Canton Events

Canton’s year has one week that eclipses everything else.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week — late July and early August

For about ten days the city becomes the focus of American football. The week includes the enshrinement ceremony itself, in which the new class of inductees receive gold jackets and bronze busts and give speeches that are broadcast nationally; the Hall of Fame Game, the first pre-season fixture of the NFL year; a concert; a fashion show; and the Timken Grand Parade, a two-and-a-half-hour procession of floats, bands and balloons through downtown that draws around 200,000 people on a Saturday morning. Former players return in numbers, the museum stays open late, and hotel rooms across several counties are booked a year ahead at several times their usual rate. For anyone with an interest in the sport it is the single best time to be here; for anyone without one, it is the week to avoid.

First Friday — monthly, downtown

The arts district opens its galleries and closes its streets on the first Friday evening of each month, with music, food and studios open.

Canton Symphony season — September to May

A full classical season with a well-regarded youth orchestra alongside it.

Christmas at the museums — November and December

The McKinley museum and the downtown arts district both run substantial seasonal programmes, and the memorial is lit on the hill through the winter.

Stark County Fair — late August and early September

An old-fashioned county agricultural fair with livestock, racing and food.