http://www.opentrailcollective.org/

Open Trail Collective, Akron, OH (2026)

05/12/2026

Dont forget that our *badass* raffle ends Sunday night!! All raffle ticket purchases are tax deductible and help us fund our mission of promoting adventure in northeast Ohio while advocating for a more inclusive, accessible, and collaborative outdoor industry.

Check out full descriptions of the baskets through the QR code or the link in our bio 💞

Basket 1:
- 3-person walleye fishing trip on Lake Erie with Cast It Forward Fishing

Basket 2:
- Northern Ohio Mountain Bike Series Season Pass

Basket 3:
- Outdoor Identity Team Headshot Session from

Basket 4:
- New River Gorge Multisport Getaway - CLIMB with New River Mountain Guides, RAFT with ACE Mountain Adventures, and CAMP and Mountain Bike at Arrowhead Bike Farm!! This basket also includes gift cards to Secret Sandwich Society and The Take Out for your pre- or post- adventure snacks!

Basket 5:
- Cleveland Guardians Tickets- Front Row, Third Baseline; Mon May 25 at 6:10 PM—Memorial Day; Cleveland Guardians vs. Washington Nationals; Plush Blanket Giveaway Night; Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH

Basket 6:
- Self-Care Basket
- Enjoy a basket of locally made goodies to help you relax and recharge. The items in this basket were graciously donated by several local businesses. Thank you to YouBloom LLC, Morgan Hughes, Portal West Coffee, Diane Stressing, The Ash House, Rust Modern Home, and Woven Word Book Shop.

Basket 7:
- The Staycation Basket
- Enjoy the beauty of Northeast Ohio with this “Staycation Basket”! Kayak, hike, sip, and represent Ohio’s only national park. Enjoy a Sunset Kayak Tour for two people with 41 North Coastal Adventures, a 60 Hikes within 60 miles of Cleveland Guidebook, 2 bags of Coffee from Portal West, 2 handmade ceramic mugs from Morgan Hughes, and loads of swag from the Conservancy for the CVNP!

05/11/2026

Are the high gas prices keeping you home this summer? Hop on over to the NEO Adventure Fest this on Saturday (5/16) to learn about adventure opportunities right here in our backyard parks! Come hang out, learn something new, grab lunch, and plan your next adventure. With over 65 local outdoor businesses, organizations, parks, and groups coming together, there is certainly something for every body!

WHAT IS THE NEO ADVENTURE FEST?
- 50 + local outdoor organizations, businesses and groups
- 15 skill sessions to learn outdoor skills
- Speakers + Panel Discussions
- Live Music
- Kid Zone
- Hands on Activities
- Food and Drink Trucks
- After party at The Jenks 1929

THE DETAILS:
Where: Downtown Cuyahoga Falls Pavillion and Amphitheater
Address: 2085 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Date: May 16, 2026
Time: 10 AM - 4 PM
Cost: FREE!
Who: There is something for all ages and abilities.

forward

youngstown

nature.club

05/10/2026

Yall. Let’s real talk rn. The NEO Adventure Fest is one week away, we’re launching the Adventure Directory this week, im jet lagged, we got a new puppy AND WE STILL HAVE ADVENTURES TO PLAN. My brain is mush but thankfully the fest is basically ready for lift off and everything feels like it’s more or less on autopilot (more less than more but ya know)

Scroll to the end for puppy pic and cake batter down my shirt.

This next week is about to be a doozy but LFGGG. I’m so stoked for the NEOAF and for all of these adventures coming down the pipeline and as always, there’s even more in the works 💕

PS happy mamas day to the mamas, wannabe mamas, missin their mamas mamas, and everything in between. I love yall 💕

05/04/2026

The NEO Adventure Fest is like a farmers market of outdoor opportunities. With 50+ local outdoor vendors, you can plan your next adventure and learn about opportunities all around the region.

In addition to 15 skills sessions and 50 outdoor vendors, we'll also have a stacked line up at the amphitheater with live podcasts, a Gorge Dam removal update, panel discussions and two musical acts!

Check out the full amphitheater line up below!

10 AM » Trail Theory Podcast with Brian, Alex, Austin, Pfeiffer & Paul

The Trail Theory podcast is hosted by a group of four friends who share their personal experiences, mistakes, and successes in backpacking and outdoor adventures. The show features candid conversations recorded both in-studio and directly from the trail.

11 AM » Gorge Dam Update by Elaine Marsh

Come hear a Gorge Dam removal update from Elaine Marsh, the self-proclaimed "Mouth of the Cuyahoga" and one of the co-hosts of the Free the Falls podcast!

12 PM » Adaptive Athlete Panel Discussion

Jon Sedor, LaQuinta "Q" Haynes, Ellen Euclide, & Alayna Lopez
Facilitated by Nicki Almes, Open Trail Collective Board Member
Come listen to and engage with a panel of adaptive athletes as they discuss their journey and dreams for adaptive outdoor adventure in Northeast Ohio!

