Akron Life June 2023

CANTON LIVING

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more choices this summer with the open ing of Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce’s Smoosh ice cream cookie sandwich shop and Canton landmarks Pizza Oven and Heggy’s Handcrafted Chocolate & Candies. Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium The biggest action takes place in the 23,000-seat NFL-caliber stadium with rooftop viewing and a stage on the 50-yard line. “People are blown away,” says Graffice. “Entertainers that come to us, … they’re like, This is spectacular .” Features include a sky-level terrace event space, luxury suites with catering, a VIP lounge and a stylish club level. It’s the home field for McKinley Senior High School and U.S. Football League teams Pittsburgh Maulers and New Jersey Generals, which bring in tens of thousands of visitors. It hosts events like the Winter Blitz carnival with tubing through the goalpost and stadium tours where you can kick a football on the field, tackle a dummy and push the sled. ForeverLawn Sports Complex Hundreds of thousands of athletes from football and lacrosse to quidditch and field hockey play on these eight fields equipped with concessions including Pizza Oven slices, a Cleveland Clinic training facility and more. “Upward of 70 to 80 percent of those that are on those fields are from outside our area,” Graffice says. “They’re staying in our hotels multiple days, eating in our restaurants, buying our gas.” Hilton Tapestry Hotel & Indoor Water Park Coming in 2024, stay at a football-themed hotel and visit a 125,000-square-foot water park that has water slides, a lazy river, a zero-entry splash zone, a swim-up bar and an outdoor area. Expect TVs play ing games, football art and jersey-shaped floats. hofvillage.com

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akronlife.com | JUNE 2023