Sat 5/17 @ 11AM-dusk
Sun 5/18 @ 11AM-dusk
Hessler Street is one of the few remaining vestiges of the old Case Western Reserve campus as the area around it has become rapidly built up with high-end housing, restaurants, shops, and snazzy new buildings for institutions like MOCA.
And the annual two-day Hessler Street Fair is a vestige of grassroots, homegrown celebrations before everything was overrun with corporate sponsors and funnel cakes. Started in 1969, the event took a hiatus from 1984 through 1995.
But it’s come back like nothing ever happened. You’ll see everyone from toddlers to gray-hairs sporting tie-dyed duds. You can eat food made by local health-food nuts, browse booths sponsored by various left-wing organizations, and shop for handmade crafts from local artists. Harmony Park offers a ton of interactive, hands-on activities for kids.
And of course, the music is always central to this festival, which features some of the area’s best musicians playing jazz, blues, reggae, folk, and other good-vibes music. A couple of mainstays close the two days — the jammin’ JiMiller Band on Friday and popular reggae ensemble Carlos Jones & the P.L.U.S. Band on Saturday. Before that, you’ll hear everything from the swamp rock of Cats on Holiday to the instrumental soul of Akron’s Admirables to the artsy, experimental music of Pere Ubu spinoff Home and Garden. Full schedule is here.
It’s free, of course.
2 Responses to “It’s So Nice on Hessler Street When Its Annual Street Fair Returns”
bob
WHAT an infectious radiant smile…so few words saying sooo much…
bob
Even CWRU and rest HAVE to pause every so often….and reassess…