1 PM » Trail Running Panel with Nikki Niemyer, Connie Gardner, Alec Cline, & Justin Stafford

Learn all about trail and ultra running from some of the best in the area!

1:45 PM » Carolina

Carolina is a multicultural singer-songwriter known for her blend of pop and soul with a twist. Her music combines heartfelt original songs with creative covers, drawing from her rich heritage and diverse influences.

2:15 PM » Lea Marra & the River Boys

Lea Marra & The River Boys are a high energy bluegrass/folk band inspired by a vast array of genres across the board such as country, bluegrass, blues, jazz, folk, jam bands, and rock.

05/03/2026

We have less than two weeks until the NEO Adventure Fest!!! Check out our updated vendor list, skill sessions, and amphitheater line up.

WHAT IS THE NEO ADVENTURE FEST?
- 50 + local outdoor organizations, businesses and groups
- 15 skill sessions to learn outdoor skills
- Speakers + Panel Discussions
- Live Music
- Kid Zone
- Hands on Activities
- Food and Drink Trucks
- After party at The Jenks 1929

THE DETAILS:
Where: Downtown Cuyahoga Falls Pavillion and Amphitheater
Address: 2085 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Date: May 16, 2026
Time: 10 AM - 4 PM
Cost: FREE!
Who: There is something for all ages and abilities.

forward

youngstown

nature.club

04/30/2026

Yalll to say we're thankful to our sponsors is an understatement. This festival would seriously not be possible without them. With 100% of our sponsors and vendors being local, the NEO Adventure Fest is truly built BY and FOR the community. It's also an integral part of our mission *to promote adventure in NEO while advocating for a more inclusive, accessible, and collaborative outdoor industry*. These local businesses are showing up for their community, the outdoors, and inclusivity & accessibility. We could not be more thankful!

And despite our huge list of sponsors and their enormous generosity (seriously ILYSM), we're only slated to make $495 in gross revenue (am I a bad business person or a great community leader? TBD lol). Permitting fees, insurance costs, sound systems, etc., have eaten up so much of the profit! But to be honest, I'm just thankful we're in the black (!!) and we're not eating into OTC funds to run this event! I know this event is a huge resource for outdoor businesses and community members alike so all of the work is so worth it.

If you're a business or a community member and you want to know how you can support, you can easily do so with little to no cost! Here's how:

1. Promote the event -- share it online, with your coworkers, with your friends and fam, with strangers!
2. Buy tickets to our *Badass Adventure Raffle* -- we have a getaway to the New River Gorge, front row tickets to a Guardians Game, a self care basket with a Thai Yoga Massage, a staycation basket with kayaking AND SO MUCH MORE. Check out the link in our bio 😘
3. Buy beer at the NEOAF! A portion of all proceeds will go to OTC. Thank you
4. Buy merch at the OTC tent!

And

5. Just show up!!!

Where: Downtown Cuyahoga Falls Pavillion and Amphitheater
Address: 2085 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Date: May 16, 2026
Time: 10 AM - 4 PM
Cost: FREE!
Who: There is something for all ages and abilities.

Seee you there!!! xoxoxoxo

04/27/2026

10-4PM just simply isn't enough time to do all of the things we want — we're truly going to be busting at the seams on the Plaza during the NEO Adventure Fest!

So we're overflowing to the !!!

Stop on by starting at 8AM to grab a coffee with our besties at (yall DEF have to check out their new renovation— it's amazing!!) and grab yourself some outdoor supplies, art, and goodies at the Jenks starting at 11AM.

Then after the NEOAF, boogie your way back to the Jenks for our *Official After Partyyyyy* !!! There will be live music all night starting at 5PM.

PS dont forget to check out our badass raffle!!!! Get your tickets for a chance to win a getaway to the New River Gorge, front row tickets to the Guardians, an awesome NEO Staycation AND SO MUCH MORE. Link in our bio and QR code in the carousel.

What are you most excited for !?!?!?

See you on May 16 😘

04/20/2026

You all HAVE to check out these raffle items!! We're so thankful to the businesses and people who have come together to support our raffle to promote *Adventure for Every Body*!

Running a nonprofit is expensive and running an adventure-based nonprofit is even more expensive! Costs are up this year for the Adventure Fest and our current profit trajectory is lowwwww. We'd love for this event to be a big fundraiser, but right now it's just not happening.

SO, to increase the funds we're bringing in, we've decided to put together a raffle and WOW did our local businesses and friends come through!!

Check out full descriptions of the baskets through the QR code or the link in our bio 💞

Basket 1:
- 3-person walleye fishing trip on Lake Erie with Cast It Forward Fishing

Basket 2:
- Northern Ohio Mountain Bike Series Season Pass

Basket 3:
- Outdoor Identity Team Headshot Session from

Basket 4:
- New River Gorge Multisport Getaway - CLIMB with New River Mountain Guides, RAFT with ACE Mountain Adventures, and CAMP and Mountain Bike at Arrowhead Bike Farm!! This basket also includes gift cards to Secret Sandwich Society and The Take Out for your pre- or post- adventure snacks!

