10 Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend

Friday, August 9: Get Wild - What's better than snuggling up with a special someone under the stars on a summer night? Snuggling under the stars with lions, tigers, bears and dozens of local musicians. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is hosting another Twilight at the Zoo tonight at 6 p.m. If you were lucky enough to snag a ticket, it's time to enjoy tons of friends, wildlife and booze. Scene's own V.I.P. party at the event features an open bar and lots of local vendors. If you haven't found a ticket yet, just check out your local black market vendor. (Photo via Scene archives and Emanuel Wallace)

Friday, August 7: Comedy Quest - Huzzah! A live Dungeons and Dragons comedy show is coming to town. Pittsburgh comedy troupe Knights of the Arcade are preparing their mana for tonight’s quest in Lakewood. A self-proclaimed geek haven, Side Quest bar is hosting the Knights at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. During the performance, the improv troupe will be playing D&D live on stage. Since each round of the dungeon-crawling game is different from the last, each comedy show is unique and totally improvised. Tickets to the show are $10, and seating is limited. (Rees, photo via Knights of the Arcade's Facebook page)

Friday, August 7: Orchestral Event - Stanislaw Skrowaczewski conducts the Cleveland Orchestra tonight as it takes a break from playing Blossom to perform at Severance Hall as part of the Orchestra's Summers@Severance series. Skrowaczewski leads the orchestra as it plays Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5. Skrowaczewski knew Shostakovich, who once described the piece as the sound of "forced rejoicing" and said it's "as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying, ‘Your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing …’” The concert begins at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $25. (Niesel, photo via Instagram user @chicseohee)

Saturday, August 8: Burger Mania - More than 20 area restaurants will be serving up 50 different styles of hamburgers at the 10th Annual National Hamburger Festival, which takes place in Akron today and tomorrow. The festival is a benefit for Akron Children’s Hospital. In addition to the National Hamburger Cook-Off, in which participating restaurants compete for honors in categories such as best cheeseburger, most traditional burger, most creative burger, and the always-challenging toppings/special sauce field, the event is filled with family fun activities. The Ohio Hamburger Eating Championship features eight competitive eaters trying to see how many one-pound burgers they can consume in 10 minutes. The face-stuffing event was the brainchild of former competitive eater and Akron resident Dave “Coondog” O’Karma. The fest also now features a Craft Beer Tasting fueled by local breweries like Thirsty Dog Brewing Co., Buckeye Brewing Company, Lagerheads Brewing, Canton Brewing Company, Ohio Brewing Company and others. The festival also features live music all weekend long. Admission to the National Hamburger Festival is $5. Children under eight years old are admitted free. (Douglas Trattner, photo via Instagram user @ohventures)

Saturday, August 8: Double Vision - Partner up. It’s time for the annual Twinsburg Twins Day. which takes place at Twinsburg Townsquare. Each year, hundreds of twins come to Twinsburg to camp out the weekend and attend the fest. From wiener roasts to pageants, it’s the only place this summer dedicated to celebrating multiples. This year, the group is celebrating its 40th anniversary and looking back at passed Twins’ Days. The festival runs all day with admission at $4. Twinsburg residents go for free. (Rees, photo via Instagram user @mrmelanin_pharoah_king_truth)

Saturday, August 8: Shopper's Delight - If you haven't had a chance yet this summer to catch the Cleveland Flea, the local small business and vintage goods pop-up wonderland, today’s your chance. It takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. As usual, the Flea brings trendy merchandise and tasty eats to Tyler Village for all the antique-lovin’ and cool-find seekin’ northeast Ohioans. Among familiar vendors, there will be some new faces this time around, here are a few to check out: Una Biologicals, which offers hand crafted organic beauty and wellness products; Clear Blur Design and 1820 House of Candles, two places known for their unique pottery pieces with original works of art on each mug, plate and spoon; and Object Apparel and Bolted Vintage, places that offer handmade designed and screen printed tees, tanks, neckties, kids and more. If your style is more old fashioned, Bolted Vintage is the tent to take a look at with everything from vintage dresses from the 1950s, to jewelry from the 30s and more. Musical performances will include Fake Species at noon and Green Escalators at 2 p.m. at the Mahall's Stage. (Kimberly Jauregui, photo via Instagram user @just_a_guy_with_a_job)

Saturday, August 8: Hoop Dreams - In 2014, Red Bull Reign started in Chicago as host Anthony Davis invited 32 teams from around the city to see which team would “reign” on the court. Regional competition for this year's installment of the event comes to Cleveland as some of the city’s best basketball squads will square off today at Luke Easter Park. Round 1 and 2 games will be pool-play and each game will last eight minutes. The final round will be a bracketed tournament and will run 10-minute games, with the winning team earning their spot in the Red Bull Reign Finals in Chicago. The winner of that competition will get a slot at the FIBA North American Finals. Today's competition begins at 10:30 a.m. (Niesel, photo via Instagram user @powerserge123)

Sunday, August 9: Confectionery Fun - In 1971 Mel Stuart would direct Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, a film that would be known for generations to come. The film centers on young Charlie (Peter Ostrum), a boy who grows up poor in a small shack of a house with his family. One lucky day, he gets a candy bar that contains the Golden Ticket that leads him to Willy Wonka's ( Gene Wilder) chocolate factory along with a few other kids and their parents. As they travel through the entire factory they see a world of imagination and excitement while trying to keep up with the crazy antics of the one the only Willy Wonka himself. Today, Cinema at the Square screens the sweet treat classic at 2 p.m. at Connor Palace. Admission is $5. (Alexandra Hintz, photo via Instagram user @mpurcell25)

Sunday, August 9: Irish Pride - St. Patrick's Day is the day that makes everyone Irish, but that holiday is months down the road. If you feel like being Irish this weekend, come to the Classic Park in Eastlake and check out the fourth annual Lake County Celtic Festival. The festival will feature more then 150 Irish musicians, singers, bagpipe players and dancers. The Willis Clan, a family of 14 musicians, artists, writers and dancers, headline the event. Ciaran Sheehan, the acclaimed singer, actor and star of broadway's Phantom of the Opera, will also make an appearance. Adult admission is $12, and kids 12 and under are free. If you are a senior or a current student with an I.D., ticket prices are only $8. Doors open today at 5 p.m. The festival continues through Sunday. (Alexandra Hintz, photo via Instagram user @gothardsisters)

Sunday, August 9: Local Fest - With a summer packed with national and niche festivals, it's easy to lose your hometown spirit. The Cedar Fairmount Festival is the perfect way to revitalize that local pride, with local business vendors and craft-makers. The fest is family-friendly with bounce houses and games for kids. Admission is free (Rees, photo via Instagram user @clevenow)