AKRON, Ohio — In the five years since revitalization of Kenmore’s business district began in earnest, 13 storefronts have filled in with new businesses, multiple festivals have drawn hundreds of music lovers and the Boulevard has been beautified from end to end.
The Kenmore Better Block Festival in 2017 marked a turning point, as it helped residents imagine what was possible in their business district, said Tina Boyes, executive director of Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance in a release. KNA, which formed in 2016, is the neighborhood’s community development corporation.
“The impact of the Kenmore Better Block cannot be overstated: Not only did we uncover that these three blocks were a natural “Music Row,” home to six recording studios, two guitar shops and a live music venue, we discovered what residents really wanted to see in our neighborhood,” Boyes said. “Those things included a coffee shop, expanded food options, clothing, gifts and more community events, and those are exactly what we’ve attracted.”
In addition to the 13 new businesses that have opened on the strip, a dozen commercial properties have new facades, and Kenmore Boulevard has seen more than $1 million in physical improvements, Boyes said.
The neighborhood will celebrate the permanent transformation of the Boulevard has undergone during Kenmore First Friday: Kenmore Better Block 5th Anniversary from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, Sept. 2 on the Boulevard between 13th and 16th streets in Akron.
The free, family-friendly event will feature live music by Marc Lee Shannon & My Other Brothers, plus Indre and Minus the Alien. A beer garden, children’s activities, pop-up shops and food trucks will also be available during the event.
Crafty Mart, the area’s nonprofit supporting all kinds of makers, will showcase a range of local artisans along Kenmore Boulevard, while several shops will “pop up” in leasable storefronts, including Buon Cibo, a restaurant concept by Kenmore resident Michael McElroy, which will be located in The Rialto Theatre’s Living Room, she said.
The next new business on the boulevard, a transplant from Canton, Ohio, the Buzzbin Art & Music Shop, will feature live music by the Honkey Tonk Kid and Donnie Casey in the courtyard that adjoins Buzzbin’s new location — 952 Kenmore Blvd.
At 9 p.m., festival attendees can see inside Buzzbin’s new space when Ghost:Hello and Book of Wyrms perform. Glenn Lazear’s album release party with special guest Talons will take place at the Rialto Theatre at 1000 Kenmore Blvd.
Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance’s promoter and experience manager Corey Jenkins said it’s an exciting time for the Boulevard.
“We’re continuing to develop the district’s identity as Akron’s Music Row, and events like this are a great opportunity for people to experience both who we are and where we’re headed,” he said.