Canton, OH- For over a year the community has waited for events to return to some sort of normalcy. While we are not free of the grip of Covid-19 just yet, the organizers of Canton First Friday are excited for people to be back in the downtown Canton Arts District June 4 enjoying food, art, and music.
With a rainout at May’s event, Tricia M. Ostertag, vice president of marketing and community engagement for ArtsinStark, is hoping that June’s event is a continued step in the right direction. “People are ready to get out and enjoy life again,” she said. “Our businesses of the Canton Arts District have weathered the storm and need your support.”
June 4’s event which runs 6-10pm is themed Canton Pride. Start your night at the Canton Museum of Art and enjoy FREE admission from 10AM-8PM by reserving your timed ticket at cantonart.org/reservetickets. Plus, their free Downtown Canton Scavenger Hunt launches during First Friday. After the museum, make a stop at TomTod on Market and 5th NW for their Feast-ival parking lot party. Keep traveling south and head to Christ Presbyterian Church at 530 Tuscarawas St. W for the 6:30pm or 7:30pm for the Ida and William McKinley’s 150th Wedding Anniversary wedding reenactment.
First Friday marks the return of Lynda Tuttle’s Art Center with “A Walk in the Garden” – art exhibit featuring bold & colorful botanical watercolor paintings by Sandy Paradis, Dyanne Williams exquisite “Copper” mosaic, and beehive-themed pottery by Jessica Thayer. Show your Canton Pride all around the town with some great Canton-themed items at great sale prices at Cantonology. In honor of this month’s theme, get one free Pride or rainbow greeting card with any purchase at Print and Press Studios. See what the artist have been up to this year at Silo Art Studio with guest artists, Steve Ehret and Kat Francis. At Vital Arts, featured artist David King presents Time Travel, a collection of work inspired by fifty to sixty-year-old family movie reels which depict the slippery efforts of the mind’s eye to pause and preserve disintegrating memories. And of course, make a stop of Just Imagine for Canton and Ohio-themed art, greeting cards and MORE! All items sold at Just Imagine are handcrafted by adult artisans with developmental disabilities and a portion of all sales are paid directly to the individual artists.
Looking for live music? Check out Elec Simon’s drum circle at Centennial Plaza from 6-7pm. Bring your five-gallon bucket and join in the fun. Following Elec is area favorite Disco Inferno performing 7:30-10pm. Brooke Tournoux performs 6-8pm at Napolis, Mark Loy at Grapes in a Glass 7-10pm, and Buzzbin has music all night long with The Battle w/ Chronosonder and Christina Strong. June 4 also marks the return of the Auricle with an outdoor concert by the Pinkertones.
In addition to the many brick-and-mortar stores of downtown, there will be over 50 booths and food trucks with art, free kids activities, and food.
If an after-party is what you’re looking for, celebrate pride by heading over to WERC Nightclub for late-night drag shows.
Though the mask mandate for vaccinated individuals has been eased, organizers are asking attendees to please maintain social distancing and hand washing stations will be provided.
Canton First Friday is produced by ArtsinStark with support from the Downtown Canton Special Improvement District. To download the map, check out www.cantonfirstfriday.com
