Shop Local--this Fall!

I wear my  passion on my bumper.

Portage Trail Barn Sale, Square Fest and Hallo-Weirdfest
by Joanna Wilson

I love this time of year!  The weather begins to cool back down and I look forward to fall activities each weekend.  There are so many good events happening in the next few weeks, I wanted to share a few of my favorites.  If you know of other enjoyable events coming up soon--email us at AkronEmpire [at] gmail and we'll see if we can put it on the calendar.  Do you consult our calendar?  It's at the bottom of this blog.  Check it out!

Look for the sign!

Portage Trail Barn *Fall Sale*
Thur Sept. 20, 5-8pm
Fri Sept. 21, 10am-3pm
Sat Sept 22,  10am-3pm
Portage Trail Barn Fall Sale Facebook event link

If you haven't been yet, Portage Trail Barn is a rustic wooden barn filled with seasonal and handmade items  While you're enjoying a cup of cider, you can peruse the re-purposed and Earth-friendly materials crafted by local artists as well as the autumn decorative and wearable goods.  This family-friendly spot is ideal because of the diversity of items--all made by people in Cuyahoga Falls and the greater Akron area.  The organizer has been putting up photos of some of the vendors' items on her blog in the past week, continuing through this week.  Click here for that link.  Yes, those hand embroidered greeting cards are made by me!

Bring the kids and shop at the Portage Trail Barn.

Square Fest
Saturday Sept. 22, 10am-8pm
Square Fest Facebook event link

Most everyone is familiar with the annual street festival Art in the Square held in Highland Square in Akron.  When it was announced last spring that Art in the Square was canceled for 2012, two men had the courage and ambition to pull together a community festival after all.  Let's show our support and show up!  They have bands scheduled all day, vendors and artists booths, as well as the participation of local businesses.  Square Records is having an indoor Sidewalk Sale--click HERE for the Square Records Sidewalk Sale Facebook event link.  We should all be in Highland Square this Saturday, not only to enjoy the festival but to encourage and support the organizers, proving that this community event needs to be an ongoing annual tradition.  According to the FB event wall, they still need local vendors--so there's still oppportunity to get involved, if you're so inclined.  Will I see you there?

Hallo-Weirdfest
Saturday October 6, noon-6pm
Hallo-Weirdfest Facebook event link

Devilstrip Dolly's is hosting their second festival of art and music of the year.  Devilstrip Dolly's is the anti-gallery and shopping experience next to the Bomb Shelter on Bank Street.  Click HERE for a previous Akron Empire post about Devilstrip Dolly's.   Hallo-Weirdfest promises to be the creepiest and funnest festival of them all with a parking lot full of artists booths, food from Stray Dog Cart and music.  Did you miss the musical performance of Dolly Rocker Ragdoll at the first Weirdfest in May?  Here's your chance to catch him again.  Click HERE to see what one guest blogger thought of Dolly Rocker Ragdoll.  The schedule also includes a mini Dr. Sketchy's event--an opportunity to get creative.  Click HERE to check out a past Dr. Sketchy's event covered by Akron Empire.  This all-day festival of weirdness promises to be a good time of which I have no doubt.  Keep Akron Weird!

And we're all looking forward to the biggest arts & crafts show of the season CraftyMart--coming soon!  Perhaps November?--we'll wait and see.