Kent Rocks Guitar Fest

Beatlefest Lineup dropping soon!!! Save the date!

Kent’s Crooked River Arts Council Gives Back with Annual Donation

The Crooked River Arts Council (CRAC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to
supporting music, arts and culture, community support services and education. The Kent,
Ohio-based organization is best known for the four popular music festivals it presents
annually - Kent BeatleFest, Kent American Roots Music Festival, Kent Blues Fest, and Kent
Rocks Guitar Fest.

Every year, the Council makes a significant year-end donation to local non-profit groups. In
2025, CRAC donated $12,000 to: University Hospitals Portage, American Heart Association, Kent Social Services, Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Portage County, Main Street Kent, Ben Curtis Family Foundation, Kent Roosevelt Music Boosters, Kent Police Department, Susan K. Graves Fund, Movember, and the Kent Fire Department.
“We are thrilled and humbled by the response to our festivals,” said Mike Beder, one of the
founders of the Crooked River Arts Council. “Kent is a wonderful city and we love to see
families and friends getting together, enjoying music, food, laughs, and beverages.”
The donations make an impact in the community. “Thank you very much for your contribution
to the Kent Music Boosters’ Patron Program,” said John Roebke Ph.D of the Kent Roosevelt
Music department, one of the recipients of donation funds. “The Crooked River Arts Council
understands the important part that music plays in every child's educational experience. Their
generous contribution makes a huge difference for students in our music program.”

“Wayside Furniture’s sponsorship is critical to our ability to produce the music festivals and to
donate to the community,” said Marty Student, Director of Development for the Crooked River
Arts Council. “”But we are fortunate to have the support of a number from other generous
sponsors, many of which have been with us for years, including Kent Central Gateway
(PARTA), Holiday Inn Express Kent, Bonsky Heating & Cooling and Escott & Company
Certified Public Accountants.”

Here are the dates for the Kent music festivals presented by Wayside Furniture in 2026:
· Friday February 20th - BeatleFest
· Friday May 1st - Kent American Roots Music Festival
· Saturday July 18th - Kent Blues Fest
· Friday September 11th - Kent Rocks Guitar Fest

The 2026 Kent Guitar Rocks Fest is coming soon and we’re looking for Sponsors to help us continue to bring Great music to Downtown Kent for Free! As a Sponsor you will get a complete marketing plan as you support the Community. It's Extremely affordable. For details contact us at [email protected]

The 2026 Kent Rocks Guitar Fest is coming soon and we’re looking for Sponsors to help us continue to bring Great music to Downtown Kent for Free! As a Sponsor you will get a complete marketing plan as you support the Community. It's Extremely affordable. For details contact us at [email protected]

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Don’t forget to catch the legendary Wallace Coleman TONIGHT at Brewhouse!! KentRocks.com

https://youtu.be/zMErhchJK4E

Wallace Coleman Band w/Ben Levin Direct South Hot Licks Blues Fest 2025

Kent Rocks Guitar Fest presented by Wayside Furniture! IS TONIGHT!! Get out there, support all these incredible artists, please tag us in photos!

Kent Rocks Guitar Fest presented by Wayside Furniture! is FREE and Open to the Public thanks to the support of all our generous sponsors!

🎶🎸Kent Rocks Guitar Fest is this Friday🎸🎶

Blind Joel Wallace and Drunken Sunday are making a special appearance at the Blind Squirrel that you won't want to miss!!

Come Jam with Joel and friends from 7-10pm. Grab some friends, grab a bite, grab some cold beers and get ready to ROCK!

Memphis Cradle is a hard rockin’ blues outfit that has played the Kent Music Festivals since the very beginning. Their gigs have an energy and passion that’s contagious! On Friday September 12th, you can check them out at BW3 from 6-8pm. Check out the full schedule at https://kentrocks.com/
Thanks to Wayside Furniture & Mattress!

Don’t forget to swing by Belleria Pizza & Italian Restaurant Kent at 7pm for Tom Abate. Tom Abate is the lead singer/guitarist for the band “Cleveland’s Rock Bar,” and subsequent acoustic duo “CRB Unplugged.” The mission of this act is to deliver an eclectic cocktail of enduring rock songs that transcend genres, decades and hairstyles. In this solo acoustic delivery, the passion and energy, worthy of the original recordings, is intact, and the setlist promises to captivate. KentRocks.com

Sponsored by Wayside Furniture & Mattress