AKRON, Ohio - Ahead of this weekend's Downtown Akron Harvest Fest, the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition unveiled new year-round, multi-colored lighting at Akron's Lock 4 park and over the Route 59 bridge that brings the Towpath Trail into downtown Akron.

Now, new jewel-tone LED lighting at Lock 4 shifts colors, reflecting off the Ohio & Erie Canal as it cascades over small waterfalls, and makes the old brick buildings glow with hues that deepen as darkness falls. Bright white lights twinkle from trees planted around the perimeter.

For this weekend's festival, Adirondack chairs, beer garden-style tables and moveable furniture will be added to allow Akronites to relax and toast s'mores at open fire pits, while local vendors serve food and spirits. A movie will play on the side of the Civic Theatre.

The Lock 4 project is one of the first the Canalway Coalition has implemented through its $5 million Reimagining the Civic Commons grant.

A block away, the Route 59 bridge is also lit in vivid hues programmed to change color, creating waves and dappled effects. New cedar benches line the bridge, side-by-side with steel planters filled with colorful vegetation and signs to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Akron Art Museum and other areas of interest.

It's all designed to make the space more inviting for downtown residents, workers, visitors and Towpath Trail users.

"It's like an oasis," said Canalway Coalition President Dan Rice. "That's going to be our challenge. People are going to want to see more."

To design the urban park, the Canalway Coalition is working with Groundswell Design Group, based in Philadelphia. Groundswell has led work on similar projects, designing spaces to be enjoyed in winter , along waterways and in warmer seasons.

"We just gave Akron all the ingredients to make a great cake," said Groundswell president David Fierabend. Lock 4 will also offer outdoor games, such as giant Jenga, concrete ping-pong and cornhole. "People can come down here during the day and have a coffee and blow off steam," he said.

Akron was selected for the grant to enable the Canalway Coalition to come up with effective ways to revitalize and connect public spaces along the Towpath Trail that bring together people from different backgrounds. The organization has reached out to the community over the past year to gather input from residents to assist in that process.

Many additional projects are planned for the next three years along the Towpath Trail from downtown Akron to Summit Lake.

Many of the improvements planned for the park will be showcased this weekend at the Harvest Festival.