maglione, the festival's volunteer chairman.
Cuyahoga Falls will play host to another Italian celebration, Festa Italiana, July 24 to 26 at Falls River Square.
The move to Akron means the Summit County festival won't have to limit vendors, Maglione said. However, it also means the event will lose one of its attractions, the gondola rides that used to be offered on the Cuyahoga River. ''But that's not unheard of in the future,'' he said.
Of course, he noted there will still be Magical Train rides. ''Not quite the same Italian flavor,'' he conceded with a chuckle.
Still, the festival is adding what's expected to be a big draw: a visit by the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales, the iconic team of supersized draft horses. A couple of the Clydesdales will be available for photos from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday in front of Canal Park, and eight of the horses will parade down South Main Street from Canal Place to Bowery Street at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. The horses will then be available for photos until 2:30 p.m. on Main Street.
The festival has its roots in the annual picnics various Italian societies used to hold at Roma Park, an orchard on Akron-Medina Road, and later at Brady Lake or Meyers Lake. In 1947, the societies joined to form a council, and the next year they merged their summer picnics into one celebration for the entire Italian community at Chippewa Lake Park.
For years, the festival was a one-day event until it expanded to two days in 1986 and to three in 1987. It changed locations several times over the years, but it has always fallen on the second Sunday in July or the weekend that contains that date.
''It's a highlight for a lot of people's summers,'' a time when families plan to get together, Maglione said. ''It's a showcase for our heritage and our traditions that we enjoy sharing with our community.''
This year's festival will be preceded by Italian Night tonight at the Akron Aeros game at Canal Park. On Friday, the festival opens for the lunchtime crowd and resumes in the evening with entertainment onstage and in the street.
Music has been part of the festival since the beginning, and this year's choices are many. Headlining the musical lineup is Daniel Maimone, a tenor whose grandparents live in Akron.
Maimone will perform at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the Akron Civic Theatre. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased in advance from the Civic box office, 330-253-2488, or Ticketmaster.
Other performers include popular party band La Flavour at 6 p.m. Friday, Eagles tribute band Hotel California at 8:30 p.m. Friday and the Sands Trio, a Rat Pack tribute group, at 9 p.m. Saturday.
But much of the entertainment has an Italian flavor — acts such as I Gagliardi Italian Dancers at 3 p.m. Saturday, Ray Massa's EuroRhythms at 6 p.m. Saturday and I Musici d'Italia at 4:45 p.m. Sunday. Mike Tricaso will be strolling the streets with his accordion on Friday and Saturday.
If music is the festival's heart, though, food is its backbone. On the menu are a spaghetti dinner from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the American Toy Marble Museum at Lock 3 (tickets are $7; children 12 and younger pay $5) as well as Vino Italia, a food and wine tasting at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Civic (tickets are $50 from the box office or Ticketmaster).
And, of course, food vendors will be selling everything Italian — pizza, stromboli, pastries, sausage sandwiches and more.
''The food is definitely a big draw,'' Maglione said.
Another addition this year is a fireworks display at 10 p.m. Saturday, set to Italian music. Fireworks were a highlight of the early celebrations, but Maglione said they haven't been part of the festival for years.
In addition, the celebration offers children's entertainment on Sunday, a car show from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, a homemade wine competition at 5 p.m. Sunday and bocce and morra tournaments. A Catholic Mass will be celebrated from 11 a.m. to noon Sunday on the Lock 3 stage.
The complete event schedule is at http://www.it-am.org.
Proceeds from the festival befit causes including Interval Brotherhood Home, St. Anthony School and Church and scholarships. Maglione said that since 2000, the council has given about $840,000 to charitable causes.
''It's something we're really proud of,'' he said.
Just like their heritage.
Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com.
Details
• Event: Summit County Italian-American Festival
• When: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.
• Where: Lock 3 Park, 200 S. Main St., Akron.
• Admission: Free/
• Information: http://www.it-am.org
This weekend, everyone's Italian.
You don't need a red, white and green branch on your family tree to be one of the paisanos when the Summit County Italian-American Festival takes over Lock 3 Park and the vicinity from Friday through Sunday. The annual bash of food, music and ethnic pride is sponsored by the city of Akron and the Council of Italian-American Societies of Summit County, a group that has celebrated its shared heritage every July for 62 years.
This year marks the festival's first in downtown Akron. The event moved from Cuyahoga Falls to take advantage of the additional space and more than 10,000 free parking spaces, said Lou Maglione, the festival's volunteer chairman.
Cuyahoga Falls will play host to another Italian celebration, Festa Italiana, July 24 to 26 at Falls River Square.
The move to Akron means the Summit County festival won't have to limit vendors, Maglione said. However, it also means the event will lose one of its attractions, the gondola rides that used to be offered on the Cuyahoga River. ''But that's not unheard of in the future,'' he said.
