Neither rain nor sleet nor snow can keep Tracy Greenbaum from riding his Silk City Jekyll. But after logging about 2,500 miles on the royal-blue 10-speed in three years, the 24-year-old maintenance worker from Willoughby is ready to say goodbye at Sunday's Earth Day Bike & Blade Expo. "It's still a great bike," Greenbaum says. "Nothing's wrong with it at all. I'm just ready for an upgrade." That's the idea behind the expo's Swap Shop: Slap a price tag on an old bike, and see whether someone will take it off your hands. "People will clean out their garages, realize that their kids are growing, they've outgrown their old bikes, and they're looking for something a little bit bigger," says Bill Plessinger, Lake Metroparks' recreation supervisor. "If the bike has brakes and goes straight, that'll be okay." The expo takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lake Farmpark, 8800 Chardon Road in Kirtland. Admission is free for Lake County residents, $6 for everyone else ($4 for their kids); call 440-358-7275. -- Cris Glaser
Nature Calling
4/15-4/18
According to all those meteorologists on TV, this was the fifth snowiest winter on record. To everyone else, what matters is that it's over. This week's North Coast Nature Fest is a celebration of warmer days to come. Birds, bugs, flowers, wild animals, photography exhibits, canoe trips, and even an Oscar-nominated flick will make appearances. "We created a festival that brings together the amazing diversity of the natural world," explains Cleveland Metroparks' Bob Hinkle. In addition to all the hikes, field trips, hands-on activities, and birding programs happening throughout the park district, some guy who spotted 715 bird species from Alaska to the Atlantic coast will share his exploits. And Winged Migration, the critically acclaimed documentary about birds in flight, will screen Saturday night. The fest takes place Thursday through Sunday throughout the Metroparks. Most events are free. Visit www.clevelandmetroparks.com for a complete schedule of programs, times, and locations. -- Lucy McKernan
License to Chill
THU 4/15
John Hancock Champions on Ice comes to town Thursday, and it's bringing along a bunch of skaters whose names we can't pronounce: Evgeni Plushenko, Tatiana Totmianina, and Surya Bonaly are among them. The spangled-star exhibition also includes performances by world champion Michelle Kwan, former Lakewood resident Timothy Goebel, and silver medalist Sasha Cohen. Breaking up all that elegance will be Vladimir Besedin and Oleksiy Polishchuk, erstwhile Ukrainian coal miners, who combine extreme skating with pratfalls and props. It all starts at 7 p.m. at Gund Arena, 100 Gateway Plaza. Tickets range from $32 to $67, available by calling 216-241-2121. -- Michael Gallucci
