Join us as we honor the life and legacy of guitar repairman to the rock stars Virgil Lay, who opened Lay’s Guitar Shop on Kenmore Blvd in the 1960s and founded SIT Strings in the basement of his guitar shop in 1980. The event will feature all-day live music, a street dedication, guitar demos and more!

Music Lineup:

SIT Strings & Lay’s Guitar Shop Main Stage (15th St.)
Noon-1 pm – Lay’s Customer & Employee Open Mic Jam
1-2 p.m. – Bedell Guitar Workshop
2-3 p.m. – Wes McCraw and Jim Ballard
3-4 p.m. – Nik Killa Band
5:30-6 p.m. – Virgil Lay Way street dedication w/Mayor Dan Horrigan
6:45-7:30 p.m. – The Buffalo Ryders
8-9 p.m. – Big Pop

Electric Company Stage (McCutchan Courtyard):
6-6:45 p.m. – Drive by Blessing of the Moms
7-7:30 p.m. – Robert Keith

First Glance Stage (Live Music Now Courtyard):
6-6:45 p.m. – King Locust
7:30-8 p.m. – FG Hip Hop Night

The Rialto Living Room:
5-7 p.m. – Akorn Jammers Open Mic

Kenmore First Friday Nightcap @ The Rialto Theatre:
9 p.m.-midnight – Purple kniF w/The Beyonderers

Food & Beer Lineup:
Lock 15 Brewing
Dee’s Dogs & More
The Funky Truckeria
Johnny Lóte’s Latin Street Corn
Kenmore Eastern Sports Bar
Kona Ice
The Nite Owl
Pierre’s Brooklyn Pizza & Deli

Vendor Lineup:
Custom Audio Mutation
EarthQuaker Devices
SIT Strings
Staff Music
Torchbearers Summit County Volunteer Fair

Kenmore First Fridays are presented by Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, Akron Civic Commons and Rotary Club of Akron, with additional support from Cargill, City of Akron, Kenmore Chamber of Commerce, Kenmore Komics & Games, Pedal Stomper Productions, The Summit, Akron Buzz, Akron Promise, Evolve Marketing, Fastenal, KeyBank, Lowry Heating & Cooling, Pierre’s Brooklyn Pizza & Deli, Primo’s Deli, Portage Path Behavioral Health, Prentice Funeral Home, Regina’s Pizza, Rocco’s Pizza, Showcase Meats, Thomas C. Loepp Law Offices, and Torchbearers

Event information will be posted as it becomes available at betterkenmore.org/first-friday.

See you soon on the BLVD!