In the Market for Some Local Cuisine?
Housed in an iconic clock tower topped brick market house designed by the same architects who came up with the initial plans for the Cleveland Museum of Art and Lakeview Cemetery’s Wade Memorial Chapel, Ohio City’s West Side Market (www.westsidemarket.org) is one of the city’s most unique shopping experiences.
Named one of the country’s “10 Great Public Spaces” by the American Planning Association, it offers fresh produce and fine meats in addition to pastries and a variety of ethnic eats. Even if you can’t take any of the fruits and veggies home with you, you’ll love the variety of exotic food like falafel, street crepes, pierogi, empanadas, cannoli, and more that you can eat while spending the morning at this city-owned market. Read More…
Navy Week! + Cleveland Labor Day Weekend Update
Ahoy, Cleveland!
Lake Erie waters and Cleveland skies will come alive this Labor Day Weekend as the U.S. Navy drops anchor in Cleveland for Navy Week, followed by thunderous aerial stunts of the Navy Blue Angels and other flying teams performing at the Cleveland Air Show.
Navy Week Cleveland, Burke Lakefront Airport, Downtown Cleveland – August 27 – September 3
At Navy Week, the U.S. Navy is commemorating the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the Battle of Lake Erie, which founded the U.S. Navy and marked the first naval victory for the U.S., led by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.
Navy Week’s week-long celebration showcases:
- Approximately 1000 sailors and eight ships docked behind Cleveland Browns Stadium: the frigate USS De Wert, 4 U. S. Coast Guard ice cutters, 3 Canadian ships and the patrol ship USS Hurricane.
- U.S. Navy divers in the tanks at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium
- U.S. Navy Blue Angels at the Cleveland Air Show
- Leap Frog, the Navy parachute team
- A replica of the U.S. Brig Niagara, used by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (August 29-31) to defeat the British Navy during the battle of Lake Erie at Put-in-Bay in 1813.
Navy Week will also join a Thursday Browns home game, an Indians series at Progressive Field and the Cleveland Air Show. An exciting live reenactment of the Battle of Lake Erie will take place in 2013, so stay tuned!
The Cleveland Air Show, Burke Lakefront Airport – September 1- 3 (9:00 am – 4:45 pm, no entry after 3 pm)
The Cleveland Air Show presents the exciting aerial maneuvers of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, as well as wing-walking, parachuting and aircraft demonstrations of professional stunt pilots. More than 50 exciting ground displays showcase aircraft, simulators, family fun and more. The U.S. Navy will demonstrate its jet and helicopter expertise, as well as the Army’s Golden Knights Parachute Team, F/A-18 Super Hornets, Cobra helicopters and U.S. Army parachute teams.
Cleveland Oktoberfest: presents four exciting days of authentic German food, beer, and entertainment by local and regional musicians and German dance groups. Rain or shine admission is $10. Children 12 and under are free. Free is also parking. Located in the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea, just outside of Cleveland. - August 31– September 3:
Geauga County Fair: is Ohio’s oldest county fair featuring live stock, live entertainment, rides, and great contests like chicken flying, rooster crowing, frog jumping, demolition derbies and truck pulls. Admission is $7.00. Children 12 and under are free. Located at the Geauga County fairgrounds in Burton, Ohio, east of Cleveland. – August 30 – September 3
Other Events:
- Navy Week & 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration Concert, 8/31 at 8pm, Jacobs Pavilion, FREE
- Made In Ohio Craft Festival, 9/1, Hale Farm and Village
- Taste of Hudson, 9/2-3, Historic Downtown Hudson
For more events visit www.positivelycleveland.com/play/events.
– Cindy Hill
Art and Culinary Events in Cleveland
Throughout the year, art and culinary events heat things up another notch in Cleveland. From food festivals dedicated to everything from garlic, wine and hamburgers; events showcasing local farmers, producers and sustainability; to art and multicultural parades and demonstrations, there’s never a dull moment.
Aug. 31 – Sept. 3: The Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest held at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds is a Cleveland tradition, attracting a diversity of fun-lovers from every walk of life, generation and ethnic background, offering an exciting menu of activities, entertainment, dancing and traditional German food and beverages.
