Theme this year is ‘Seven Generations: The Future of Love’
— The Big Love Fest will celebrate its 5th year Saturday, Feb. 24 in a return to Summit Artspace. This year the theme is “Seven Generations: The Future of Love,” in which bridges of appreciation seek to honor the generations that came before us, celebrate those that live now, and support those who will come after us.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and will include local live music, art installations, local food and drinks, holistic healing modalities, a kids’ space, educational opportunities and a variety of other activities. The Big Love Fest strives to be accessible to all ways of being, races, religions, abilities, gender identities and everyone else in the community, It’s also one of the largest zero waste efforts in Summit county.
“Experiencing Big Love means to participate in varied ways of connection, celebration and healing,” said Big Love Executive Director, Zach Freidhof. “The festival is an engaging and safe space, where we can each learn and express our individual and collective joys and talents, where we each find that there is a place for us here.”
Special sets of local live music with Rhodes Street Rude Boys, Zach & the Bright Lights, the Angie Haze Project, A Minus featuring MID FLIGHT, Carlos Jones, Gretchen Pleuss, Brent Kirby, Druk Fusion Band, Church of Starry Wisdom, Chris Hatton, Jim Ballard, Hillbilly Savant, The Dream State Band, DJ Kevin Richards, Ace Boogie and more will fill two stages.
Art installations also will create a unique experience throughout the building. This year Kevin Richards, Big Love’s Artistic Director, helps bring a vision of the future together working with a large network of area artists.
Always a family-friendly event, this year will feature an expanded kids and family space, programmed with activities, performance, vendors and more geared toward the youngest members of our community.
A $5 suggested donation is recommended for individuals 12 and up, and special packages which include CDs, T Shirts and more can be purchased online. Proceeds help run Akron City Repair, community trainings, workshops and arts and culture events.
Many partners make this event happen including Big Love Network, Akron City Repair, Summit Artspace, Knight Foundation, BMe, The Summit 91.3 FM, South Street Ministries, Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, Kenmore Kreative, League of Creative Interventionists, Neighborhood Network, Spring Garden Waldorf School, Yoga Summit, Rooted Akron, Akron Peace Project and Wandering Aesthetics, among others.
For details, visit biglovenetwork.us/big-love-festival.
Big Love Fest is a civically engaging placemaking festival that uses arts and culture to involve its participants in broader community-building initiatives. Big Love Fest is created for and by the people of Akron and seeks to highlight artists, healing practitioners, organizations, musicians and small businesses while fostering leadership, building authentic collaboration, and promoting peace. Every aspect of this festival is interactive and participatory, from art installations, to vendor tables, to community-building workshops, to sustainability efforts, to cooking demos. What makes this festival unique is the hands-on atmosphere our community facilitates in creating a microcosm of Akron’s perfect city for a day.
VIDEO FROM PAST BIG LOVE EVENTS
2017
2016
