downtown kent

Flash the Mascot, dressed in his superhero costume, met some of his young fans at Main Street Kent's Family Friendly Halloween event on Friday, Oct. 27.  Photo by Gina Giles Hiser Flash met a younger-than-teenage mutant ninja turtle, Olivia Hiser, 4 and her brother "Ghostface" Jacob Hiser, 7.  Jacob attended Kent State'...

The spirit of Halloween roams the Kent Campus of Kent State University and manifests in displays like this group of carved pumpkins outside of Beall Hall.  Kent State's biggest on-campus Halloween party takes place from 8-11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27 in the University Library. In downtown Kent, Main Street Kent's Family Friendly Tric...

Ken Ditlevson, director of Kent State's LGBTQ+ Center, was one of the volunteers adding rainbows to both sides of the Main Street Bridge in downtown Kent. Volunteers decorated Kent's Main Street Bridge on Monday in preparation for Kent's Rainbow Weekend on Oct. 13-14. The rainbows downtown also celebrate National Coming Out Day on Oct. ...

It's a rainbow week at Kent State University, with a full schedule of LGBTQ +events on campus and in downtown Kent. Events in Kent State's Honors College and the university's LGBTQ+ Center around National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11) lead to the city of Kent's big Rainbow Weekend (Oct. 13-14) and the LGBTQ+ Center's annual Rainb...

It's going to be a colorful week at Kent State University and in the city of Kent with a schedule of LGBTQ+ events that includes Kent's Rainbow Weekend.  Wednesday, Oct. 11, is National Coming Out Day. Originating in California in 1988, National Coming Out Day was celebrated regionally, at first. The event gained media attention in...

Love is physically "on lock" in a section of fencing on the Main Street Bridge in downtown Kent.  Hundreds of padlocks, fastened to the fence, bear testament to the love of hundreds of couples as a symbol of their unbreakable, enduring love. In this tradition, a couple crosses the bridge together, shares a kiss or embrace...

Celebrating Kent State University’s unofficial mascot, the annual Black Squirrel Festival is back for its 41st year. Planned and organized by the student-staffed Flashes Activities Board, the festival takes place Friday, Sept. 29, from 4-7 p.m. on Risman Plaza and the Student Green. This year’s event is happening during Kent State’s...

This summer, the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center hosted a birthday party with food, drinks and live music to celebrate 10 years of serving the city of Kent and the Kent State University community. From left: Jerry Fiala, mayor of Kent; David Schoeffler, general manager, Kent State University Hotel and Conference Ce...

UPDATE: Due to inclement weather this event has been postponed until Thursday, September 21. From 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24, all Kent State University students are invited to visit downtown Kent for music, giveaways and fun. This is the very first Flashes First Thursday, created to celebrate the first Thursday of the semester...

Kent State public relations seniors helped lay the groundwork for future partnerships between the university and the city of Kent. And today, many of their ideas are coming to life.  Students in the Media and Journalism capstone course Public Relations Campaigns (taught by Professor Michele Ewing) partnered with the newly formed Kent...