When Brian Feltner, heard there would be no Art in the Square festival in Highland Square, he believed the show must go on.
He felt that something so good for the artists, vendors, bands and the community needed to happen, and his friend, Zachary Wolfe Nagi-Schehl, decided he just had to be a part of the fun, too.
"Brian has done so much for the community he has grown up in and loved all his life," Nagi-Schehl said. "When I got involved, I felt the same way. I have lived in the same house my entire life, and I couldn't ask to be a part of anything better."
Square Fest will take place this Saturday, Sept. 22 from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Admissions is free and the public can expect music, food, art and much more. According to the website, performances include bands such as Maid Myriad, Umojah Nation, The Woovs, The Giggity's, Dave Hammer of Dave Hammer's Power Supply and Shubes the Wondering Chicken.
Nagi-Schehl's job has been to book bands, figure out sound systems, recruit volunteers and manage interested vendors. Feltner met with past organizers and city representatives to get lists and blueprints for how to host the event. The city of Akron came on board to sponsor Square Fest, providing police, waste disposal, power and closure of West Market Street through the Highland Square district.
"It has been a great experience, especially connecting with so many friends and peers to put together, what I personally think, is one hell of a lineup," he said. "The highland square community has been so receptive. Everyone looks forward to the festival and was upset when it wasn't going to happen, and so now that there is a supplement, they are ecstatic."
Nagi-Schehl said its been a hectic couple of months, "Imagine dinosaurs came back like in Jurassic Park and learned how to work fireworks and drink energy drinks and coffee. That has been my brain and my life the last month and a half."
And though he and Feltner have never put on an event like this before and it will be of smaller scale, he believes Square Fest will still be great fun.
For more information, visit http://www.akronsquarefest.com.
