By MARIA KACIK Staff Writer

WADSWORTH — Last year, Wadsworth resident Stewart Brock was in Cleveland with his grandchildren for the Cleveland Museum of Art’s “Parade the Circle” arts festival. Looking around the University Circle area and seeing colorful art of all kinds, Brock said he thought to himself, “Why can’t Wadsworth have a mini-‘Parade the Circle’?”

Exactly that will happen Saturday at the Akron Symphony Pops Concert. The event is being put on by Downtown Wadsworth, the downtown revitalization group.

“In essence, we’re closing all traffic on the square,” explained Brock, who is the chairman for the Akron Symphony event. The entire square area, he said, will be devoted to the appreciation of art of all forms for Saturday evening.

From 5 to 7 p.m., children ages 5 to 12 will have the opportunity to celebrate the arts at Grizzly Village, located at the gazebo area on Broad Street. A children’s cultural art tent will feature paintings, music and sculpture. The Strand Theater building on Broad Street will house hands-on computer kiosks where kids can experiment with digital art and music.

And all around the gazebo, artists will demonstrate music, art, dance, puppet theater and sculpture.

The Grizzly Village will also feature a “petting zoo” of a different variety. “This one you don’t touch animals,” Brock said. “You touch the instrument. If you want to introduce a 7-year-old child to a violin, the orchestra has seven or eight instruments the kids can actually pick up and play.”

Brock noted that teachers and students from the school district and employees of Steiner Youth Center will be on hand throughout Grizzly Village to guide children through the world of the arts.

“Since we figured we had a captive audience and we’re closing downtown, we said, ‘Why don’t we have something for the kids to help them appreciate the fine arts?’ We’re really pushing the fine arts,” Brock said.

During the Grizzly Village hours, the University of Akron Steel Drum Band and the world champion Heartbeats Jump Rope Team will perform.

At 7:30 p.m. the Akron Symphony Orchestra will take to a stage on College Street. The orchestra will be playing popular music like the themes to “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones,” as well as patriotic favorites, like the Armed Forces Solute and marches from John Phillip Sousa.

A local guest soloist will be tenor Dan Doty, a pastor from Trinity United Church of Christ, 215 High St.

Brock said that it is events like this that put Wadsworth on the map. “It’s absolutely super family fun day for those parents who have children interested in music and art,” he said. “We feel that downtown Wadsworth is sort of a happening place this summer with the symphony and everything else that’s going on.”

Kacik may be reached at 330-721-4049 or mkacik@ohio.net.

Quick Look

What: Akron Symphony Pops Concert/Grizzly Village Where: Wadsworth square Activities: The gazebo area on Broad Street becomes Grizzly Village, which features a cultural art tent with paintings, music and sculpture and a “petting zoo” of various musical instruments for children ages 5 to 12. Computer kiosks at the Strand Theater will allow children to experiment with digital art and music. Hours: Saturday, 5-7 p.m, Grizzly Village; 7:30 p.m., Akron Symphony Orchestra concert on College Street