FREE Events on Memorial Day Weekend in Cleveland 2012

Lots of fun and FREE activities in Cleveland on Memorial Day weekend!


Tremont Greek Fest
Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunication, 2187 West 14th, Cleveland 44113
May 25-27th, 11am-11pm; May 28th, 11am-7pm
Enjoy authentic Greek food, pastries, dancing, and a Greek marketplace and beer tent! The festival is held over Memorial Weekend each year, and admission is free! Food and beer extra.

Chagrin Falls Blossom Time Festival
Riverside Park, Chagrin Falls
Thursday, May 24th - Monday, May 28th; check schedule of events for details.
What a great line-up of family-friendly events for the weekend! Carnival rides, pie eating contests, fair food, hot air balloons, and more! Come out on Saturday from from 9:30am-noon at the Big Top Tent for Kids Day, and make sure to catch one of the Heinen's Hot Air Balloon Races, held Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6:30-8:00pm.

Berea's National Rib Cook-off
Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, Berea
May 25th-28th; Friday noon-11pm, Sat & Sun 11am-11pm, Monday 11am-9pm
What is a holiday weekend in the summer without some great BBQ??? Offering a mechanical bull, inflatables, and a rock climbing wall, this event couldn't be more family friendly. Enjoy FREE admission all day on Friday only. Parking is FREE, as well, and kids ages 12 and under get free admission all weekend. Admission is $5/person (ages 12+) the rest of the weekend, and tickets can be purchased at the gate. Food and beverages are extra, of course, but worth every penny!

Outdoor Summer Concert Series Begin Friday, May 25th
Outdoor concerts start all over the Cleveland area on Memorial Day weekend. Some of the top locations include Mapleside Farms, Crocker Park, Legacy Village, Medina Square, and more! See this post for all the details!

Memorial Day Parades on Monday, May 28th
Make some memories by attending a parade in your local community this Memorial Day! Whatever you decide to do, please remember all the brave men and women who have fought, and who continue to fight, for the freedoms you are enjoying today!! For a complete list of local parades click here.

FREE Slider at Max & Erma's Restaurants on Memorial Day
In honor of National Hamburger Day on May 28th, Max & Erma's restaurants are giving away a FREE Slider to each person that comes in! One per person with beverage purchase, valid May 28th only.

Pools and Splash Pads open for the season!
Just another thing to keep in mind for Memorial Day weekend, especially if the weather is sunny and warm! Community pools and splash pads will open for the summer starting Memorial Day (when the weather hits 80 degrees) and will remain open through Labor Day. Information about Splash Pads in the area can be found in this previous post here.

Happy Memorial Day!!!

FREE Festivals in Cleveland This Weekend, May 19-20th

Well, summer is almost here and so are the wonderful, FREE festivals that come with it each year! Here are a few to get you started this weekend:

Pop UP Pearl
Located in the Old Brooklyn area of Cleveland on Pearl Rd, just south of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Come out and see all the unique, beautiful crafts by Images in Bloom and enjoy some amazing food and music at the Grace Church Blues and BBQ tent, just to name a few!




6th Annual Chalk Art Festival
Come out and see professional artists create beautiful chalk masterpieces, or sign up for your own space and create one yourself! This festival goes from 9am-5pm on May 19th and is located in Downtown Medina on the Square.

Hessler Street Fair
This street fair is an annual community arts and music event in University Circle, boasting to be one of Cleveland's most successful festivals! This family-friendly event will be celebrating is 43rd year and features a wide variety of local food, artists, musicians, and poets. This year’s fair will be held Saturday May 19 and Sunday May 20, 2012 from 11 am to dusk, rain or shine.

The Hessler Street Fair Committee
11326 Hessler Road
Cleveland, OH 44106

Cleveland Metroparks Annual Children's Fishing Derbies

If your kids (ages 4-15) like to fish, or if they've always wanted to try it, this annual fishing derby is for you! Bait (red worms, maggots and corn) will be available at no charge for derby participants. Bring a rod, tackle and a cooler with ice to store the “catch of the day.” While supplies last, loaner rods (fully rigged for bait fishing) are available for children who do not have their own. Rain or shine. Participation is FREE!

Saturday, May 19
Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation, Cuyahoga Heights

Sunday, May 20
Wallace Lake Mill Stream Run Reservation, Berea

Fishing Sessions:
Ages: 4-8 • 9 a.m. to noon (one rod per child)
Ages: 9-15 • 1 to 4 p.m. (one rod per child)

2011 Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival on Father's Day Weekend

The 8th Annual Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival will kick off on June 17th, just in time to celebrate Father’s Day. The festival will be an all-weekend event starting Friday at 4:00 p.m. at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Avon, Ohio. This three-day event celebrates duct tape, its enthusiasts and its wacky and fun uses. The festival also honors the history and heritage of the city that is proclaimed the “Duct Tape Capital” of the world—Avon, Ohio—the home of Duck brand duct tape. From sculptures and fashion to games and a parade, everything at the festival revolves around duct tape and the wonderful City of Avon."

