The Kent Stage was constructed in 1927 in Kent, Ohio, originally as a vaudevillian theater.
Nowadays, the venue has a strong focus on folk, blues, country, and reggae having been taken over by The Western Reserve Folk Association in 2002. They host a plethora of music festivals each year from the Kent Folk Festival, the Kent Blues Fest, Kent Reggae Fest, the Kent State Around Town Music Festival and much more.
A welcoming space, artists, and bands often come out to sign and meet their fans after the show and most shows are all ages meaning that nobody is excluded from the fun!
Although live and screen entertainment is at the heart of the venue, The Kent Stage is also home to the appropriately named ‘All Folked Up’ a fully stocked bar that you can purchase drinks at and bring with you whilst you enjoy your show or movie.
With over 150 shows housed in the venue per year, the Kent Stage can boast a previous roster of artists from Ani DiFranco, Stephen Stills, Tom Paxton, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Bo Diddley, Melanie, Janis Ian, Loudon Wainwright III, Livingston Taylor, Nickel Creek, John Gorka, David Wilcox, Al Stewart, Leo Kottke, Pete Best, Leon Redbone, Vassar Clements, John Cowan, Little Feat, The Kingston Trio, Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Riders In The Sky, John McCutcheon, India Aire, Karla Bonoff, Sam Bush, and many more.