Downtown Akron 2023

Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival

Downtown Akron Fall Fest

Cascade Plaza is the site of the Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival that’s loosely inspired by the show “Gilmore Girls” and brings fans from all over the region to Akron. The festival transforms the plaza into an approximation of Stars Hollow, the show’s fictional town. In 2022, the event drew 4,000 visitors for coffee, themed activities, crafts, photo ops, vendors and Gilmore-esque surprises. Smells Like Snow Coffee Festival is back Nov. 4.

DAP launched the inaugural Downtown Akron Fall Fest in October 2022, welcoming 2,000 people to Main Street for music, food, pumpkin decorating, a riddle activity, magic and a screening of “Hocus Pocus.” Downtown organizations sponsored about 16 trick-or-treat stations, including the Akron RubberDucks, Akron METRO RTA, Lock 3, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Akron Children’s Museum, The University of Akron and others. Downtown Akron Fall Fest returns Oct. 21.

photos: Chris Rutan

photos: Talia Hodge