See avonducttapefestival.com for more information, and enjoy!

The FREE Holiday Event of the Season: CircleFest Is December 5th!

Start off the holiday season with a trip to the 17th Annual Holiday CircleFest. It’s the perfect way to experience University Circle, FREE of charge. From 1:00-5:30 p.m., more than 20 of University Circle’s renowned museums, gardens, galleries, churches, and schools open their doors and offer an afternoon of activities, food, and shopping.

Visitors can look forward to a gingerbread house competition, live music performances, trees with themed decorations, a singing Santa, and even live reindeer. This year, Wade Oval becomes Cleveland’s Central Park with free horse-drawn carriage rides. Or, for a slightly warmer mode of transportation, UCI will provide free shuttle buses to escort guests to the different activity sites. From 5:30-6:00 p.m., the activities conclude with The Cleveland Museum of Art’s dramatic Winter Lights Lantern Procession on Wade Oval. Perhaps the most highly anticipated activity of Holiday CircleFest is The Rink at Wade Oval. Admission to The Rink is free, and skate rentals are only $3.
 
Rough Schedule of Events:
The Rink at Wade Oval: 1:00-7:00 p.m.
Free horse-drawn carriage rides (Wade Oval): 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Activities: 1:00-5:30 p.m.
Winter Lights Lantern Procession on Wade Oval: 5:30 p.m.

Visit the website for the HUGE list of fun things to do! There is certainly something for everyone. Enjoy!

Winter Lights Lantern Festival at the Museum of Art

Friday, December 3–Sunday, January 2, 2011
A bright and innovative way to warm up your holiday season, the Winter Lights Lantern Festival features lantern displays inside the museum and the Environment of Lights installation on Wade Oval. The museum offers an array of activities and entertainment, including workshops for making simple lanterns for the procession. The day culminates in a procession through the Environment of Lights led by guest lantern artists and illuminated dancers and giant puppets on Saturday, December 5th at 5:30 pm as part of the Holiday CircleFest in University Circle.

Fall Foilage Fest at Mapleside Farms

Come out and enjoy our magnificent view of the colorful countryside on October 9 & 10 from 10 am-6 pm. Admission is FREE, but most of the activities carry a small fee. Enjoy wagon rides, a corn maze, and lots of yummy food! View the flyer here http://www.mapleside.com/fallfoliagefest10.pdf.

Bay Village Bicentennial on 10/10/10

A full weekend of FREE activities has been planned to celebrate Bay Village's 200th anniversary, the weekend of October 10, or "10.10.10." Mark your calendar for the "Family Fun Day" in Cahoon Memorial Park on Saturday, October 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (food, games, demonstrations and children's activities in Cahoon Memorial Park all day, plus encampment groups with demonstrations and re-enactments in the Cahoon Creek valley), and Sunday, October 10, for the grand parade and official "Lighting of Bay" ceremonies from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be continuous FREE trolley shuttle service from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Cahoon Memorial Park to activities at the library, BAYarts, Lake Erie Nature & Science enter and Lakeside Cemetery. View the LENSC Itinerary here for other fun FREE-bees http://www.lensc.org/documents/BayBicentennial.pdf. Visit http://baybicentennial.com/?page=itinerary to view the complete weekend itinerary and for other details. Enjoy!

Mums, Music, and More at the Annual Barberton Mum Fest This Weekend

The 20th Annual Barberton Mum Fest featuring MUMS, MUSIC and MORE! 20,000 mums in full bloom - more than one million blooms, plus FREE ADMISSION, Fabulous Food, FREE Musical Entertainment, Historical Displays, Kid's Place, Water Ski Shows, Canoe Races, Arts and Crafts, and Sand Sculpting.
It all takes place this weekend, September 25 & 26, from 10am-6pm at Lake Anna Park. See the link below for directions and the schedule of events, and enjoy!

http://www.cityofbarberton.com/govt/MumFest/

FallFest: A FREE 18th Century Festival in the Cleveland Metroparks

No radio, cell phones, TV, Playstation, not even telephones – how did colonial people get by? Experience a day-in-the-life of an 18th century colony at the free “FallFest: 18th Century Festival”. Enjoy a variety of hands-on early settlers arts and crafts, including: candle dipping, quilting, stenciling, quill pen writing, reed ornaments, carding wool, dying wool with natural dyes, and more. Event-goers can also sample a variety of 18th century traditional foods, such as fresh-pressed apple cider, butter, cornbread, honey, and more.

