FREE Outdoor Concert Series in Cleveland for Summer 2012

Here is a round-up of all the great, local outdoor concert series that are starting for the summer! They start THIS WEEKEND and most run through early September. Hopefully you will take time to enjoy some of them! :)

Concerts Over the Valley at Mapleside Farm

(Photo Credit: Mapleside Farms)

• Every Friday night from May 25-September 28, 6-9:30pm (gates open at 5pm)
• Concerts feature a wide variety of genres and styles
• Admission is FREE, with the exception of June 15th, July 20th, August 31st (these are Premium Concerts and cost $2/person or $5/Family of 3 or more)
• Wine, beer, and food are available for purchase
• Bring your own chair or blanket, relax, and enjoy the view! 
• For the complete concert schedule, click here. 

Legacy Live at Legacy Village

• Every Friday & Saturday night from May 25-September 15, 6-9:30pm
• Concerts feature a wide variety of genres and styles
• Concerts take place on the Lawn, located between California Pizza Kitchen and Bar Louie
• Subject to change/cancellation due to weather when applicable
• For the concert schedule through June 30th, click here.

Music in the Park at Crocker Park

(Photo Credit: Crocker Park)

• Every Friday & Saturday from May 25-September 1, 6-8:30pm
• Enjoy a variety of musical talents
• Concerts take place behind GameStop by the large grassy area (off the roundabout)
• For the complete concert schedule, click here. 

Rally in the Alley in Medina Square

(Photo Credit: Main Street Cafe)

• Every Friday night starting May 25th and ending with a large event the entire Labor Day Weekend (September 1 & 2)
• Admission is FREE with the exception of Saturday and Sunday Labor Day weekend
• Wine, beer, spirits, and food are available for purchase
• For the complete concert schedule and other details, click here. 

Summer Concert Series at Shaker Square

• Every Saturday night from June 23-August 18, 6-9pm
• Admission is FREE
• Bring a chair or blanket, or you can listen from a restaurant patio while you enjoy dinner!
• There is currently no concert schedule posted

First & Main Music Nights in Hudson

• This concert series takes place on the Green at First & Main in Hudson
• Concerts run from July-August on Fridays and Saturdays, 7-9pm
• Schedule and more details will be posted when they become available

Hand Feed a Chickadee Every Weekend at the Brecksville Nature Center

Generations of visitors have experienced the thrill of feeding a free-flying bird that lands in your hand. Now it’s your turn! We’ll provide a handful of sunflower seeds and instructions. Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. - noon at the Brecksville Nature Center.

FREE Storytime at Target Stores

Come to Target on Saturday, February 26th for Dr. Seuss Storytime! Free at all Target stores from 9-11am.

The WFamily Charity Movie Series at Southpark Mall

In 2011, Westfield SouthPark will be hosting the WFamily Charity Movie Series at Cinemark Strongsville. A different family friendly movie will be featured the third Saturday of each month at 10am. The cost will be to attend will be $2 per person. As far as movies go, that's pretty close to FREE! Tickets will be available the morning of each show starting at 9 a.m. in front of Cinemark Strongsville.

WFamily Movie Dates:
February 19*
March 19
April 16
May 21
June 18
July 16
August 20
September 17
October 15
November 19

Please check the website regularly for updated the movie listings and charities.
*The February 19th movie will benefit the FOP’s Cops & Kids Program.

Kids Can Build a Spice Rack This Weekend at Home Depot

This Saturday from 9am-12pm kids ages 5-12 can build a Spice Rack at their local Home Depot store. This would make a great Christmas gift! The FREE monthly workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills and tool safety, while at the same time helping to instill a sense of accomplishment. This fun time also allows for quality one-on-one time between adults and children. In addition to the newly constructed project kit, each child receives a kid-sized orange apron, similar to The Home Depot associates' aprons, and an achievement pin.

FREE Kids Movie Night Every Week at Parmatown Mall

Movie Night at Kids Korner every Saturday - enjoy FREE POPCORN!! Every Saturday from 6-8 pm. Kids Korner is located across from Auntie Anne's. Children 12 and under please. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

FREE Build and Grow Clinics on Saturdays at Lowes

From project basics to giving your child the opportunity to say, "I built it!", our Build and Grow kid's clinics are a great way to help build confidence! Bring the kids into any Lowe's store and build a FREE wooden project. Each participant also receives a free apron, goggles, a project themed patch, and a certification of merit upon completion of their project. Click here to sign up! Clinics are on select Saturdays at 10 am. Upcoming FREE Clinics are as follows:

10/9  Funhouse Mirror
10/23  Flapping Bat

Play Games for FREE at the Cleveland Public Library

Need something to do on the weekends, especially when the weather is rainy and cold? Check out "Gaming at the Library" every Saturday at 12pm at the Rice Branch of the Cleveland Public Library. Children, teens, and families are welcome, and it's all FREE! They have Video Games, Board Games and more... Enjoy games on Gamecube, Playstation 2, and XBOX 360; also enjoy Monopoly, Chess, and Checkers. Great competition and lots of fun! See the link for location, hours, and other upcoming events http://www.cpl.org/BranchLocations/Branches/Rice.aspx.

