Home > Summit Towpath 2012 Celebration
 Look for this icon to find Summit Towpath 2012 Events!
Welcome to a Year-Long Celebration of
the Towpath Trail's completion in Summit County
A 40-year vision is being achieved in 2012 with the completion of the Towpath Trail in Summit County - and Summit County is proud to be the first of the four counties in the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area to take the Towpath from border to border.
About the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail
Annually, more than 2.5 million people find their way to the iconic 81+ mile Towpath Trail running through the heart of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area. Whether birding, biking, hiking, running, riding on horseback, taking a canal boat ride, or traveling alongside it by scenic rail — folks find that old-school “travel” along the Towpath Trail adds an undeniable energy to the quality of life in the counties of Cuyahoga, Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas in Northeastern Ohio.
Towpath Trail Facts: To learn more about the Towpath and its path through Summit County and the entire Canalway, head here.
Partners: To learn more about the organizations partnering on the year-long commemoration - or to add your organization to the mix - head here for more info!
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| Whether heading to an Aeros games or using the new Richard Howe House connector to take in a meal in downtown Akron - the Towpath Trail is a great way to see the city! |
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The view from the Mustill Store - an original canal-era store and Towpath Trailhead - causes many people to stop and enjoy the Canalway. |
Find Summit Towpath 2012 Events Here!
Help us celebrate the completion of the Towpath in Summit County & join in one of the events below. Also, keep checking back as we add to the list of events and celebrations taking place on the Towpath Trail in 2012!
July 2012
Saturday, July 7th!
Join us for a county-wide extravaganza taking place on Saturday, July 7th - culminating in a signature community and musical event that evening at Lock 3 in Akron.
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CLICK HERE
for a full list of events on July 7th!
Remember - Visitors to any of the following events on July 7th receive a free ticket to the Summit Towpath 2012 Celebration Concert that same evening at Lock 3, beginning at 6:00 p.m. |
Get the fun started on July 7th-
8:30 Fun Run
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There will be a 1-Mile Fun Run for Kids of all ages that will take place along
the Towpath Trail in Downtown Akron. Read more here.
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9:00 Lockheed Towpath Freedom 5K Takes off!
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Run in the Towpath Freedom 5K race and celebrate the completion
of the Towpath Trail in Summit County!
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Towpath Trailhead Events
9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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You can go on a Barberton History walk, bring your pup and visit with the National Park Paw Patrol, go Wildlife Watching at Beaver Marsh, head to the Mustill Store and meet its original owner - Emma Mustill, enjoy art at M.D. Garage, listen to Tunes along the Towpath Trail on the porch of the Boston Store, enjoy Canal Mud Sundaes or make a bandana at the Richard Howe House, and visit with the Summit County Historical Society at the Akron History Exhibit & American Toy and Marble Museum in Lock 3! Get the full list at the link above &
REMEMBER - you can get a free ticket to the Summit Towpath 2012 Celebration Concert at any of the day's events!
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Summit Towpath 2012
Celebration Concert & Festivities
The evening will be filled with music at a special
Lock 3 Concert - complete with a root beer toast to the collaborative efforts of the Towpath Trail
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Head to Lock 3 Park and Trailhead at 6 p.m. for a night of celebration & music. Summit County officials will arrive to commemorate the event.
Music - Opening Act: Hey Mavis
Featured Performance: The Guthrie Family Reunion Celebrating Woody's 100th!
Join Arlo Guthrie and family members for a wonderful night of song.
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The Guthrie Family Reunion
Celebrating Woody's 100th
.... the players!
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Featuring - Arlo, Abe Guthrie (Arlo's son) & his children Krishna Guthrie and daughter Serena; Cathy Guthrie (Arlo's daughter) and her daughter Marjorie; Annie Guthrie and her children Shivadas (Mo) and Jacklyn;, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion (husband) and their children - Olivia and Sophie and longtime drummer and family friend Terry "ala Berry" Hall
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| Enjoying life along the Towpath Trail at a summertime Trailhead concert. |
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Seeing Akron from a canoe floating underneath the Towpath Trail offers a wholly different experience. |
Saturday, 9/1 – Friday, 11/30 - Fall Hiking Spree! - Hike at least eight designated trails and receive hiking rewards in the Fall Hiking Spree brought to you by Metro Parks, Serving Summit County! Details here.
