What if the Innerbelt was a park?
Open Streets @ the Innerbelt is a collaboration between Reconnecting Our Community, the City of Akron Recreation and Parks Department, and Downtown Akron Partnership to turn the Innerbelt into a park for a day. Join us for a few hours of play, food, music, and art! We'll also brainstorm ideas for the site's transformation.
The Innerbelt displaced a vibrant and bustling Black neighborhood. Interviews with former residents feature stories that reveal some sense of that rich life from the jazz and cultural history, neighborhood-wide four-square games, and a beloved Custard Stand. Now there’s an effort to transform part of highway. As we think about what could be next, a park is one of the ideas under consideration.
Event Activities
- Soul Food Cook-off featuring local Akron restaurants
- Custard Stand
- DJ + Dance Floor
- Art Making
- Games
- Bike Riding (Bikes will be available for use)
- Displays About the Neighborhood's History
- Conversations About What's Next for the Innerbelt
Additional event support is being provided by Akron Civic Commons, Summit County Historical Society, Big Love Network, and NAACP. Funding for the event has been provided by the Knight Foundation and City of Akron.
This event is free and open to the public.
GETTING THERE
Cars & Pedestrians
The Innerbelt will be accessible via shuttles from the Wills Lot (entrance on Wills Ave., near Locust St.). Shuttles will leave and return every 20 minutes from 12 pm - 4 pm.
Parking is free. Handicap parking is also available. The shuttle is handicap accessible.
Biking
The Innerbelt will be open for bike access. Enter via the Rand Ave. ramp.
