Pride · Akron, Ohio
Akron Pride Festival and Equity March
2027 dates not announced yet · usually August
About Akron Pride Festival and Equity March
The Akron Pride Festival is a one-day downtown festival that opens with an Equity March. The festival runs from morning into the night along Main Street, Lock 3 and Cascade Plaza. A Pride 5K is held the evening before.
The Akron Pride Festival describes its mission as unifying and affirming the LGBTQ+ community and its allies by celebrating diversity and what people share in common, and it says that work continues year-round through a range of events and by giving back to the community. Each year the organizers publish a festival guide with event details, profiles of local LGBTQ+ voices, community news and sponsor features.
The Pride 5K is part of the Akron Promise City Series of neighborhood runs and was named an official event of Akron's bicentennial, marking the city's 200th anniversary. The course follows city streets and the historic Ohio and Erie Canal towpath, and it is open to runners and walkers of all abilities.
The festival takes applications from exhibitors, concessions vendors and advertisers, and it relies on volunteers and sponsors. Its website also features the Community AIDS Network Akron Pride Initiative (CANAPI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works for the well-being of LGBTQ people and those affected by or at risk of HIV through education, support services, housing and advocacy.
Summarized from the organizer's own website.
What to expect
Pride events celebrate LGBTQ+ people and mark the Stonewall uprising of June 1969. Most combine a parade or march with a festival of performers, community groups, vendors and food.
Akron Pride Festival and Equity March has included equity march, festival and 5k.
The organizer has not announced dates for 2027 yet. In 2026 it was held August 21-22, 2026. It usually falls late August.
- Equity March
- Festival
- 5K
Where it happens
Akron Pride Festival and Equity March is held at Downtown Akron, Main Street, Lock 3 and Cascade Plaza in Akron, Ohio. It is one of 86 Prides in Ohio on this calendar.
Questions about Akron Pride Festival and Equity March
- When is Akron Pride Festival and Equity March 2027?
- The organizer has not announced 2027 dates yet. In 2026 it was held August 21-22, 2026. It is usually held late August.
- Where is Akron Pride Festival and Equity March held?
- Akron Pride Festival and Equity March takes place at Downtown Akron, Main Street, Lock 3 and Cascade Plaza in Akron, Ohio.
- What happens at Akron Pride Festival and Equity March?
- Events have included: equity march, festival, 5k.
- Who organizes Akron Pride Festival and Equity March?
- Akron Pride Festival and Equity March is organized by Akron Pride Festival (fiscally sponsored by CANAPI). Their official site is akronpridefestival.org.
- What other Prides are near Akron?
- The closest others on this calendar are Trans Pride at the Park in Akron, OH (same city); Pride on Portage in Cuyahoga Falls, OH (about 7 miles); Stow-Munroe Falls Pride Cookout in Stow, OH (about 8 miles).
LGBTQ-owned businesses in Ohio
See allNone are listed in Akron yet, so these are elsewhere in Ohio. Eat, stay and shop with LGBTQ-owned businesses while you are in town. Ownership on every listing is sourced, never guessed.
