Annual Akron Arts Expo weekend adds Taste of Akron
event
Ohio Ballet, wine tasting, art
to fill Hardesty Park
By Kathleen Folkerth
WEST AKRON — So what does Akron taste like?
Is it the chocolate and caramel decadence of the Killer Brownie from West Point Market? The zesty tomato sauce atop a plate of penne pasta from Papa Joe’s? Or the juicy goodness of the grilled mushrooms and onions on the Ido Burger from the Ido Bar & Grill?
Local gourmands, and just about anybody else who likes to eat, will find out at the Taste of Akron, a new event that kicks off this year’s Akron Arts Expo at Hardesty Park. The event is one way to keep the 27-year-old Arts Expo fresh, said Yvette Davidson, community events coordinator for the Akron Recreation Bureau.
“All events need to create new events to keep interest,” Davidson said. “We thought we needed to involve more of the community in the Arts Expo. What was missing was the restaurants and patrons. We thought the Taste of Akron would be a wonderful way to capture those groups.”
Admission to Taste of Akron is free. It will take place July 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the main tent at Hardesty Park.
About 20 restaurants and caterers will have samples of their best items available at prices of $2, $4 and $6, Davidson said.
The sponsor of the tent for the event is the West Point Market. Rick Vernon, chief executive officer of the market, said the event gives the store a chance to get involved once again in the Arts Expo, an event it was part of in the beginning.
“With the popularity of the Food Network and people getting back into cooking with real food, it sounded like the perfect opportunity for us to get involved,” Vernon said.
He added he thinks the tasting event can help both restaurants and patrons in the Akron area. “In Akron there are so many small, great restaurants and a lot of people don’t get exposed to them,” Vernon said. “Everyone is so bombarded with franchises, it’s great to be able to support these small businesses, too.”
West Point Market also sponsored a Hearty Salad Recipe Contest for the event and received 55 entries, Vernon said. That number has been whittled down to 15, and those recipes will be sampled and judged by chefs participating in the Taste of Akron. The winning recipe will be featured at West Point’s deli for a month, Vernon said. In addition to food, Taste of Akron also will feature music by the Howard Street Blues Band.
Other events that are part of the Akron Arts Expo are:
• The 8th annual Wine Tasting
and Silent Auction will
take place at Hardesty Park July 21 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
The event raises money for artist awards for the Art
Expo.
Patrons at this event will have
the opportunity to sample from among 60 wines and enjoy
hors d’oeuvres by Brendan Meeker, chef of Glenmoor
Country Club in North Canton. The silent auction will
feature a variety of items, including art from
many of the Arts Expo participants.
A live auction will feature big-ticket items, such as
a Goodyear Blimp ride for two. Tickets for this event
are $40 in advance and are available by calling (330)
375-2836. Tickets at the door will cost $45.
• The Ohio Ballet will take
the Hardesty Park stage for two nights, July 21 and 22,
at 8:45 p.m. The performances are part of the
dance company’s Summer Festival
of free performances. Attendees are welcome to bring folding
lawn chairs or blankets.
• The Arts Expo’s arts
and crafts show will take place July 22-23 from 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m. This year’s event will feature more than
160 artisans from Ohio and around the country. Artists
will be on hand with their creations, including
jewelry, paintings, photography,
woodcarvings, garden art and more.
• The Hardesty Park Café
will be open throughout the event, from 5 to 10 p.m. July
20-21, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 22 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
July 23.
• A free shuttle service
provided by Rockynol Retirement Community will transport
Arts Expo visitors July 22-23 from the overflow
parking site at Firestone High School.
For more information on the Akron
Area Arts Expo, call (330) 375-2835 or go to www.ci.akron.oh.us.
Beatriz Alford adds her creative touch to fruit and vegetables during last year’s Akron Arts Expo. Photo: Ken Crisafi
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