Barberton's Lake Anna Gazebo hosts its final Friday evening concert of the summer this week, with ZZ Nationwide — a tribute act channeling the blues-infused rock of Texas legends ZZ Top — taking the stage from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The free show caps off a summer season of Friday night music at the gazebo, located at 615 W. Park Ave., with Mesa's Family Grill on hand for anyone who wants tacos or a sandwich before the band starts.
The concert was announced by the City of Barberton, which described ZZ Nationwide as a ZZ Top tribute band and encouraged attendees to arrive early, grab food, find a spot, and settle in for the evening. Attendees are welcome to bring a lawn chair or blanket for the grass. ZZ Nationwide, which is based in Ohio and represented by Storm Talent, is built around recreating the music and stage presence of ZZ Top, the Texas rock group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, according to the band's Facebook page. Those curious about the group's full setlist and background can find more at the band's website, linked in the city's announcement as tinyurl.com/zznationwide26.
A Summer Series Built Around a 135-Year-Old Lake
Friday's show is the last Friday evening performance in the 2026 Lake Anna Summer Concert Series, which runs from late June through early September and is sponsored by Fred Martin Superstore. The series has also featured free Wednesday afternoon performances from noon to 1:30 p.m., mixing local community acts with regional tribute bands throughout the summer. Earlier this month, Hoodline covered another stop in the series when the reggae trio the Ark Band played the same gazebo stage.
The venue itself carries historical weight for the city. Lake Anna Park is a 21-acre municipal park surrounding a 10-acre natural spring-fed glacial lake, and it includes the gazebo stage, an upper 0.7-mile walking path, a lower 0.5-mile circular path, an O.C. Barber memorial statue, and a veterans war memorial, according to Visit Akron. Barberton and its namesake lake were founded in 1891 by industrialist Ohio Columbus Barber, who relocated his Diamond Match Company plant to the area and named the lake after his daughter, Anna Laura Barber — a history Hoodline detailed further in its coverage of Barberton's 135th anniversary earlier this month.
Food, Parking, and Weather Backup Plans
Mesa's Family Grill, a Rittman-based mobile food vendor, will be the featured truck on-site Friday, serving birria tacos, chicken parmesan sandwiches, and crispy chicken tenders, per its Facebook page. The city rotates in a different local food truck for each Friday evening show throughout the series.
Seating at the gazebo is first-come, first-served, and regulars have been known to place lawn chairs on the grass as early as 6:30 a.m. to claim a spot ahead of the evening show. Parking is available along surrounding downtown streets or behind the Barberton Public Library, and those looking to make an afternoon of it can book a pre-concert pedal bike tour through Magic Pedal Company, which seats up to 14 people. Downtown Barberton also offers art galleries, coffee houses, and craft breweries within walking distance of the park, according to Magic Pedal Company.
If weather threatens the outdoor show, the City of Barberton Parks Department updates its dedicated Rainout Line, 330-848-6784, after 3 p.m. on concert days to announce any cancellations or venue changes.
What Comes Next at Lake Anna Park
Friday's concert also marks a turning point for the park, which shifts almost immediately into Barberton's busiest stretch of civic events. The Community Labor Day Celebration with fireworks follows this Sunday, August 30, an event Hoodline previewed in its report on Barberton's Labor Day lineup. The annual Barberton Mum Festival follows in September, featuring more than 17,000 chrysanthemums, according to Mainstreet Barberton, with fall gatherings at Lake Anna Park drawing tens of thousands of visitors downtown each year.
The park's central role in Barberton's civic life traces back to the city's origins. Barberton earned its Magic City nickname from its rapid population growth in the late 1890s, and it remains known regionally for the Serbian-style fried chicken tradition established in 1933 at Belgrade Gardens, per Visit Akron. As the summer concert season closes at Lake Anna Gazebo, the park heads straight into the season that keeps the Magic City's downtown busiest.
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