Sept. 8 – 9: Shaker Square, home to the ever-popular North Union Farmers Market, once again becomes the place to be for “all things garlic” in the region during the Cleveland Garlic Festival. Attendees, armed with breath mints, enjoy garlic-themed food (everything from ice cream to oysters) prepared by local chefs, an onsite celebrity chef Grill-Off, live music, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, taste and grow tents for children and more.
Cleveland Weekend Update: August 17-19
Although you may be rooting for the USA in the Olympics, everyone is cheering for Little Italy here in Cleveland. Whether you visit the Feast of the Assumption or the National Hamburger Festival, take some time this weekend to experience some of the tastiest events in Akron and Cleveland!
Feast of the Assumption, Little Italy – August 15-18
One of the most anticipated events of the summer is finally here! Everybody becomes a little bit Italian during the Feast of the Assumption in Little Italy.
The old-world charm of Little Italy comes to life during the Feast. Stroll through the streets while listening to music and stopping grab a bite to eat. Local vendors line the streets with booths for food, drinks and other goods. Food is plentiful at the Feast, whether you want a cannoli Presti’s Bakery or a slice of pizza from Mama Santas, you can’t go wrong. Keep from over doing it and check out local artwork in the art galleries and set up in the street booths.
First settled in the late 19th century by skilled Italian artisans and mableworkers, Little Italy (also known as Murray Hill) has retained much of its Old World charm and tight-knit sense of community.
Enjoy lively entertainment throughout the four day event with traditional and current music. At night, adults enjoy cold drinks and dancing galore.
On Wednesday, August 15th the Holy Rosary Church will have a traditional Catholic procession throughout the neighborhood. During the procession the Virgin Mary is carried through the Little Italy streets accompanied by music and marchers of all ages.
Don’t leave the kids at home for the Feast, during the day carnival rides are a family favorite. Then, a beautiful display of fireworks light up the sky on Sunday of the Feast, providing entertainment for people of all ages.
National Hamburger Festival, Akron – August 18-19
Picture burger fans in goggles bobbing for foam hamburger patties in a kiddie pool full of ketchup. That’s only one of the wacky activities at The National Hamburger festival, at Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron. This delicious weekend celebration features many fan favorites, such as The National Burger Cook-off, where 50 varieties of burgers are prepared by 20 restaurants and judged by local celebrities and sponsor representatives. Backyard grilling masters don their aprons and spatulas to go bun to bun in the Ohio Burger Cook-off. The popular Ohio Hamburger Eating competition, the Miss Hamburger Pageant and the Baby Burger Contest bring love for the hamburger to new levels of fun.
Other Events:
Cinema at the Square (An American in Paris), Playhouse Square – August 17
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Wine Tasting Excursion, Boston Mills – August 17
University Park Arts Fair & Food Fest, Akron – August 18
Cinema at the Square (Mary Poppins), PlayhouseSquare – August 19
Akron Aeros v. Reading, Canal Park – August 17 -19
- MaryKate McHugh
One Night with Janis Joplin
Step back in time to one night of music from one of history’s most talented, yet most tragic, rock and roll legends: One Night with Janis Joplin. Cleveland Play House produces the national tour launch of this new Janis Joplin musical in the Allen Theatre at PlayhouseSquare.
Janis Joplin was born January 19, 1943 in Port Arthur, Texas and died from an accidental drug overdose October 4, 1970 in Los Angeles, California. She was only 27 years old. However, the music that she left behind continues to define the “hippie movement” of the 1960’s and Vietnam-era America. With rock classics like “Piece of My Heart,” “Mercedes Benz,” and “Me and Bobby McGee,” Janis Joplin is considered by many to be one of the greatest rock and roll singers and songwriters of our time.
One Night with Janis Joplin features the songs above and many more. Lakewood native Mary Bridget Davies channels Janis Joplin with near perfection and embodies the singer in almost every way possible. And it is interesting to note that this is not the first time that Ms. Davies has played the rock legend on stage, as she also starred as Janis Joplin in the national touring production of Love, Janis, another biographical musical about Joplin’s life and music. So Ms. Davies was very well prepared to take on the challenge of this innovative production, and thank goodness that she did! Hearing her belt-out Joplin’s hits is both exhilarating and haunting, at the same time. And her performance is nothing less than amazing.
