Sweet bagels, boba cravings, surprise bookstore haul, plant shopping therapy, an art-filled festival, a Pride Month ballgame, rooftop rosé, food truck eats, and more. 
Happy Tuesday! You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let BaseLocal serve up everything you need to know for the week ahead:
- Storm cleanup continues ⚡
- Dine for recovery 🍽️
- Big lottery win 🎉
- Things to do 📆
Let’s get to it.
📰 In the news
Aldi to open new store in Akron: The latest Northeast Ohio location launches Thursday, May 22, with giveaways, golden tickets, and a $500 gift card raffle — get the opening details.
New youth sports grants open in Akron: Akron has launched a new $100,000 grant program to support local youth sports and wellness organizations with awards ranging from $500 to $5,000 — here’s how to apply by May 31.
Other highlights this week:
- Support local Meals on Wheels
- Felt landscapes at after-school studio
- Dine to support recovery housing
- Network at this artist summit
- Join a judgment-free recovery group
- Westside player wins $150,000 on lottery
✨ We got your back
Hole lotta love: When your carb cravings hit a 10, Sweet Mary’s Bakery comes through with the kind of chewy, golden perfection that demands a schmear (or six). Sweet, savory, stacked sky-high—we don’t judge. We just hope you get there before the everything bagels are gone.
Sip happens: Craving something cold, chewy, and dangerously addictive? The drinks at Bubbles and Puffles are equal parts caffeine, fruit, and snack—all in one cup. Customize your order like a boba sommelier or stick with the house fave, but fair warning: that first slurp might become a full-blown personality trait.
Plot twist! You walked in just to browse… and somehow left Elizabeth’s Bookshop & Writing Centre with a towering TBR pile, a tote bag, and deep emotional attachment to a story you haven’t even read yet. Cozy, chaotic, or cat-adjacent—whatever your genre, the shelves here never disappoint.
Green thumbs up: Whether you’re a seasoned plant whisperer or the kind of person who needs a succulent with a survival guide, Graf Growers has what you need to make your home 47% leafier. Warning: side effects may include impulse-buying a fiddle-leaf fig and naming it.
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🔔Coming soon
Black Excellence Fine Arts Festival | May 31st
Akron’s rolling out the red carpet for the 3rd Annual Black Excellence Fine Arts Festival, and it’s giving family-friendly, art-loving, all-day-outside vibes. Expect a creative mashup of live art demos, face painting by the fabulous Tiffany of TeesCreations, a midday lineup of music and dance crews, plus food vendors serving up the good stuff.
It’s free. It’s fabulous. And it’s the perfect excuse to spend a Saturday soaking up culture in all its forms. Check out the details and full lineup here.
Akron Pride Festival | June 4th
Pride Month is getting a home run moment in Akron. Join the celebration at Canal Park as the LGBTQ community and allies pack the stands for a night of baseball, love, and solidarity.
Bonus: a slice of every ticket goes straight to Akron Pride Festival. Get your tickets here and show up ready to celebrate.
📆 Around town
All events are subject to change without notice. Please check event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
Know of an event we should include? Submit it here for free.
This week
☕ Cafe Takeover Featuring Prepped by Sharina @ 647 Coffee | Wednesday (5/21) at 10 am – Start your day strong with a kitchen takeover by Prepped by Sharina. From 10 to 2, they’re bringing the flavor straight to 647 Coffee, and you better believe the menu’s gonna be packed with crave-worthy eats. Coffee + comfort food? Yes, please.
🌸 Sip 21 Rosé Wines @ Crave | Wednesday (5/21) at 6 pm – This is not a drill, rosé fans. Crave is popping open 21 dreamy pink pours in one night, paired with charcuterie and rooftop views. Snag your glass for just $30 at the door and sip, swirl, and stock up on your new faves.
🍓 Food Preservation Class: Jams & Jellies @ Summit Lake Community Center | Thursday (5/22) at 5:30 pm – Ready to jam? This free, demo-style class will show you how to whip up your own jams and jellies like a kitchen pro. No registration, no fees, just sweet (and slightly sticky) fun at Summit Lake.
🎨 Creative Play with Liz Maugans @ Akron Art Museum | Thursday (5/22) at 6:30 pm – Ditch the rules and embrace the mess at this playful, adults-only art workshop with Cleveland artist Liz Maugans. Inspired by the She Said, She Said exhibition, you’ll dive into collage, mark making, and mixed media magic — all with a complimentary drink to loosen up your inner Picasso. Creativity (and glue sticks) highly encouraged.
