Akron

Akron's LGBTQ+ scene centers on Highland Square, an artistic, gay-friendly neighborhood with gay-owned bars and cafés. The Interbelt Nite Club and Square Nightclub are mainstays for drag, DJ sets, and themed nights, and the city has a history of electing openly gay local officials.

Lively gay nightspot for inventive cocktails, plus DJs & dancing in contemporary digs.

Square Nightclub

Vibrant, colorful music & dancing, plus theme nights, in a converted 1940s theater.

Interbelt Nite Club

Tear-Ez is a bar in Akron. Located at 360 S Main St, Akron, OH 44311, USA.

Tear-Ez

Cocktails Akron 2.0 is a bar in Akron. Located at 33 W Mapledale Ave, Akron, OH 44301, USA.

Cocktails Akron 2.0

Coffeehouse offering carefully sourced java & tea, plus baked goods & a full lunch menu most days.

Angel Falls Coffee Company

Akron Steam & Sauna is a sauna and bathhouse in Akron. Located at 41 S Case Ave, Akron, OH 44305, USA.

Akron Steam & Sauna

Akron Pride Custom Tees is a shop in Akron. Located at 1182 Winter Fern Ave, Akron, OH 44312, USA.

Akron Pride Custom Tees

A comedy night featuring talented female comedians at The Dive Bar.

Canton Comedy Boom

Lip Service: An All-Female Comedy Show

The Dive Bar

Learn & create simple alterations & customizations at the Rainbow UA Teen Closet Back-to-School Event.

Saint Mark's Episcopal Church

Rainbow UA Teen Closet Back-to-School Event

The 2026 Akron Pride Festival 5K is a scenic run and walk event taking place on August 21, 2026, at 6:30 PM at Canal Place in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the Akron Promise City Series and celebrates Akron's 200th anniversary, promoting love and acceptance within the LGBTQ+ community. Participants can register online, with fees increasing closer to the event date, and receive a T-shirt upon registration. The event includes packet pick-up at the Akron Art Museum on August 20, and race day activities with awards for top finishers in various categories.

Bounce Innovation Hub

2026 Akron Pride Festival 5K

The Akron Pride Festival 5K (AP 5K) takes place on August 21, 2026, starting at 6:30 PM in downtown Akron, Ohio. Participants can enjoy a scenic run or walk through Akron's streets and historic downtown area, celebrating love and acceptance. The event is inclusive, welcoming all abilities and backgrounds, and features in-person and virtual options. Registration includes a pride finisher medal and a T-shirt for all participants, with sizes guaranteed if registered by August 1. The event also offers packet pickup at the Akron Art Museum on August 20, with race day activities on August 21 including packet pickup from 5:00 to 6:15 PM and the race start at 6:30 PM. Awards are given to top finishers in various categories, and virtual participants can choose to have their shirts mailed. The race is part of the Akron Promise City Series and is an official Akron Bicentennial event.

Canal Place

Akron Pride 5K

The Akron Pride Festival and Equity March 2026 will take place on August 22, 2026, from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm in Downtown Akron on Main Street. The event features local and national entertainers, exhibitors, an interactive children's area, food trucks, and various activities celebrating LGBTQ+ pride. The Equity March registration opens on May 15, 2026. Attendees can find additional information and opportunities for sponsorship, volunteering, and exhibiting through the event's website.

Downtown Akron

Akron Pride Festival and Equity March 2026

The Akron Pride Festival & Equity March 2026 is a celebration of diversity and equality, taking place on August 22, 2026, from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm in Downtown Akron on Main Street. The event features local and national entertainers, exhibitors, interactive children's activities, and a march promoting LGBTQ+ pride and community unity. It aims to affirm the LGBTQ+ community and its allies through various festivities and supports ongoing community engagement.

Akron Pride Festival & Equity March

An annual festival celebrating the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ community featuring games, music, and various activities. The event takes place at The Event Stop in Beachwood, Ohio, on Saturday, August 22, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Highlights include family-friendly activities, drag performances, and live music on the main stage.

The Event Stop

Get Lifted Fest 2k26: Rhythm, Roots, & Resources

Celebration and community gathering for Akron Pride.

AkronFCC

LGBTQ+ Community Night - August 22, 2026

First Congregational Church of Akron UCC

An open networking event organized by Rainbow UA Business Group, aimed at LGBTQIA+ owned or affirming businesses in Columbus. The event provides a free platform for local businesses to connect with each other and the community. It is scheduled for Thursday, August 27, 2026, from 09:00 to 10:00 at Bitty & Beau's Coffee, Columbus, Ohio.

Bitty & Beau's Coffee

Rainbow UA Business Group - Open Networking

Theatre on Tap presents a drag twist on Shakespeare's classic "Comedy of Errors," set in Ephesus where drag queens and kings cause confusion and hilarity. The event features a 2-hour and 30-minute in-person performance for audiences aged 21 and over, held at Akronym Brewing, 58 East Market Street, Akron, OH. Doors open at 6:30 PM, with the show starting at 7:30 PM. Free parking is available, and there are no refunds.

Akronym Brewing

The Comedy of Errors: An Inaugural "Shakespeare is a Drag" Performance

Theatre on Tap

An in-person event celebrating LGBTQ+ resilience and resistance in Akron, featuring dinner, community gathering, and a keynote address by Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign. The event supports the Bayard Rustin LGBTQ+ Resource Center's initiatives, including testing, mental health referrals, and community space. Held at The Bank at East End, Akron, on October 9, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM.

House Three Thirty

Bayard's Table: A Fall Fundraiser

Akron AIDS Collaborative

An exciting bingo night featuring Lady Inferno & Jade X with lively performances and prizes.

Cleveland · crobar

Bingorama with Lady Inferno & Jade X

Uncle Lulu

Cuyahoga Valley Queer Hike is a hiking group for LGBTQ+ individuals (and allies) in Northeast Ohio. Founded in 2019, the group meets monthly for hikes in the Cleveland/Akron area to celebrate nature and build community .

Cuyahoga Valley Queer Hike

GAYME Night OUT is a monthly LGBTQ+ board game and social event held at the Green Dragon Inn Board Game Bar in downtown Akron. Participants gather on the second Monday of each month to play board and card games, enjoy snacks, and socialize in a queer-friendly space .

GAYME Night OUT

Lake Erie Volleyball Association (LEVA) is an LGBTQ+ inclusive volleyball league in Cleveland, offering coed indoor volleyball for players of all skill levels .

Upcoming Events

Lip Service: An All-Female Comedy Show

Rainbow UA Teen Closet Back-to-School Event

2026 Akron Pride Festival 5K

Akron Pride 5K

Akron Pride Festival and Equity March 2026

Akron Pride Festival & Equity March

Get Lifted Fest 2k26: Rhythm, Roots, & Resources

Get Lifted Fest 2k26: Rhythm, Roots, & Resources

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Sports Leagues

Cuyahoga Valley Queer Hike

GAYME Night OUT

Lake Erie Volleyball Association (LEVA)

Community Groups

Businesses & Venues

Square Nightclub

Interbelt Nite Club

Tear-Ez

Cocktails Akron 2.0

Shop Queer-Owned in Akron

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