One Night with Janis Joplin is a truly unique theatrical experience. It’s a little bit musical and a little bit concert. And although, Janis is the “star of the show,” One Night with Janis Joplin also features several great blues legends, including Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, and the “queen of soul,” Aretha Franklin. All three were great inspirations to Janis Joplin, and here they are given their due. Along with Joplin, all of these women are brought together in the intimate Allen Theatre with an onstage band and a groovy, psychedelic set.
Janis Joplin was before my time, and honestly, I never had much interest in her. That was until I saw the musical Love, Janis at PlayhouseSquare in 2005. In seeing that show, I learned to appreciate Janis, both the musician and the woman, in a way that I never before could have imagined. And One Night with Janis Joplin will give you, too, an appreciation for this tragic figure who literally “played hard and died young.” I don’t think that I have ever been to a theatrical event (other than Mamma Mia! or Jersey Boys, perhaps) where so many audience members were cheering and singing along.
If you are a fan of Janis Joplin, this show is definitely for you. If you are not, you will still find One Night with Janis Joplin to be a truly enjoyable and high-energy experience. And above all, the show presents a very compelling story… a very human story of a young woman with dreams that would never come true. So this is your chance to spend One Night with Janis Joplin… a night well worth the ticket price. One Night with Janis Joplin will run through August 19.
And Cleveland Play House’s 2012-2013 Season is just around the corner. The season will open with Lombardi (September 14 – October 7), followed by The Whipping Man (November 2-25), A Carol for Cleveland (November 30 – December 23), Bell, Book and Candle (January 11 – February 3), The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith (February 15 – March 10), Good People (March 22 – April 14), and Rich Girl (April 12 – May 5). Subscription packages are available. So be sure to secure your seats for these highly anticipated productions.
Cleveland Play House, the nation’s first and longest-running professional theatre company, continues to offer some of the very best professional theatre in the country. And this year will mark CPH’s 98th season entertaining Greater Cleveland audiences. For more information about Cleveland Play House, One Night with Janis Joplin, or its 2012-2013 Theatre Season, please visit the CPH website at www.ClevelandPlayHouse.com. For more information about PlayhouseSquare, its website is www.PlayhouseSquare.org.
- Christopher S. Musselman
Cleveland Weekend Update: August 3-5, 2012
Celebrate summer in CLE by heading outdoors this weekend!
Historic Warehouse District Street Festival, Downtown – August 5
Need a lazy Sunday? Don’t spend it on the couch, head to West 6th Street downtown for the Historical Warehouse District Festival this Sunday from noon to 8pm.
Visitors can stroll through the Warehouse District while listening to live music and stopping every now and then for a bite to eat. Enjoy delicious food from local neighborhood restaurants offering a variety of options, such as a burger from BRGR 9 to authentic Indian dishes from Charka Exotic Indian Cuisine. Some of the other local restaurants include El Guero Mexican Grill, Gillespie’s Map Room, Johnny’s Downtown, Johnny’s Little Bar, Taza and XO Prime Steaks.
In addition to live music, guests can marvel at unique street performers and watch as local artists provide interesting art demonstrations.
Not only is the street festival fun for adults, but there is plenty of entertainment for children. A clown, chalk artist, magician, and even robots are some of the entertainers providing fun for the entire family.
A highlight of the annual festival is the opportunity to see what the historic buildings of the Warehouse District look like from the inside. From noon to 5pm attendees can tour residential open houses in the district. Additionally, visitors can enjoy architectural tours as well as Take A Hike! tours from noon until 5pm.
Admission to the Historic Warehouse District Street Festival is free and $2 parking for the Street Festival is available at the parking lots on West 6th and West 9th.
Other Events:
Twilight at the Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo – August 3
Vintage Ohio Wine Festival, Lake Metroparks Farm Park – August 3-4
Twins Day Festival, Twinsburg – August 3-5
Chardon Square Arts Festival, Chardon – August 5
Cuyahoga County Fair, Berea – August 6-12
Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival, Canton – Now-August 6
For even more events visit www.positivelycleveland.com/play/events and to submit your event to our online calendar for possible inclusion in our weekend events blog click here.