Of course, he noted there will still be Magical Train rides. ''Not quite the same Italian flavor,'' he conceded with a chuckle.
Still, the festival is adding what's expected to be a big draw: a visit by the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales, the iconic team of supersized draft horses. A couple of the Clydesdales will be available for photos from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday in front of Canal Park, and eight of the horses will parade down South Main Street from Canal Place to Bowery Street at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. The horses will then be available for photos until 2:30 p.m. on Main Street.
The festival has its roots in the annual picnics various Italian societies used to hold at Roma Park, an orchard on Akron-Medina Road, and later at Brady Lake or Meyers Lake. In 1947, the societies joined to form a council, and the next year they merged their summer picnics into one celebration for the entire Italian community at Chippewa Lake Park.
For years, the festival was a one-day event until it expanded to two days in 1986 and to three in 1987. It changed locations several times over the years, but it has always fallen on the second Sunday in July or the weekend that contains that date.
''It's a highlight for a lot of people's summers,'' a time when families plan to get together, Maglione said. ''It's a showcase for our heritage and our traditions that we enjoy sharing with our community.''
This year's festival will be preceded by Italian Night tonight at the Akron Aeros game at Canal Park. On Friday, the festival opens for the lunchtime crowd and resumes in the evening with entertainment onstage and in the street.
Music has been part of the festival since the beginning, and this year's choices are many. Headlining the musical lineup is Daniel Maimone, a tenor whose grandparents live in Akron.
Maimone will perform at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the Akron Civic Theatre. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased in advance from the Civic box office, 330-253-2488, or Ticketmaster.
Other performers include popular party band La Flavour at 6 p.m. Friday, Eagles tribute band Hotel California at 8:30 p.m. Friday and the Sands Trio, a Rat Pack tribute group, at 9 p.m. Saturday.
But much of the entertainment has an Italian flavor — acts such as I Gagliardi Italian Dancers at 3 p.m. Saturday, Ray Massa's EuroRhythms at 6 p.m. Saturday and I Musici d'Italia at 4:45 p.m. Sunday. Mike Tricaso will be strolling the streets with his accordion on Friday and Saturday.
If music is the festival's heart, though, food is its backbone. On the menu are a spaghetti dinner from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the American Toy Marble Museum at Lock 3 (tickets are $7; children 12 and younger pay $5) as well as Vino Italia, a food and wine tasting at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Civic (tickets are $50 from the box office or Ticketmaster).
And, of course, food vendors will be selling everything Italian — pizza, stromboli, pastries, sausage sandwiches and more.
''The food is definitely a big draw,'' Maglione said.
Another addition this year is a fireworks display at 10 p.m. Saturday, set to Italian music. Fireworks were a highlight of the early celebrations, but Maglione said they haven't been part of the festival for years.
In addition, the celebration offers children's entertainment on Sunday, a car show from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, a homemade wine competition at 5 p.m. Sunday and bocce and morra tournaments. A Catholic Mass will be celebrated from 11 a.m. to noon Sunday on the Lock 3 stage.
The complete event schedule is at http://www.it-am.org.
Proceeds from the festival befit causes including Interval Brotherhood Home, St. Anthony School and Church and scholarships. Maglione said that since 2000, the council has given about $840,000 to charitable causes.
''It's something we're really proud of,'' he said.
Just like their heritage.
Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com.
Details
• Event: Summit County Italian-American Festival
• When: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.
• Where: Lock 3 Park, 200 S. Main St., Akron.
• Admission: Free/
• Information: http://www.it-am.org
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Posted 12:10 PM, 07/08/2009
Fireworks in Akron? Bring your baseball bat.
cuyahoga falls, oh
Posted 12:30 PM, 07/08/2009
Easy pickin's for the Akron thugs
Posted 12:33 PM, 07/08/2009
No thanks. I'll waite a year or two for them to bring it back to the Falls or to the fairgrounds. I just don't feel safe in Crackron.
Posted 12:37 PM, 07/08/2009
You two are idots. Anyways, I hope the city doesn't block off the event from the rest of downtown like they did with the rib fest. The rib fest brought people downtown, but then made sure they wouldn't want to visit any of the local business. It was stupid.
Posted 12:37 PM, 07/08/2009
Make that three.
Akron, OH
Posted 12:52 PM, 07/08/2009
Agree, Eric. Downtown isn't the section of CrAkron that needs blocked off.
Akron, oh
Posted 01:18 PM, 07/08/2009
My My opinion of Akron is negative. What are you going to do about crime Marco and Mayor Pussquellic?
Posted 01:37 PM, 07/08/2009
@Lie Detector
Leave it for the next regime to sort out.
Front Line, KC
Posted 01:40 PM, 07/08/2009
load the glock and head to the lock
Posted 02:36 PM, 07/08/2009
Akroudy, awesome comment! Italian-Americans like myself are proud of their heritage and don't mind bringing 357 mags to our festival. Period.