🐓 Rooster Palooza II @ The Afterlife Live | Friday (5/23) at 7 pm – Buckle up, Akron. Rooster Palooza II is bringing the loud with a killer lineup of local rock heavies like Manfiish and Titans of Mars. Show up early for the $10 presale or roll up fashionably late and pay the door price — either way, your ears won’t know what hit ’em.
🍸 Gin Cocktail Essentials @ NOMZ | Friday (5/23) at 7 pm – Shake, stir, and sip your way through four iconic gin cocktails at this cozy, hands-on class from Western Reserve Distillers. From the suave Martini to the ever-sassy French 75, you’ll learn the tricks of the trade in an intimate setting (only 16 spots!). Bonus: you’ll leave buzzed and armed with recipe cards to flex your new skills at home.
This weekend
🎨 Craft Destash Bash! ~ FREE Art Supplies! @ Summit Artspace | Saturday (5/24) at 11 am – Artists, crafters, and hoarders of glitter rejoice! This is your chance to declutter and score some free art supplies while bonding with the creative community. Bring your stash, swap it, or just grab goodies — no strings attached (well, maybe some yarn).
🍔 Food Truck Festival @ Highland Square | Saturday (5/24) at 12 pm – Get ready to loosen that belt buckle — the first-ever Highland Square Food Truck Festival is rolling into town. Expect a street full of local eats, tasty treats, and probably a few food coma regrets. Details are still under wraps, but your stomach is already RSVP’ing.
🎤 Poetry Night @ House Three Thirty | Saturday (5/24) at 7:30 pm – House Three Thirty is bringing the feels with their open mic Poetry Night, hosted this round by Ace. Expect powerful words, a live DJ, and plenty of creative soul-searching — whether you’re spitting verses or soaking it all in. Bonus: special food and drink menu, plus free parking (poetry for your wallet).
🤍 Memorial All White Day Party @ Sweetbeats Sports & Soul | Sunday (5/25) at 2 pm – Sweetbeats is turning up the heat this Memorial Day weekend with an all-day bash where white outfits are the vibe and the grills are working overtime. Expect food and drink specials that’ll have you staying way past your first plate. Pro tip: snag that $10 ticket online — because door prices? Yeah, they feel the inflation too.
⚾ Akron RubberDucks vs. Altoona Curve @ Canal Park | Sunday (5/25) at 6:35 pm – Get ready for some big swings and hometown pride as the Akron RubberDucks take on the Altoona Curve under the lights. It’s classic ballpark energy with all the snacks, cheers, and seventh-inning stretches you crave. Bonus: nothing says summer quite like a hot dog in one hand and a foul ball in the other.
🎶 Live music & comedy
- 5/20 Comedy Open Mic @ The Daily Pressed – 7 pm
- 5/22 Angie Haze and more @ The Rialto Theatre – 7 pm
- 5/22 IDOLOS and more @ The Matinee – 8 pm
- 5/23 In Like Flinn @ Old 97 – 7 pm
- 5/23 Rooster Palooza II @ The Afterlife Live – 7 pm
- 5/23 Angie Haze and more @ The Rialto Theatre – 7 pm
- 5/23 Hot Red Chili Peppers @ The Knight Stage – 7:30 pm
- 5/23 Dave Banks Rockin’ Big Band Show @ BLU Jazz+ – 8 pm
- 5/24 Solar Circuit @ Musica – 7 pm
- 5/24 Beach City Postal Service and more @ The Rialto Theatre – 6:30 pm
- 5/24 Hot Red Chili Peppers @ The Knight Stage – 7:30 pm
🏠 This house is wild
*This️ 👇️ could be your listing. Hit us up if you’ve got a home (or 12) to sell.
Listed by: Laura H Duryea (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Stouffer Realty)
This four bedroom, five bathroom English Tudor in Merriman Oaks oozes charm with original woodwork, wood-carved beams, and a stone fireplace that’s basically art. At 3,316 square feet, it’s roomy inside and out, sitting pretty on 1.06 wooded acres.
Built in 1929 but updated where it counts—think dark blue cabinets, quartz counters, and a dreamy primary suite with soaking tub. There’s also a rec room, sauna, and wraparound porch for peak lounging. No HOA here, and mechanicals are fresh (roof 2020, boiler 2024, AC 2019). Bonus: whole-house generator for those Ohio winters.
Window shopping is free — take a peek inside →
BaseLocal
220 W. Congress Street, Detroit
United States of America
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