November 2025

Weekly Community Announcements​​​​​

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Nov. Week 3

City Of Akron Offices Closed November 27 and 28 For Thanksgiving Holiday 

Akron, Ohio, November 17, 2025  — All City of Akron municipal offices will be closed on Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be no curb service on Thursday, November 27. There will be a one-day delay of trash/recycling collections for the remainder of the week, with curb service resuming on Friday, November 28 and continuing through Saturday, November 29.  

”Thanksgiving is a beautiful time to connect and spend time with loved ones,” said Mayor Malik. “It’s also a great time to reflect on blessings and what we're grateful for. I hope everyone can relax, spend time with family and friends, and check out some of the holiday events happening in the weeks ahead.” 

On Friday, November 28, the City of Akron and Lock 3 are kicking off this year’s Winterblast season starting with the Welcome Santa Parade at 6pm in downtown Akron. Come out to see vibrant floats, costumed characters, an ice sculpting demonstration, fireworks, and the lighting up of Lock 3. Learn more here.  

Akron’s 21st season of winter fun will include activities for everyone to enjoy. From ice skating to thrilling ice bumper cars and even ice bikes, there's something for visitors of all ages. Lock 3 will be filled with holiday music from 91.3 The Summit.  Be sure to visit lock3live.com for a complete list of activities, pricing details, and operating hours. 

In addition to these seasonal activities, Summit Artspace, Akron Bazaar and Lock 3 are partnering to bring Artists Weekend downtown. There will also be holiday markets across town right in time for Black Friday and early holiday shopping. See the list of holiday markets below: 

• Artist Sunday Weekend: Friday, Nov. 28 (5-9pm); Saturday, Nov. 29 (10am-4pm); and Sunday, Nov. 30 (10am-4pm) at Lock 3 (200 S. Main St.)

• Small Business Saturday:

  • House Three Thirty Small Business Saturday Market: Saturday, Nov. 29 from 11am - 3:30pm at House Three Thirty (532 W. Market St.)

  • Akron Bazaar Holiday Market: Saturday, Nov. 29 from 10am - 4pm at Lock 3 (200 S. Main St.)

  • Missing Falls Brewery Holiday Bazaar: Saturday, Nov. 29 from 12-6pm at Missing Falls Brewery (540 S Main St.)

• Northside Marketplace: Friday, Nov. 28 (9am-8pm); Saturday, Nov. 29 (9am-8pm); and Sunday, Nov. 30 (9am-3pm) at Northside Marketplace (21 Furnace St.)

• J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall Christmas Arts & Crafts Show: Friday, Dec. 5 from 12pm-7pm, Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10am-6pm and Sunday, Dec. 7 from 10am-4pm at E.J. Thomas Hall (198 Hill St.)

• Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church Christmas Boutique: Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10am - 2pm & Sunday, Dec. 7 from 11am - 2pm at 1044 Brown St.

• ALT Street Market Alternative Holiday Market: Saturday, Dec. 13 from 2 - 7pm at Missing Falls Brewery (540 S. Main St.)

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City of Akron Earns a Perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+ Municipal Equality Index 

Akron, Ohio, Nov. 20, 2025  — Yesterday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released the 2025 Municipal Equality Index (MEI). Akron has once again earned a perfect score, making this the 8th year out of the last 9 the city has reached this accomplishment. This year, Akron earned a raw score of 108 which ties the highest score the city has earned since first starting to participate in the index back in 2015. Akron has also been named an “All-Star City” by the Human Rights Campaign for earning over 85 points despite the state of Ohio lacking non-discrimination statutes that explicitly protect sexual orientation and gender identity. View Akron’s scorecard here.

The HRC’s Municipality Equality Index examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are in cities and towns across the country. It provides a public snapshot of how committed a given city or town is to LGBTQ+ equality and a framework for mayors, councilors, and administrators around the country with impactful steps they can take to protect their LGBTQ+ residents and staff. 

“Akron is a welcoming community for all and we’re proud to support our LGBTQ+ residents and employees,” said Akron Mayor Shammas Malik. “The diversity of our community and our workforce is a strength, and we will continue to protect the rights of our citizens. We’re excited to share the news of another perfect 100 on the municipal equality index.” 

Akron earned points for the city’s non-discrimination laws including bonus points for protecting Akron’s youth from conversion therapy. As an employer, the city earned points for having a non-discrimination clause for employment, being an inclusive workplace and offering domestic partner benefits. Akron Police Department earned the city points for having an LGBTQ+ liaison in the police department and for reporting hate crime statistics to the FBI. Mayor Malik earned additional points for his public position on LGBTQ+ equality and pro-equality legislative efforts. As a municipality, the city scored perfect marks for the Akron Civil Rights Commission and having an LGBTQ+ liaison in the Mayor’s Office.  

This year, a record-breaking 132 cities or over 25 percent of all MEI-rated cities earned the highest score of 100 while 64 cities, including Akron, earned the All-Star City designation. 

The full 2025 MEI report, including detailed scorecards for every city and a searchable score database, is available online at www.hrc.org/mei.

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Nov. Week 2

METRO Regional Transit Authority will temporarily waive fares on METRO Direct and ADA services for Ohio Direction cardholders starting November 1, 2025, until further notice.

 

Thank you to everyone who came out and donated at today's Stuff the Bus event! 3,756 pounds of food were collected, which translates to over 3,100 meals for members of our community.

The City of Akron was proud to partner with State Representative Veronica Sims, METRO Regional Transit Authority, Arlington Church of God, and the United Black Firefighters of Akron to support the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank with this event. Mayor Malik came by to donate several bags of toiletries and non-perishable food items that were collected by staff at the Mayor's Office to help our neighbors in need.

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Nov. Week 1

In November, the City of Akron is hosting two events to educate the community about the city’s capital budget process and to allow residents an opportunity to engage more directly with the budgeting process.

On Wed. Nov. 5 from 6 to 7:30pm at the Patterson Park Community Center (800 Patterson Ave.) and on Thurs. Nov. 13 from 6 to 7:30pm at the REACH Opportunity Center (390 W. Crosier), members of the Planning Department and the administration will be on hand to present Akron’s “Capital Budget 101.” The two events will include a short presentation about what the capital budget is, how it's different from the operating budget, and provide residents with an opportunity to directly engage with the budget process.   

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The City of Akron observes November as National Veterans and Military Families Month. This is a dedicated time to recognize the strength, resilience, and sacrifices of our veterans as well as the unwavering support from military families. Veterans and their families make huge sacrifices to protect our nation and we thank you all for your service.

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