Sunday, September 26
11 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Meadows Picnic Area
Brecksville Reservation • Brecksville

Calling All Kids 12 and Under! Print out and color in the FallFest logo coloring page and redeem the finished coloring page at The Big Show Catering concession stand at FallFest for a FREE treat! And, redeem the attached coupon to The Big Show catering concession stand for a Buy One Hot Dog, and Get One FREE at FallFest! Visit http://www.clemetparks.com/events/fall_fest2.asp for the coloring page and other details.

7th Annual Fall Festival in Old Brooklyn on September 25th

Come join hundreds of other Clevelanders for a completely FREE Fall Festival at Grace Church in Old Brooklyn on Saturday, September 25 from 12-4 pm. Lunch, games, and music are all FREE for kids and adults alike, so bring your friends and family for some fun! This year's event features bouncy houses, arts and crafts, basketball, balloon animals, haircuts, massages, and more! Grace church is located at 2503 Broadview Rd, Cleveland OH 44109. Enjoy!

Chalk Festival at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Septemeber 18 & 19

"Children and adults enjoy this annual event where community members join professional artists in using the walkways around the Fine Arts Garden as a colorful canvas. Begun in 1990, our festival is a modern expression of a Renaissance tradition from 16th-century Italy, in which beggars copied paintings of the Madonna by Raphael and his contemporaries, using chalk on the plazas outside cathedrals. Watching the chalk artists and enjoying the entertainment is FREE." See the link for more details, and enjoy!
http://www.clevelandart.org/

FREE Admission to Cleveland's Ingenuity Fest

September 24-26 at the Detroit Superior Bridge. "The Ingenuity Festival is Cleveland’s annual weekend-long celebration of art and technology, designed for audiences of any age and experience, staged in Downtown Cleveland. Prominent international masters present original works alongside the finest of Northeast Ohio’s performing and visual artists. High technology firms and major colleges and universities are presented alongside acclaimed artists to create a dazzling display of exciting and immersive new work. Ingenuity pushes boundaries, creating a unique festival experience that draws and celebrates diversity, and involves the audience as both spectator and participant." See the link for the schedule and more details.
http://ingenuitycleveland.com/

Enjoy the View at FREE Local Art Festivals This Fall

Fall Art Festival at Crocker Park, September 18 & 19
"Grab your favorite sweater and your favorite pal and celebrate the change of season with Crocker Park as it introduces the Crocker Park Fall Fest & Fine Art Fair, Saturday, September 18, 10am-7pm & Sunday, September 19, 11am-5pm. The unique and charming Crocker Park is at the intersection of Crocker and Detroit Roads in Westlake. The Fall Fest will feature a wine tasting, fresh apple cider, a fun clam bake, a special fall farmers market, children’s activities and a fine art fair with artist demonstrations all in the unique setting of the elegant Crocker Park. It’s a weekend of fun, food, wine, art, fashion, music and more!" Admission and parking are FREE.

2010 Tremont Arts and Cultural Festival, September 18 & 19
"The Twelfth Annual Tremont Arts and Cultural Festival returns to Lincoln Park. The weekend Festival is comprised of four categories or program areas which include: Children's-hands-on arts, historical, and educational projects; Community-area non-profit organizations presenting material about their mission and services; Cultural-food sales by Tremont churches, other non-profit organizations, and Tremont restaurants reflecting the ethnic diversity of the neighborhood; and sales of paintings, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, and photographs created by Tremont and Northeast Ohio artists. The Festival will also have music and dance performances both Saturday and Sunday on one main stage located near Kenilworth Avenue between West 14th Street and West 11th Street. Admission to the festival is FREE." See the link for a schedule of events.
http://www.merrickhouse.org/tacf

Art in the Village II at Legacy Village, September 25 & 26
Saturday, September 25 – 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sunday, September 26 – 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
"Art in the Village is back for a fall appearance! Don’t miss an eclectic mix of the nation’s most talented artist, who will collectively display millions of dollars in artwork. The artists, juried by an independent panel of expert judges, are hand-selected from hundreds of applicants based on quality and diversity. Admission and parking are FREE."

2010 Tremont ArtWalk
This event has taken place all year on the second friday of each month from 6-10 pm, and the remaining dates for this year are October 8, November 12, and December 10. Many galleries and studios that normally keep restricted hours are open for ArtWalk. There is usually music or other performance art. Tremont is rich in fine dining and pub life. For those who prefer a quieter experience, many galleries are open the following day (Saturday).