Learn with Jo-Ann at Their FREE Demos in October

Jo-Ann Fabrics stores are hosting FREE demos on select Saturdays in October, where you can learn about the lastest products in the crafting world and sometimes make a craft to take home! The schedule is as follows:

October 9th
11am-1pm  Elmer's Paint Markers Haunted House
1-3pm  Wilton Halloween Foodcrafting
3-5pm  Clover Loom Hair Accessories

October 16th
11am-1pm  Aleene's Fabric Fusion
1-3pm  Kids' Halloween Make It-Take It
3-5pm  Dritz No-Sew Project

To find a store near you, visit www.Joann.com/stores. And in case a coupon would come in handy, you can print one here http://printable-coupons.blogspot.com/2005/12/jo-ann-coupons.html.

FREE Monthly All Ages Open Studio at the Art House in Cleveland

Open Studios are held on the third Saturday of every month from  1-3 pm. Enjoy spending time with your family as you make individual pieces or family art works. Each month has a theme and Art House provides the materials. Make an adventure of it by exploring your imagination and using those creative images to form your art work. Children must be accompanied by an adult. The upcoming schedule is as follows:

October 16 - Maskmaking
December 18 - Holiday projects

The Art House is located at 3119 Denison Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44109. Visit their website for more information! http://www.arthouseinc.org/index.shtml

Meet an Animal at the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center

Every month at the LERSC in Bay Village, you can have a close encounter with a wild animal for FREE! This program takes place on select Saturdays at 3 pm and is open to all ages. The remaining schedule for this fall is as follows:

Venomous Snakes
October 16
Come and be introduced to the world of venomous snakes. See live examples of Ohio’s 3 venomous snakes (Yes! Ohio has venomous snakes!) and learn the facts and fallacies surrounding them.

Tarantula!
October 30
Big, Creepy, and Hairy! Sounds like the makings of a monster movie. This program will focus on the often-misunderstood Tarantula and conclude with an opportunity to have it crawl across your hands and to look into its eyes…all eight of them!

Visit http://www.lensc.org/education/child-family/FamilyPrograms-Education.aspx for other family friendly programs and events!

Music at Main: A Monthly Live and FREE Concert Series at the Public Library

Live and FREE: These are the hallmarks of the Music at Main concert series, a presentation of the Cleveland Public Library Fine Arts Department. Music at Main leverages the beauty of our library’s public performance spaces and the talent of musicians from every point on the musical spectrum. Performance venues include the Louis Stokes Wing auditorium and the Eastman Reading Garden. Stop by to absorb the sounds of ensembles, pianists, cellists, quartets and trios, marimba, concert bands, vocalists, and guitarists.

For the next event, The Fine Arts Department is pleased to present:

Joshua Rzepka, trumpet
David Thomas, piano
Saturday, October 2, 2 p.m.
3rd floor lobby Main Library

Performing original compositions as well as jazz standards from Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Antonio Carlos Jobim and more. This program is FREE and open to all ages. Children are welcome and encouraged to attend! For more information call 216-623-2848 or visit http://www.cpl.org/EventsClasses/MusicatMain.aspx.

Children get FREE Admission to the Zoo with a Teddy Bear

Teddy bear need a check-up? Then bring your fluffy friend to Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to receive the latest in teddy bear care. The Zoo's third annual Teddy Bear Day celebrates the best bear care (for personal teddy bears and the Zoo's real bears). Kids with a teddy bear (or plush animal of any species) receive FREE Zoo admission with a paid adult. This Saturday, September 25, from 10am-5pm only. Special activities take place from 10am-2pm at the Steffee Center for Zoological Medicine (unless otherwise noted). See the link for the Activity Schedule! Enjoy!

http://www.clemetzoo.com/events/event.asp?event_id=51

FREE Monthly Art Activity at the Beck Center

Bring your children for Super Saturdays from 9-11:30 a.m. at the Beck Center. In partnership with several community organizations, the Beck Center offers a FREE, hands-on arts experience for ages 10 and under. The upcoming schedule is as follows:

October 16 with Beck Center Visual Arts
November 6 with Cleveland Botanical Garden
December 11 with Usbourne Books
January 22 with Cleveland Artists Foundation.

Thank you Missy at the Beck Center for your comment! Visit their site for details about other outstanding classes and programs! http://beckcenter.org/

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/

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!

Learn How to Throw a Boomerang for FREE

Come learn about boomerangs and how to throw them at Howe Meadow in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, located at 4040 Riverview Rd in Peninsula. Class dates are June 30th, 6-8pm; July 18th, 2-4pm; Aug 21st, 2-4pm; and Aug 22nd, 11am-4pm. Bring your own boomerang or use the ones provided.

Check out http://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm for other things to do and enjoy while spending time in the CVNP.

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/