Main Street Kent’s Annual Kent Rainbow Weekend

Main Street Kent’s Annual Kent Rainbow Weekend Set for Oct. 17-19 (2025)
Rainbow Weekend 5K, Storytelling, Unicorn Hunt, Handmade with Pride Event and More

Kent, OH — Get ready for a full weekend of activities and events including a fun run, entertainment, story-telling, crafting, music and more in support of the LGBTQ+ community and allies! Kent Rainbow Weekend will take place on Fri., Oct. 17 – Sun., Oct. 19, with a Rainbow Unicorn Hunt and other activities during the week, and a “Kick the Hate” kickball tournament at Kramer Fields on Sun., Oct. 19. With a full lineup of things to do and rainbow decorations in downtown Kent, the event, 5K and rainbow bridge decorations are sponsored by Acorn Alley, Bell Tower Brewing, Board & Bevy, Brimfield Insurance Group & Auto Owners Insurance, College Town Kent, Danielle & Chris Miller Family Fund, Ken Ditlevson and Joe Rorh, KSU LGBTQ+ Alumni Chapter, Flourish Plant Mkt., Franklin School of Dance, Hazelmade, Hometown Bank, Humanistic Counseling Center, Julie Evey, Kathy Wilson & Tiffany Holler, Elizabeth Kenyon, Kent State Hotel & Conference Center, North Water Brewing, Joy & Gregg Pahls, PBS Western Reserve, PFLAG Akron, Plexus LGBT+ Allies Chamber of Commerce, Andra Polasky, Portage Community Bank, Meghan Schwind, Crystal Shook, Standing Rock Media, Summit FM, Summit County Public Health, The Portager, The River Merchant, TransOhio, and Keleigh & Shawn Zucchero. The West Main St. bridge will be decorated in Progress flag colors on one side and Trans Pride flag colors on the other, showing love, support and acceptance to all in the Kent community.

Two training sessions will be held during the week: On Mon., Oct. 13, Embracing Diversity: LGBTQ Inclu-sion for Small Businesses will be held at the Kent State Hotel & Conference Center from 9-11am, pre-sented by Amanda Cole, executive director for Plexus. Learn more and sign up for this free workshop at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/embracing-diversity-lgbtq-inclusion-for-small-businesses-tickets-1564030048979. On Wed., Oct. 15, Safe Space Training 101: LGBTQ+ Cultural Competence Training for Community Members will be held at the Kent Free Library from 6-8pm. This session will be led by Ken Ditlevson; more information and free registration is available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/safe-space-101-lgbtq-cultural-competence-training-for-community-members-tickets-1560138810179. Standing Rock Cultural Arts is hosting an art show titled “Joy Unshaken: Queer Youth Rising in Times of Distress” featur-ing works by high school and middle school students. https://www.standingrock.net/

On Fri., Oct. 17, Join Plexus, Leadership Portage County and the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce for a Social Hour to kickoff Rainbow Weekend at Laziza from 4:30-6:00pm, complete with free, funky head-shots, self-pay bar and light snacks in a warm, inclusive space. Then, head over to Last Exit Books for Courageously Queer Storytelling at 7pm, to hear stories of Visibility from local community members, fol-lowed by a Pride Open Mic Night hosted by Last Exit Books. The Kent State Hotel & Conference Center and Zephyr Pub are also planning drag events in the evening, so check back for more info!

On Sat., Oct. 18, the Rainbow Weekend 5K fun run will kick off from North Water Brewing at 11am. Race co-directors Deanna Duffy and Morgan Woodin shared, “With the recent closure of Kent State University’s LGBTQ+ Center, the Rainbow Weekend 5K planning committee is overjoyed to donate the proceeds from this year’s event to the Portage Foundation’s newly created LGBTQ Fund so local students can continue to access critical funding in times of need.” This year’s race theme is “Visibility is Victory” and registration is now open at https://runsignup.com/rainbowweekend5k. Proceeds will benefit the LGBTQ+ Fund of the Portage Foundation.

For another fun Saturday activity, MSK is hosting the Handmade with Pride event, where ticket holders of all ages will stroll around town engaging in rainbow-themed crafts and activities. Receive commemorative Rainbow Weekend items at check-in, decorate a rainbow cookie, create Pride artworks, and have a fun, creative day with family and friends! Tickets are on sale at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/handmade-with-pride-tickets-1645067042809 and proceeds will benefit the LGBTQ+ Fund of the Portage Foundation.

Also on Saturday, Acorn Alley is hosting the Queer and Here Market with dozens of vendors from noon to 6pm, there will be a screening of the documentary Just Kids at the Kent State Hotel at 5pm (complete with free candy and popcorn!), Diana Chittester is performing at Barrio from 4-6pm and lots more! Acorn Alley is hosting a Pride bar crawl at 7pm and tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kent-pride-bar-crawl-tickets-1669470744939?aff=ebdssbdestsearch.

Local businesses will be offering themed merchandise and menu items all weekend in the spirit of the event, so check for up-to-date info including registration links at https://www.mainstreet-kent.org/events/kent-rainbow-weekend/.

Main Street Kent is a 501c4 non-profit organization dedicated to the continued preservation and revitalization of downtown Kent, making it a fun, vibrant and thriving community.

PRESS RELEASE:
Contact: Heather Malarcik
Main Street Kent
Email: heather@mainstreetkent.org