Arts and Entertainment in Massillon
Entertainment in Massillon’s community is characterized by an ambitious events schedule and numerous venues for exhibit openings, movies, and concerts. But, for residents or visitors who desire the atmosphere of a bustling urban center, an hour’s drive to nearby Cleveland allows access to major league baseball, football, and basketball venues; nationally known museums; exciting nightlife destinations; and an array of concert halls, fine dining establishments, and art galleries.
Rarely a week goes by without a special community event in Massillon. A dozen free Duncan Plaza concerts and 11 main-stage concerts fill the downtown air with music throughout the summer evenings: favorites like the Bellamy Brothers; Elvis impersonator, Mike Albert; and the Glenn Miller Orchestra bring crowds to reserve their seats on blocked-off Lincoln Way at 8:00 a.m.! For car enthusiasts, the town hosts Ohio’s largest cruise-in and weekly Saturday Night Cruise-Ins from June through September.
Massillon is a tightly knit community, evidenced through its collaborative festivals: the annual Fun Fest celebration for kids of all ages fills the downtown streets with magicians, animals, dancing, and booths with free activities for children and their families; a Fourth of July celebration; and the Summertime of Fourth Street Victorian event featuring local antique dealers, tours of the Woman’s Club, and activities for children. Walking tours of historic Fourth Street, Massillon Cemetery, and nearby Navarre Village’s Main Street and Cemetery allow for a unique historical and educational experience.
Many say that football season is social season in Massillon. Whether it’s for the love of football, the famous Tiger tradition, or the chance to see thousands of fellow fans, Paul Brown Tiger Stadium is the place to be on game nights throughout the fall.
As the weather cools, more unique events mark the calendar: the Spring Hill Harvest Festival, the see-it-to-believe-it Beat McKinley football parade, RezzyFest (Massillon’s annual December birthday party and winter festival), the annual Massillon Holiday Parade, and an awe-inspiring candlelight walk among the historic churches featuring their musical best.
The arts community is growing steadily. The Massillon Museum has maintained its cultural prominence in the area for 75 years, while newer art centers like the Mad Potters Shop and the educational art center, Rabbit on the Moon, enhance the arts opportunities in the area. The Massillon Museum offers three levels of rotating exhibits featuring its permanent collection and traveling shows, a concert series, Brown Bag lunches, an annual Island Party, public lectures, and art classes.
For movie-goers, Massillon provides two unique theater experiences. One of the original film houses in the United States, the historic Lincoln Theatre, operated by volunteers of the Lions Club of Massillon, was built in 1915 and still shows movies to visitors in its one-screen auditorium on weekend evenings. The Great Escape theatre delivers a more contemporary experience to visitors by providing 12 screens and nearly 20,000 stadium seats.
Entertainment and cultural activities are plentiful in the community, often exposing residents and visitors to cutting-edge art, traditions from years past, and distinctive community activities that can only be found in Massillon!
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