Posted 02:39 PM, 07/08/2009
You go ahead and get mugged downtown, I'll be at Rockinon the River, safe and sound.
Posted 03:30 PM, 07/08/2009
Move it from the relative safety of the Falls (where you saw a dozen uniformed police officers watching the crowds) to the jungle that is Akron to make a few more bucks selling vendor spaces. Great idea. I will not be attending this year, although I had the past four years.
akron, oh
Posted 03:49 PM, 07/08/2009
@Akroudy: Great comment, make T-shirts.
Akron, Oh
Posted 05:21 PM, 07/08/2009
#1 Rockin on the River Sucks... BORING, too vanilla
#2 Been downtown many times for many events, never a problem
#3 Doug, Ed & TonyZ, you guys can stay in whatever part of town you think is never touched by crime, as if you are all better than everyone else. Dont need ya, dont want ya!
Posted 06:05 PM, 07/08/2009
My comment was an effort to get people talking about what happened in Firestone Park since the Beacon decided not to allow comments on the story. I think it's pathetic what happened to that family and I hope they catch every one of those pieces of garbage.
I honestly don't know what I would have done in that situation. It's a miracle no one was killed.
akron, oh
Posted 09:33 PM, 07/08/2009
i'll be downtown with my glock, locked and loaded. NRA Forever.
Posted 11:15 PM, 07/08/2009
@Akron JT, Sorry, I don't stay in any part of Crakron. It's drive through territory.
Canton, OH
Posted 12:19 AM, 07/09/2009
sweet. .I'm there, dude. . .
Posted 06:58 AM, 07/09/2009
Akron JT...
I'm pretty sure if you play the percentages, there's less chance you'll get mugged walking back to your car in Falls Square than walking back to the parking lots downtown.
Especially at an event that is supposed to bring more people in that pay for beer and food with CASH. The lower class will be out in full force to see what kind of "fast ones" they can pull on unsuspecting Italian Fest participates.
If you don't believe that, than you're lieing to yourself.
Akron, , OH
Posted 08:48 AM, 07/09/2009
Bada Bing Bada Boom ,get downtown and enjoy the olive oil. Popeye will love ya for it!!!
As for you folks that are afraid ............STAY HOME and complain about home cooking. It's better this way.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:52 AM, 07/09/2009
I think it is great to have this in downtown Akron and hope it will be a huge success. I will come down to see the horses and have a canoli. Thanks to the city and the Italian community for working together and making this happen.
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 09:22 AM, 07/09/2009
I dunno. Where I come from, the idea of Italian-Americans being "preyed upon" is laughable.
hudson, oh
Posted 11:55 AM, 07/09/2009
Just pack the heat, it'll be alright..
barberton, oh
Posted 12:42 PM, 07/09/2009
The Clydesdales are staying at the Summit County Fairgrounds thru this weekend FREE !!!
Akron, OH
Posted 01:02 PM, 07/09/2009
================
The event moved from Cuyahoga Falls to take advantage of the additional space and more than 10,000 free parking spaces, said Lou Maglione, the festival's volunteer chairman.
================
So the $50,000 in AKRON TAXPAYER DOLLARS didn't have anything to do with it?
If that is the case, can we get a refund?
Akron, Oh
Posted 01:55 PM, 07/09/2009
That's OK - if you don't want to go to Akron, we still have a festival in Cuyahoga Falls July 24-26 - http://www.festaitalianacf.com
Canton, Oh
Posted 03:52 PM, 07/09/2009
There is an Italian-American Festival at the Stark County Fairgrounds this weekend as well. Located in one of the last "safer" areas of Canton too, btw.
Norton, oh
Posted 03:57 PM, 07/09/2009
I go to the Lock3 concets and have a great time. These festivals always lure in the lowlife's, just makes for great people watching! I always see plenty of Akron cops, including on bicycles. Don't be afraid to go, just use the buddy system and keep your money put away. In other words, ladies, don't carry handbags, wear clothing with deep pockets, etc... this is always common sense when out and about at any festival or concert.
Posted 04:35 PM, 07/09/2009
You people are pathetic. I've been going to downtown Akron events for years, with the family, and never a problem, issue, or worry. To those of you who's idea of ethnic fine dining is the Olive Garden in Montrose - enjoy. We'll have fun at the festival.
akron, oh
Posted 08:48 PM, 07/09/2009
Black & Going 2 Festivities...bringing positive
cuyahoga falls, oh
Posted 01:02 AM, 07/11/2009
About 10,000 people at the Italian Festival Friday night. The bands (especially Hotel California) were great, everyone had fun and from what I saw, everyone left downtown safely. Looking forward to fireworks Saturday night!
Akron, OH
Posted 08:13 AM, 07/11/2009
Guess you scaredy-cats never travel to major urban cities like NY, LA, Chicago, Cleveland, Miami etc. Too afraid to go to a festival in downtown Akron -- what a buncha whimps!
