It is officially that kind of weekend. The kind where you cannot decide between a riverfront Oktoberfest, the Guardians at home, and the first big corn maze of the season, so you just have to try them all.
I combed the calendars for Northeast Ohio and confirmed what is actually happening Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20. Every event below is real and dated for these exact days, so all you have to do is pick your adventure. Here is where I would point you, from Akron to Cleveland and all across Summit and Portage counties.
Saturday, September 19
- Haymaker Farmers Market (9 a.m. to 1 p.m., downtown Kent): Portage County's oldest producers-only market, with apples, late tomatoes, honey, baked goods, and flowers. A lovely way to start the day under the Haymaker overpass.
- Cuyahoga Falls Oktoberfest (noon to 11 p.m., Front Street, downtown Cuyahoga Falls): free admission and free parking for this riverfront favorite, running Friday through Sunday. German food, live music, and the falls as your backdrop. It does not get more fall than this.
- Akron Latin Festival (4 to 9 p.m., Lock 3, downtown Akron): the sixth annual celebration fills Lock 3 with Latin music, dance, food, and vendors. A lively, family-friendly night in the heart of downtown.
- Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival (noon to 7 p.m., Lincoln Park, Cleveland): visual and performing arts, a fair-trade village, kids' activities, and food vendors in historic Tremont. One of the city's most charming community gatherings.
- Yankee Peddler Festival (10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Clay's Park Resort, Canal Fulton): a beloved Ohio tradition with pioneer-era crafts, period demonstrations, costumed musicians, and family entertainment. It runs Saturday and Sunday, so you can take your time.
- Lorain FireFish Festival (4 to 10 p.m., downtown Lorain): art, music, and vendors along the Black River, closing with the famous FireFish Finale parade and the burning of the FireFish after dark. Free admission.
- Cleveland Guardians vs. Oakland Athletics (6:10 p.m., Progressive Field): the first of two home games this weekend, with a 125th Anniversary Pennant giveaway Saturday night. You cannot beat September baseball in Cleveland.
- Music on the Porches (noon to 8 p.m., Village of Peninsula): free live music spilling out of porches and yards all around this tiny village at the edge of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Bring a chair and wander.
Also happening Saturday: the Akron Greek Fest wraps up its three-day run with Greek food and live music at 129 S. Union St. in Akron; the Woodside Lake Park Car Show rolls into Streetsboro from 2 to 5 p.m.; and Ray LaMontagne plays the Akron Civic Theatre at 7 p.m.
Sunday, September 20
- Cleveland Guardians vs. Oakland Athletics (1:40 p.m., Progressive Field): a classic Sunday afternoon ballgame to close out the series. Blue skies, hot dogs, and one last hurrah in the sun before the season winds down.
- Cuyahoga Falls Oktoberfest, final day (noon to 8 p.m., Front Street, downtown Cuyahoga Falls): one more afternoon of brats, polka, and river breezes before Front Street reopens for the week.
- PAW Fest at Bow Wow Beach (10 a.m., Bow Wow Beach Dog Park, Stow): a dog lover's festival hosted by the Stow-Munroe Falls Lions Club, with games, vendors, and plenty of wet, happy retrievers. Bring your pup and your camera.
Fall Farm Season Is Officially Here
- Szalay's Sweet Corn Farm (Riverview Road, Peninsula): the corn maze opens Saturday, September 19, and runs daily through October 31. Cider, pumpkins, and a maze in the national park valley. One of the great family traditions of a Northeast Ohio autumn.
- Mapleside Farms (Pearl Road, Brunswick): Pumpkin Village runs weekends through November 1 with a corn maze, hayrides, apple treats, and that famous giant slide the kids talk about all year.
One More Thing
This is just the start. I keep the full Ohio Buckeye Weekend Bucket List updated every week with even more festivals, markets, concerts, and fall fun across the region, so check it out for the complete rundown and come back next week for the next round.
Most of all, get out there. Pull on a flannel, grab a cider, and enjoy a Northeast Ohio September. And if one of these communities catches your eye while you are out having fun, you know where to find me. I would love to tell you what it is like to call it home.