Basket 5:
- Cleveland Guardians Tickets- Front Row, Third Baseline; Mon May 25 at 6:10 PM—Memorial Day; Cleveland Guardians vs. Washington Nationals; Plush Blanket Giveaway Night; Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH

Basket 6:
- Self-Care Basket
- Enjoy a basket of locally made goodies to help you relax and recharge. The items in this basket were graciously donated by several local businesses. Thank you to YouBloom LLC, Morgan Hughes, Portal West Coffee, Diane Stressing, The Ash House, Rust Modern Home, and Woven Word Book Shop.

Basket 7:
- The Staycation Basket
- Enjoy the beauty of Northeast Ohio with this "Staycation Basket"! Kayak, hike, sip, and represent Ohio's only national park. Enjoy a Sunset Kayak Tour for two people with 41 North Coastal Adventures, a 60 Hikes within 60 miles of Cleveland Guidebook, 2 bags of Coffee from Portal West, 2 handmade ceramic mugs from Morgan Hughes, and loads of swag from the Conservancy for the CVNP!

04/20/2026

You all HAVE to check out these raffle items!! We're so thankful to the businesses and people who have come together to support our raffle to promote *Adventure for Every Body*!

Running a nonprofit is expensive and running an adventure-based nonprofit is even more expensive! Costs are up this year for the Adventure Fest and our current profit trajectory is lowwwww. We'd love for this event to be a big fundraiser, but right now it's just not happening.

SO, to increase the funds we're bringing in, we've decided to put together a raffle and WOW did our local businesses and friends come through!!

Check out full descriptions of the baskets through the QR code or the link in our bio 💞

Basket 1:
- 3-person walleye fishing trip on Lake Erie with Cast It Forward Fishing

Basket 2:
- Northern Ohio Mountain Bike Series Season Pass

Basket 3:
- Outdoor Identity Team Headshot Session from

Basket 4:
- New River Gorge Multisport Getaway - CLIMB with New River Mountain Guides, RAFT with ACE Mountain Adventures, and CAMP and Mountain Bike at Arrowhead Bike Farm!! This basket also includes gift cards to Secret Sandwich Society and The Take Out for your pre- or post- adventure snacks!

Basket 5:
- Cleveland Guardians Tickets- Front Row, Third Baseline; Mon May 25 at 6:10 PM—Memorial Day; Cleveland Guardians vs. Washington Nationals; Plush Blanket Giveaway Night; Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH

Basket 6:
- Self-Care Basket
- Enjoy a basket of locally made goodies to help you relax and recharge. The items in this basket were graciously donated by several local businesses. Thank you to YouBloom LLC, Morgan Hughes, Portal West Coffee, Diane Stressing, The Ash House, Rust Modern Home, and Woven Word Book Shop.

Basket 7:
- The Staycation Basket
- Enjoy the beauty of Northeast Ohio with this "Staycation Basket"! Kayak, hike, sip, and represent Ohio's only national park. Enjoy a Sunset Kayak Tour for two people with 41 North Coastal Adventures, a 60 Hikes within 60 miles of Cleveland Guidebook, 2 bags of Coffee from Portal West, 2 handmade ceramic mugs from Morgan Hughes, and loads of swag from the Conservancy for the CVNP!

04/16/2026

I come from a long line of small business owners. My grandpa was a POW in WWII. When he came back, he started a mechanic shop/service station and then began to weld the leftover metal pieces together into beautiful art. He did art shows all over the region and he taught his sons and my mom how to weld as well.

In addition to going to college to be an RN and practicing at various hospitals over the years, my mom also became an artist. She has been doing art festivals around the country for 35 years.

My dad worked on the assembly line at the Ford plant in Cleveland and my mom’s art helped make ends meet. Her small business put food on the table, sent us to school, paid doctor’s bills, took us on vacations, etc.

I also married into a family of small business owners, my MIL has her own cleaning businesses and my siblings-in-law have a restaurant and a wellness space.

I know how important every purchase, social media comment, or verbal referral at a small business is. Not only are you allowing someone to live their dream but you’re also supporting them, their family.

These small businesses make our community unique and special. They bring vibrancy to our neighborhoods and strength to our community. And, unfortunately, they’re often running on a shoestring budget, just a few bad months from closing their doors.

I’m not perfect when it comes to supporting local but dang do I try and I really urge you all to do the same!

Over the next few days I’m going to be sharing my favorite small businesses; some of them are local legends and some of them may be lesser known. Most them will be connected with a favorite hike, outdoor essentials, or my just some of my faves with no strings attached.

Hopefully I can show ya something new and shine a little light on these businesses that work so hard!

Stay tuned!

Kara from

PS say hi to my mama at Boston Mills Art Show, Stan Hywet, and others. Her schedule is available on her website www.lapsometalworks.com

Open Trail Collective

05/12/2026

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05/10/2026

05/04/2026

05/03/2026

04/30/2026

04/27/2026

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04/16/2026

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