Father's Day Gift Ideas with a Local Flair

Hey kids? Spare us the boring, hackneyed takes on Father’s Day. No, seriously. We’ve heard them all, replete with Old Spice and English Leather jokes, the hopelessly “uncool Dad” neckties and jokes that should have retired before we hit junior high school. Those knocks are for another generation.

Ours is the age group that cheered when LeBron James was again denied an NBA Championship—the one that wears old concert T-shirts for lawn mowing with pride (um, hello… it’s called “folk art,” people) and only drive a minivan because we’re schlepping you and your too-cool-for-school friends to the latest-and-greatest things to do.

Yeah, we know… we rule… but how to thank us? This Dad (two times over) has some very localized ideas that will help you show your Dad the love. 

Dood Food

The Happy Days Lodge is the scene for the Father’s Day Hike and Picnic Dinner Sunday, June 19. Hike the Ledges, then scarf up a perfect Dad dinner of burgers, brats, baked beans, and more. Sure, you could chase Dad out to or on the big day, but scoring a ticket instead of waiting for table only makes that fatherly common sense. Meet to hike the valley at 4:30 p.m., with a 6 p.m. dinner to follow for a little less than most DVD box sets. Chef Larkin Rogers promises a super-dude meal at Happy Days Lodge in some very cool surroundings. In all, another one of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s “Extraordinary Spaces” events worth soaking up.

Four on the Floor

Dads love cars. And in West Akron, one of the oldest car shows in America—the 54th Classic, Antique, & Collector Car Show at Stan Hywet will take place June 19 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. focusing on the venerable Chrysler make. You’ve seen the new Eminem “Imported from Detroit” commercials, but witness how the 1940s “Town & Country” vehicles came to came to carry the brand and the auto industry past the war era. Town & Country cars were introduced during the year of Pearl Harbor as Chrysler’s answer to a need for upscale, formal family transportation. With handcrafted wood paneling as its signature feature, T&C’s were posh cars to own, but phased out almost as quickly as they came to prominence.

Blues and Brews

We wanna be hip and stay hip—at least in our own minds. So help us Dad-types out. The Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.’s annual Blues & Brews is one of the best places for us to remain hip on all things adult beveragy. Sequestered in a new home—moved from Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens to Lock 3 in downtown Akron—this is one of Northeast Ohio’s single largest beer festivals. And we want to go. This August 6 event is a perfect ticketed event. Score these “Admit Ones” sandwiched inside our American Greetings card and we’re sure to gush. Sure, the event isn’t until August, but that’s not very far away.

No More Mr. Nice Guy

Tickets don’t give you the instant gratification, but you can offer Dad a moment of real meet-you-where-you-are understanding. If your Dad is a huge rock and roll aficionado, why not send him to the Akron Civic Theater for the garish, original shock rocker and legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper, who brings his “No More Mr. Nice Guy” tour to the Rubber City? “Classic Rock” is a good way to show Dad the love. You could buy tickets to next year’s E.J. Thomas Hall performances of Blue Man Group, but that payoff won’t come until almost a year after you’ve read this message. And that might leave Dad feeling, well, blue.

Pigskin Play

Apologies to the San Pedro Beach Bums, but as far as tickets are concerned, most Dads will utter “Football, You Bet!” this ad nauseum. Missed the “Leroy Kelly Day” at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton? Check out their Ultimate Father’s Day event, replete with merch discounts at the Hall Store. While you’re there, you can book a package to witness the latest inductee enshrinement—also on August 6. Marshall Faulk, Richard Dent, Shannon Sharpe and “Neon” Deion “Primetime” Sanders (yes, two nicknames) will be inducted. And the Fawcett Stadium pre-season game (assuming no NFL lockout) will be a good one: the Chicago Bears and St. Louis (formerly Cleveland!!!) Rams are scheduled to play August 7. Are you ready for some football?