Contact: Madeline Myers, Public Relations and Communications Specialist
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List of resource fair vendors.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PBS Western Reserve to Premiere ‘The Remember Balloons Live!’ and Host Northeast Ohio Memory and Care Resource Fair
An expanded local production and free community event highlight memory loss, caregiving and connection.
AKRON, Ohio — Oct. 27, 2026 — A moving production about the realities of memory loss, “The Remember Balloons Live!,” will premiere on PBS Western Reserve on Friday, Nov. 20, at 8:30 p.m. In conjunction with the premiere, PBS Western Reserve will host the first Northeast Ohio Memory and Care Resource Fair on Nov. 21 at House Three Thirty, bringing families together with local organizations and resources that support the region’s aging population.
About ‘The Remember Balloons Live!’
Inspired by Jessie Oliveros’ award-winning children’s book, “The Remember Balloons Live!” uses dance, soulful music and immersive projections to tell an intergenerational story of a young boy and his grandfather as they navigate the realities of memory loss. The production’s creative team brings together award-winning choreographer Dominic Moore-Dunson, his wife and producer Ashley Moore-Dunson, and renowned Akron composer Theron Brown. It features five dancers and a 19-piece live chamber orchestra.
Touring nationally since 2024, the heartwarming production returned to Akron this summer for an expanded hometown performance, taped at E.J. Thomas Hall. The resulting 120-minute program, “The Remember Balloons Live!,” also features behind-the-scenes insights from the cast and creative team.
“At the heart of this work is the reminder that even when someone’s memory begins to change, our love for them doesn’t. I hope families watching see something of their own lives in this story, feel a little less alone, and find a way to connect,” said Dominic Moore-Dunson in a statement. “This hometown performance is also a new beginning for the work. We created it here, with our community, and now we get to carry it back out into the world and see where it can go next.”
Following its Nov. 20 premiere, the program will be available to stream on-demand on the PBS Western Reserve website, YouTube,and the free PBS App. “The Remember Balloons Live!” is directed by Nel Shelby, with video production by Nel Shelby Productions.
About Northeast Ohio Memory and Care Resource Fair
The conversation will continue on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Northeast Ohio Memory and Care Resource Fair at House Three Thirty. This free event will connect families, caregivers and community members with more than a dozen local organizations that support older adults and people navigating memory loss.
While there, attendees will also enjoy a preview screening of “The Remember Balloons Live!,” followed by a Q&A with the Moore-Dunsons and Carole Klingler, the executive director of Dementia Friendly LIFE.
“As our aging population continues to get bigger, we believe memory loss is an important subject for us to address together as a community,” said Natalie Pillsbury, president and CEO of PBS Western Reserve. “It’s something that touches so many of us, and that’s what drew us to ‘The Remember Balloons’ in the first place. This resource fair just takes the conversation started by Dominic beyond the stage and screen.”
The event is free and open to all, but registration is required. Registration and more information available at PBSWesternReserve.org/remember-balloons.
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About PBS Western Reserve
PBS Western Reserve is a community organization that empowers Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania through the impact of accessible public media and educational services to foster connection and lifelong learning. The public media organization is made up of two separately licensed public television stations (WNEO and WEAO) and an Educational Services division.
In September 2026, the PBS Western Reserve Board of Directors approved an agreement to merge with Ideastream Public Media. Both organizations are working through a closing period, which includes a license transfer filing with the FCC and a merger filing with the State of Ohio. The full transition will continue into 2027.