– MaryKate McHugh
Weekend Update July 13-15
Hungry for the weekend? Hit up the Taste of Tremont and spend Sunday afternoon tasting a variety of delicious dishes in this artsy neighborhood created by some of the city’s best Chefs.
There’s no need to make reservations for this event, but make sure to bring your appetite for a day filled with spectacular food and drinks at the 10th annual Taste of Tremont. The street festival showcases the best of what Tremont restaurants and local businesses have to offer, in the casual laid-back summer atmosphere perfect for locals and visitors alike.
The Taste of Tremont is free to attend; attendees only need pay for food and drink at the various vendors! While you walk around, eat and browse, listen to musical entertainment throughout the neighborhood. Performances by SLAP and the Big Ship in the Beer Garden, various performers on the Tremont Farmers Market Stage and restaurants such as DANTE and Fahrenheit host special guests on their patios. More than 20 food vendors (including Lolita, the Istanbul Grill and the famous Solowski’s University Inn) in addition to various galleries, artists and other Tremont businesses will participate in the event.
All the walking around may make you thirsty, if so, stop by the beer garden. Here, attendees can cool off with a brew for $5 (or, hydrate with water for $2.) But, despite the name, food and drinks aren’t the only items that can be purchased at the Taste of Tremont. This year, vendors range from Cleveland Browns, CLE Clothing, Inc., the Banyan Tree and more.
The Taste of Tremont is held on Professor Avenue, between Starkweather and Fairfield. Plenty of Street parking is available in Tremont or find a spot at a neighborhood church. Annunciation Greek Church and St. John Cantius will have additional parking for guests of the Taste of Tremont.
Other Events:
Tremont Art Walk, Tremont – July 13
Toby Keith, Blossom Music Center – July 13
Cain Park Arts Festival, Cain Park – July13-15
Akron Aeros v Altoona, Canal Park– July 13-15
MAMA MIA!, Playhouse Square – July 13-22
Nature at Night, North Chagrin Reservation – July 14
Sunflower Wine Festival, Rocky River – July 14
7th Annual Luau on the Lake, Whiskey Island – July 14
Art in the Park, Medina Court House Square – July 15
– MaryKate McHugh
Weekend Update July 6-8
Just because the fourth of July has ended, doesn’t mean the festivities have to! Cleveland is filled with events this weekend to keep you busy and entertained.
The Cuyahoga Valley National Park creates the perfect back drop a weekend filled with art and entertainment at Boston Mills. Travel about twenty minutes south of Cleveland and leave your skis at home for the 41st annual Boston Mills Artfest. In the winter months, Boston Mills has 19 snow covered slopes for snowboarding, skiing and snow tubing, but during two weekends in summer, the ski resort transforms into one of the top fine art and craft shows in the United States.
On Friday, visit Boston Mills for a preview party. Held the evening before the art shows, the preview party gives guests the first chance to view and buy the art works on display. While listening to musical entertainment by The Island Doctor, indulge in all-inclusive wines, crafts beers, hors d’oeuvres and live music. If you find a wine that you wish to buy at the preview party, guests can purchase all wines in the Artfest gift shop. Tickets for the preview party are $54 and are available for purchase online and at the gate. The preview party starts at 6pm and ends at 9pm.
The Boston Mills Artfest displays a plethora of different types of art, all of which are available for purchase. Continue the fun into Saturday and Sunday where artists from across the country travel to exhibit and sell their art at the Boston Mills Artfest. Some of the fine art and craft items available include ceramics, paintings, watercolors, glass, mixed media, jewelry and furniture. Parents, make sure to stop by the “Art and Play” where children can create their own works of art. The Artfest is open from 10am to 6pm on Saturday and 10am to 5pm on Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for 60 or older and between 13 and 21 years old. Children under 12 are free.
Continental Cup International Youth Sports Festival
As one of the nation’s largest international youth sports festivals, the Continental Cup celebrates internationalism, youth diversity and sportsmanship. Young athletes have the opportunity to participate in AC Milan soccer, Cleveland Indians Charities baseball and Cleveland Cavaliers basketball tournaments. All Continental Cup games and events are free to spectators. On Friday, July 5 at 6:30pm the opening ceremony for the Continental Cup is free for all at the Cleveland Browns Stadium. Live entertainment, a parade of nations and fireworks are just a few of the events planned for the evening.
