Walking Tour with Helanius J. Wilkins: Big Bend Towpath Trail

Boulder, CO-based choreographer Helanius J Wilkins will be in residence at NCCAkron the week of March 6. His current choreographic research includes going on walks in public spaces and as a Black man in this country today unpacking/reclaiming/restitching the concept of 'belonging.'  He would like to invite Akronites to join him on these walks while he's in residence here. This community connecting and embodied research will inform a larger project NCCAkron is supporting with Helanius called The Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-Body Belonging. You can read more about Helanius' project here.

On Tuesday, March 8, join Helanius for a walking tour along Merriman Valley's Big Bend Towpath Trail. We’ll start at the Big Bend area of Sand Run Metro Park, which is located at 1337 Merriman Rd. Akron, OH 44313.  We will walk north/northwest along the Towpath to the statue of the Native American portaging a canoe at the intersection of Merriman Road and Portage Path.  The statue marks the northern terminus of the Portage Path, a roughly eight-mile overland path linking the Tuscarawas River to the south with the Cuyahoga River.  The walk will be about 1 mile each way, so two miles total, and is a hard packed, crushed limestone surface.

This community event is free. 

This event takes place outdoors. Please wear apparel and shoes suitable for walking, and bring a bottle of water. 

In the event of a weather cancellation, we will contact you by no later than noon on the day of the walking tour.

Image: Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 8, 2011. Looking WNW along Towpath Trail toward Portage Path (road) in distance.