See the Tall Ships Sail into the Cleveland Harbor for FREE

The Tall Ships are once again sailing into Cleveland! They will be in Cleveland's harbor for a 4-day, fun-filled festival. Enjoy exhibits and entertainment, board the vessels, meet the crews, and more! Be there on Wednesday, July 7th at 4:00 pm when the majestic ships enter the harbor under full sail and watch them dock for FREE! The ships and festival are not open to the public until July 8th. Visit http://www.clevelandtallships.com/ for tickets and other information. Enjoy!

2nd Annual Larchmere Porch Fest on June 19th

This is a FREE, one-day, musical event on Saturday June 19th. Twenty Larchmere neighborhood porches will transform into stages for twenty musical performances. This unique and creative event will end with a finale concert in Shaker Square. The fest highlights local talent and creates a fun atmosphere for socializing. It's a perfect event to pack a cooler and bring kids. Porch performances start at 2 pm, with the finale concert 6-9 pm. See LarchmerePorchFest.org for more details! Enjoy!

The FREE Summer in the City Festival in Middleburg Heights

This festival takes place from June 25-27th on Smith Road (between W 130th and Pearl) in Middleburg Heights. Enjoy a wide variety of family-friendly activities, including parades, fireworks, a car show, food, live concerts, rides and games. Free admission and parking. See the link for a schedule of events and times. Enjoy!

http://www.summerinthecityfest.com/

The 7th Annual Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival Father's Day Weekend

"The seventh annual Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival will kick off on June 18, 2010, just in time to celebrate Father’s Day. The festival will be an all-weekend event starting Friday at 4:00 p.m. at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Avon, Ohio. This three-day event celebrates duct tape, its enthusiasts and its wacky and fun uses. The festival also honors the history and heritage of the city that is proclaimed the “Duct Tape Capital” of the world—Avon, Ohio—the home of Duck brand duct tape. From sculptures and fashion to games and a parade, everything at the festival revolves around duct tape and the wonderful City of Avon."

See http://avonducttapefestival.com/ for more information, and enjoy!

27th Annual Art by the Falls on June 12th and 13th

"The annual Art by the Falls outdoor fine art and fine craft festival is held every summer at Riverside Park in downtown Chagrin Falls. This year's festival will be held June 12th from 10am to 7pm and June 13th from 11am to 5pm. Each year, VAC presents a diverse group of talented artists working in a variety of media including ceramics, drawing, painting, glass, jewelry, apparel, metal sculpture, photography, prints, weaving and woodcarving." Visit http://valleyartcenter.org/artbythefalls.htm for more details.

Check out http://www.artfaircalendar.com/ for art fair event listings nationwide, including fine art shows in Ohio. Subscribe to their mailing list and be notified of all the free art shows in the area!

Cars, Crafts, and Strawberry Fest at Mapleside Farms

Come to this Festival at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, Ohio on Sunday, June 13th from 10am-4pm to see over 40 vendors and enjoy foods like Apple Butter Barbeque Ribs, Sausage Sandwiches, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Homegrown Strawberries & Ice Cream, Strawberry Shortcake, and Strawberry Pie. Admission is FREE. See the link for more details. Enjoy!

http://www.mapleside.com/Car%20Show%20poster%202010.pdf

22nd Annual Blossom Time Balloon Festival, May 27-30th

In Chagrin Falls, Ohio, about 20 hot air balloons each morning and evening of the festival will be taking flight this weekend at the 22nd Annual Blossom Time Balloon Festival. "It is an amazing and impressive sight to see the tall, brightly colored and stately balloons launch and soar. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and a picnic, sit back and watch the show. This is a great family event, a fantastic photo opportunity, and it’s FREE! The weekend will also include the 11th annual Blossom Glow, to take place at 8:00 pm at Chagrin Falls High School, Thursday, May 27th. As dusk nears, the balloons will lay out and inflate, tethered to the ground, for a beautiful twinkling dance, sure to light up your evening! All events take place at Chagrin Falls High School, located on East Washington Street, unless otherwise noted." The schedule for the festival is as follows:

Thursday May 27th Blossom Glow at 8:00 PM at CFHS
Friday May 28th Mass balloon ascension 6:30 pm at CFHS
Saturday May 29th Balloons fly in to CFHS field – 6:30 AM
Balloon launch from CFHS – 6:30 PM
Sunday May 30th Balloons fly in to CFHS field – 6:30 AM
Balloon launch from CFHS – 6:30 PM

http://www.chagrinballoonfest.com/index.html