Image: Akron Art Museum
The Akron Art Museum’s annual free outdoor concert series, Downtown@Dusk, returns Thursday, July 9, with Wishgarden opening the 2026 season in the Bud & Susie Rogers Garden. The concert runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and registration is requested. The museum says the series includes four free shows in July, bringing local and regional acts to the garden across the month.
According to the museum’s event materials, Wishgarden is an Akron-based roots rock band described as an eight-piece indie roots-rock group from Northeast Ohio. The museum says the group blends originals and covers and has a sound that mixes soulful roots rock, progressive folk and pop sensibilities. Wishgarden’s performance marks the first of the four Downtown@Dusk concerts announced for July.
The rest of the summer lineup is set for July 16, July 23 and July 30. The Shootouts are scheduled for July 16; Umojah Nation will perform on July 23; and 15 60 75 Numbers Band closes the series on July 30. The museum’s series page describes The Shootouts as a local act with roots in country, Americana and rockabilly, Umojah Nation as an Akron-area reggae group, and 15 60 75 Numbers Band as Kent-based rock and blues veterans. All four concerts are listed as free.
Downtown@Dusk is presented as a community-facing program rather than a ticketed museum performance series. The museum notes that audiences should bring a chair or blanket, and that beverages and snacks will be available for purchase. The museum also says the bar on the plaza accepts card payments only, while additional refreshments can be purchased with cash in the Museum Gift Shop. The event is also described as taking place rain or shine.
Alongside the concerts, the museum has scheduled related activities that extend the series into other parts of its programming. On July 9, members can attend a screen printing workshop tied to Downtown@Dusk, where participants bring their own T-shirt or clothing and use ink and a screen provided by the museum. The museum also lists a mindful yoga session in the galleries as part of its ongoing Mindful Art program, though that event is separate from the concert series itself.
The event page says Downtown@Dusk is supported by Acme Fresh Market, Art Bridges Foundation Access for All, Art Bridges, in celebration of Ann G. and Ronald C. Allan, Paula Christ and Mark Griffin, 91.3 The Summit, and Audio-Technica. The museum’s concert listing places Wishgarden’s show in the Bud & Susie Rogers Garden at the Akron Art Museum on Thursday, July 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
