At a special January 21 Tap Talks we’ll celebrate Kent’s iconic watering hole, Ray’s Place, with guest speaker Patrick J. O’Connor, author of the book Meet Me at Ray’s.

Patrick will be joined by Charlie Thomas, current and longtime owner of Ray’s, which was opened in 1937 by the original “Ray,” Ray Salitore and his wife Margie. Once referred to as the place “where the hustlers meet to hustle the hustlers,” Rays has survived decades of trends, changes, and events. We’ll hear the humorous and poignant stories of people for whom Ray’s is synonymous with Kent, Ohio, Kent State University — and home.

According to a 1993 graduate of Kent State, “Ray’s was not just a bar. It was an inspiration. You hadn’t truly experienced all of Kent State until you could say you were old enough (or smart enough) to get into Ray’s. Ray’s was the central point of all things Kent State. It wasn’t a meeting place. It was the meeting place. It was the destination.”

Ray’s is a place where students and townies have gathered together for decades, where people work their way through college, celebrate birthdays, meet their spouses, and — years later — bring their children back to hear the stories. Patrick O’Connor will tell some of those stories at the January Tap Talks.

Tap Talks was initiated by Don Schjeldahl, the creator of North Water Brewing, as a way to bring the community together for conversation about life in Kent, Kent’s history, and issues of the day that impact us all. It’s also a chance to enjoy an array of locally-brewed artisan ales and beers. Tap Talks are sponsored by Kent Historical Society and scheduled monthly at 7 pm at North Water Brewing, 101 Crain Avenue in Kent.

Those who attend will have an opportunity to meet Patrick O’Connor and Charlie Thomas and purchase Patrick’s book, Meet Me at Ray’s.