Summer 2017 has officially arrived, and if you’re wondering how to spend your time, we have you covered. Here are 23 things worth adding to (and checking off) your bucket list for the season.
Summer 2017 has officially arrived, and if you’re wondering how to spend your time, we have you covered. Here are 23 things worth adding to (and checking off) your bucket list for the season.
Meet the Budweiser Clydesdales
June 30
Victory Park, 7777 Victory Ln, North Ridgeville
Meeting the famous faces of Budweiser doesn’t have to be an unattainable dream anymore, because the Clydesdales are coming to North Ridgeville June 30. Go ahead and crack open a cold one with some of the most famous horses in the world.
Photo via steelcityjohn/InstagramCleveland Orchestra’s Star-Spangled Spectacular
June 30
Mall B, 300 St. Clair Ave
You don’t have to wait until July 4 to celebrate — revel in some musical patriotism at the Cleveland Orchestra’s free concert downtown June 30.
Photo via clepublicsquare/InstagramThe Great Inflatable Race
July 8
Victory Park, 7777 Victory Ln, North Ridgeville
Tired of jogging around your neighborhood? Try running through one of this race’s inflatable obstacle courses for a change of scenery. While the company says their races “aren’t about winning,” why pass up a chance to participate in the first-ever all-inflatable fun run?
Photo via thegreatinflatablerace/InstagramFree Playhouse Square Backstage Tour
July 15, Aug. 5 and Sept. 9
1501 Euclid Ave
This summer, you don’t have to be an actor to get behind (or maybe even on) stage at Playhouse Square. The almost-century-old Cleveland institution is offering free tours for the rest of the summer, giving you an intimate backstage pass to the biggest theater district in the country outside New York City.
Photo via najath_akram/InstagramGo to an Indians Game
All summer
Progressive Field
What better way to reaffirm your love for Cleveland during the summer than supporting the Tribe? Let the dozens of games left in the season fill the void the Cavs left on June 12.
Photo via kbrown_1990/InstagramTaste of Tremont
July 16
Professor Ave., Tremont
It’s never easy to decide where to eat in Tremont, and on July 16, you don’t have to. Taste of Tremont is the perfect way to dive into all this community has to offer (spoiler alert: it’s a lot).
Photo via tasteoftremont/InstagramIrish Cultural Festival
July 21-23
Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds
The west side has the highest Irish population in Ohio, according to census approximations, so Cleveland is an ideal place to celebrate Irish heritage and culture.
Photo via g_vasiliev/InstagramVan Aken Beer Gardens
July 21 and Aug. 18
Shaker Plaza west parking lot and The Pearl Asian Kitchen, 20060 Van Aken Blvd, Shaker Heights
There’s still two more dates to hit up Van Aken Beer Gardens, and enjoy some local food and drinks. Clevelanders, pets and bicycles are all welcome to July’s Beach Days and August’s Dog Days of Summer.
Photo via thevanakendistrict/InstagramEuclid Beach Park Day
July 22
10825 East Blvd
Mid-summer is an ideal time to remind yourself that no matter what East or West Coasters tell you, you do live by a collection of beaches. Use one of them on July 22, and enjoy some carnival food, rides and face painting while you’re there.
Photo via antjones216/InstagramPub Trivia at Tabletop
Through July 25
1810 W 25th St
Until July 25, Tabletop isn’t just a place to show off your board game skills. Every Tuesday from 8 to 10 p.m., flaunt your general knowledge, too — or on July 25, your primarily Nic Cage-related knowledge.
Photo via lambsarahe/InstagramZucchini Festival
July 29
Chardon Town Square, 100 Short Ct. St., Chardon
This photo was taken at a California zucchini fest, but expect lots of this at Cleveland’s sixth annual Zucchini Festival in Chardon. And it’s not just a celebration of the vegetable; the event will raise money for a place in Troy Township to provide emotionally impaired adults with art and therapeutic farming.
Photo via mgeonczy/InstagramOutrun Ovarian Cancer
Aug. 5
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
This organization has already raised over $900,000 for ovarian cancer research and education in the area, and their 5K on Aug. 5 is a perfect way to get some scenic exercise and support OROC.
Photo via mygalleryoflife/InstagramTwins Days Festival
Aug. 4-6
9825 Ravenna Rd, Twinsburg
If you’ve ever wondered what the largest yearly gathering of twins in the world looks like, find out Aug. 4 in Twinsburg. This year is particularly special for the festival, because it marks 200 years since the city’s founding (by twin brothers, of course).
Photo via thebarrytwins/InstagramCuyahoga County Fair
Aug. 7-13
Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds
The Midwest is known for its extravagant county fairs, and Cuyahoga County is no exception. Where else can you experience fireworks, a haunted house, demolition derbies and all the fried food you can eat in just one week?
Photo via allisonsaraniti/InstagramNational Hamburger Festival
Aug. 12-13
200 South Main St, Akron
National Hamburger Day has come and gone, but you don’t have to stop celebrating the all-American staple. Take in some live music, challenge yourself to a hamburger-eating contest or, as pictured here, bob for some in a pool of ketchup.
Photo via nationalhamburgerfest/InstagramFeast of the Assumption
Aug. 12-15
Little Italy
Like Tremont, Little Italy is a hub of great food and shops. If you’re tired of limiting yourself when you visit, the annual Feast of the Assumption celebration is an ideal place to enjoy the last few weeks of summer and everything the neighborhood has to offer.
Photo via bienardo/InstagramWeapons of Mass Creation Fest
Aug. 18-20
13200 Madison Ave.
Live music, art, bowling and fried chicken? Doesn’t get better than that. This festival is primarily a way for creative-minded people to get together and network, but non-artists are welcome, too.
Photo via wmcfest/InstagramCleveland Bazaar
All summer
Market Square Park and Playhouse Square
Catch this moving marketplace every week at Market Square Park and Playhouse Square. You’ll find goods (many of them Cleveland-oriented) that you can’t anywhere else, but most importantly, get to support some local vendors while doing so.
Photo via clebazaar/InstagramCleveland Scene Ale Fest
July 29
Lincoln Park, 2486 W 14 St, Tremont
Ale Fest doesn’t just offer over 100 beers from Ohio and around the world — it’s got live music, food, interactive games and more. Plus, you can bring your pets (just make sure you’re over 21).
Photo by Emanuel WallaceD-Day Conneaut
Aug. 17-19
480 Lake Rd, Conneaut
When you first see Conneaut Beach, the beaches the Allies stormed on June 6, 1944 probably don’t come to mind. But they bear a close resemblance, and you can witness a D-Day reenactment there this August.
Photo via 5th_rangers_reenacting/InstagramCleveland Garlic Festival
Aug. 26-27
Shaker Square
Rejoice with fellow garlic lovers and enjoy fries, beers and even garlic-flavored ice cream. You can also enter the Miss Garlic 2017 contest, if you’re feeling confident in your pageant participation abilities.
Photo via cafeavalaun/InstagramCleveland Oktoberfest
Sept. 1-4
Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds
Tickets are out now for the event heralded as Ohio’s largest yearly outdoor festival (that’s not even in October). Spend your Labor Day weekend with good beer, food and a host of rock cover bands.
Photo via zandra_panda/InstagramGreat Lakes Burning River Beer Fest
Sept. 18-19
2516 Market Ave
Oktoberfest is over, but you can enjoy a similar celebration at the Burning River Beer Fest Sept. 18, and support your local water sources at the same time.
Photo via goodbeerhunting/Instagram