Opening Ceremony: July 5, 6:30pm Cleveland Browns Stadium
Other Events:
Def Leppard w/Poison and Lita Ford, Quicken Loans Arena – July 6
Fiona Apple, Cain Park – July 6
Summer Music Nights at First & Main, Hudson – July 6-7
Cleveland Indians v Rays, Progressive Field- July 6-8
Lake Erie Crushers v Southern Illinois Miners, All Pro Freight Stadium – July 6-8
Great lakes Medieval Faire and Marketplace, Rock Creek – July 7 – August 12
Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Ongoing Exhibit)
– MaryKate McHugh
By Boat, Bike or Trolley Many Ways to See CLE
Foot: Starting in May, the Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation (www.historicgateway.org) offers three free walking tours of downtown Cleveland and the nearby Warehouse District. You have the following options: You can meet at the Arcade and see the sites of the old department stores that used to be located downtown; you can meet at Constantino’s Market and walk through the Warehouse District and see how it’s been transformed into a dining and entertainment destination; or you can you meet at Settlers Landing and tour the harbor. You can also go it alone by visiting www.cityprowl.com and downloading an audio file and map that will take you on a narrated self-guided walking tour of the city.
Segway: Mondays through Saturdays as weather permits, Cleveland native Carl C. Johnson hosts narrated Segway tours of the city that cost $55-$60 per person. The hour-long tours all leave from Tower City Center, but the miles covered vary. Along the way, Johnson identifies major landmarks and discusses them in context of the city’s history. Go to www.clevelandsegwaytours.com for more information.
Trolley: For more than 25 years, the cheery red Lolly the Trolley (www.lollytrolley.com) has offered year-round tours of Cleveland that cover almost 20 miles and pass by nearly 100 points of interest. The information-packed one- and two- hour tours vary in cost and reservations are required. Specialty tours of Cleveland bridges and of Lakeview Cemetery are also available.
Boat: Given that Cleveland sits on the shores of Lake Erie, seeing the city by boat is also a viable option. Goodtime III (goodtimeiii.com), a 1000-seat, quadruple deck luxury ship that leaves from the 9th Street Pier, offers narrated tours of the city. The Nautica Queen (nauticaqueen.com), a cruise dining ship departing from the West Bank of the Flats, affords riders bridge views and a trip down the crooked Cuyahoga River. Both offer a variety of food options as well as entertainment.
Bicycle: The City of Cleveland recently built the Bike Rack, a bike station for commuters, in a parking garage located near Quicken Loans Arena. The station can accommodate up to 50 bicycles and has showers and a small bike shop. But this is just one way Cleveland caters to cyclists. The Great Lakes Touring Company (www.bikecle.com) offers guided one- and two-hour tours as well as bicycle rentals, the nonprofit group Cleveland Bikes (www.clevelandbikes.org) sponsors neighborhood rides and tours, and local cyclist Bob Polk (bobsbiketours.com) hosts two different tours of downtown and its surrounding areas.
Visit www.positivelycleveland.com for more things to see and do in Cleveland. Follow us on twitter @positivelycleve.
– Jeff Niesel
Burning River Roller Girls
Today, many images portray women as sweet, innocent and totally harmless. The Burning River Roller Girls (BRRG) beg to differ. Members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) and Cleveland’s first all-female, flat-track roller derby team, the Burning River Roller Girls are tough.
For those whose roller derby knowledge may be lacking, here is what you need to know: Roller derby is a contact sport played by two five-member teams on roller skates. There is one “jammer” on each team and four “blockers.” Points are scored when the jammer breaks through the other team’s blockers. However, to make it interesting, both jammers skate simultaneously, so the blockers have to help their jammer get through while stopping the other team’s jammer.
Roller derby has increased in popularity in the last decade due to a large grassroots and amateur movement, and there are currently 124 teams in the WFTDA. The Burning River Roller Girls are comprised of seven teams, including the Burning River All Stars and The Pyromaniacs.
Headed into their sixth season, the BRRG compete in bouts at the Wolstein Center through June 9. The cost of tickets is $4-$13 and they may be purchased at www.burningriverrollergirls.com.
- Nate Klein
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