Saturday, 9/1 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. - STOMP Bicycle Adventure - Ride in the Summit Tour of Metro Parks, one of the largest cycling events in Northeast Ohio! Also enjoy breakfast, lunch, snacks and live music along the way! Read more here.
| Seeing Summit County by Towpath Trail is an amazing experience - from the heart of our National Park and on into the 22.4 miles managed by Metro Parks, Serving Summit County. |
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A serene Towpath stop - Deep Lock Quarry - a Metro Parks, Serving Summit County location.
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Families and friends coming and going along the Towpath Trail through beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park - one of the "Top 10" most visited national parks in the country.
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Events held earlier this year ....
February 2012
- Thursday, 2/23 - Join the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition - a Founding Organization of the Canalway - at this year's annual meeting - as they celebrate the progress made in the past year. Details here.
March 2012
- Saturday, 3/31 - Opening Day Celebration at the Mustill Store - Join us at the Mustill Store as we celebrate its opening for the season! There will be live music, kids games, cooking out and much more!
April 2012
- Friday, 4/13 - Healthy Steps Kickoff - Start stepping your way to a healthier lifestyle on April 13th with the Healthy Steps Kickoff at Lock 3! Details here!
May 2012
- Tuesday, 5/1 - Spree For All: Hikers on foot and those with strollers, wheelchairs, walkers and canes enjoy flat, easy trails during this ninth annual Metro Parks, Serving Summit County hiking series for people of all abilities. Spree for All ends June 30th.Details here!
On the road to the Summit Towpath 2012 Celebration
The final Towpath Trail section in the city of Akron was opened in a formal ceremony on October 26th, 2011. (For those wondering, this section is the segment running behind the old B. F. Goodrich Complex under Bartges Road.) Close to 100 partners, dignitaries - including congressional and state representatives - and friends gathered to hear remarks led by Akron Mayor Plusquellic, MPSSC Exec. Secretary Keith Shy, National Park Deputy Superintendent Paul Stoehr and Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area Co-Executive Director Dan Rice.
Mayor Plusquellic (fourth from right) led the official dedication. Joining him at the ceremony were (L-R) Catey Breck, representing Congresswoman Betty Sutton; Chris Cupples of Congressman Tim Ryan's office; George Brown, representing Senator Rob Portman; Dan Rice, Ohio & Erie Canalway NHA Co-Director; Keith Shy, Executive Secretary of MetroParks Serving Summit County; Frances Buchholzer and Carol Curtis, MetroParks Trustees; Dep. Supt Paul Stoehr, Cuyahoga Valley National Park; and Jason Segedy, Director of AMATS.
Starting the Momentum - a city celebration of the Towpath Trail's completion through Akron
With the Bartges ceremony, Akron officially became the first major city along the Towpath Trail in the Ohio & Erie Canalway to complete the project within its corporation limits. “The Towpath truly makes Akron a gateway city to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park,” said Mayor Don Plusquellic. “Not only does the Towpath preserve a major part of the community’s history, but it has created a recreation asset that thousands of people will use every week.”
This section of trail was made especially complicated due to where it is located--running through the former B.F. Goodrich complex--and is a great asset to everyone riding the trail. It opens up the rest of the city to bikers, hikers, and joggers and allows people over 40 miles of uninterrupted trail, stretching from Barberton to just south of Cleveland. “The dedication of the Bartges Towpath Trail is a milestone in the development of the 101-mile Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail,” said Dan Rice, Co-Director of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area. “This accomplishment is due to the outstanding vision and leadership of Mayor Plusquellic and City Council, and its partners.”
The next Summit County milestone being tackled is the PPG property in Barberton - the last uncompleted section in Summit County. It is due to be completed April of 2012, making Summit County the first county to have the Towpath Trail completed border to border within the Canalway.
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Follow the Canalway
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Dates: Winter & Spring Saturdays - 9 a.m. - Noon Nov. 17th, Dec. 8 & 22, Jan 26, Feb 9 & 23, March 9 & 23, April 6 & 27 Enjoy fresh food in winter and support local farmers, Grab lunch while you’re there, and then Head over to the Towpath Trail for a brisk winter’s walk. On snow-covered days, bring your cross-country skis for a great Towpath experience! Looking for fresh food and warm times during a long Canalway Winter? Head on over to the Countryside Winter Farmers Mark... More »
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A Towpath was a Towing Path Bicyclists and walkers on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail today follow the same path that in the 1800s was used by mules and mule-drivers to pull canal boats—with some exceptions. Canal Fever , KSU Press, 2009 More »
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