10 Ways to Spend Your Memorial Day Weekend in Cleveland

Friday, May 22 - Greek Life: Held in Tremont every Memorial Day weekend at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, the annual Greek festival features Greek music, food, drink and even antiques. Visitors will find a mouthwatering assortment of homemade Greek specialties like pastitsio, moussaka (Greek style lasagna), dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and lamb shanks. But the crowd favorite is always the gyro — and they don't get much better than they are here. Be sure to save some room for baklava or loukoumades (fried dough with honey). If you want something to wash it all down with try the Greek beer Mythos or some Greek white wine. The festival starts at noon and is free. It continues through Monday. (Jason Beudert, photo via Emanuel Wallace)

Friday, May 22 - Meat and Greet: With plenty of activities for kids and adults alike, the 17th annual Berea's National Rib Cook-off is a family friendly affair that's become a cherished Northeast Ohio tradition. Held at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, the event kicks off today and runs through Monday. It features "more award winning ribbers than any Cleveland area rib fest." Local acts such as Colin Dussault's Blues Project and Coalies' Run are slated to play. Sunday is '80s Night and features the Journey tribute act Escape. The event runs from noon to 11 p.m. today. Admission today is free. Admission on tomorrow, Sunday and Monday is $5. (Niesel, photo via Facebook)

Friday, May 22 - Fully Torqued: If you love the likes of Ryan Stiles and Wayne Brady in Whose Line Is It Anyway? Torque...Full Throttle Improv is the show to go to. With a style similar to Whose Line, Torque combines audience participation with some of the best improv performers in Cleveland. Prepare for lots of energy, lots of laughs, and a unique comedic experience unusual to the comedy scene. All the acts are completely unscripted and on the spot. The show takes place at the Mayfield Village Civic Center today from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $10. (Wintucky, photo via Facebook)

Saturday, May 23 - A Quiet Collaboration: MOCA and Thrive Cleveland come together with DJ Steph Floss (DJ for the Cavs and Z107.9) to bring a night of music and art together — but in silence. The Silent Disco at the Museum of Contemporary Art is not exactly as it sounds like. Guests listen to a set of headphones that broadcast the music all while dancing and having a good time — but in complete silence to everyone else. This event was inspired by Ragnar Kjartansson’s video exhibition, The Visitors. Guests are invited to watch the final screening of the video (which embodies 9 different artists performing together through headphones) at midnight. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. and tickets are $15. (Wintucky, photo via Emanuel Wallace)

Saturday, May 23 - Remembering Roxy: The Roxy Theater opened in 1931 and started showcasing acts like June St. Clair, Tempest Storm and Abbott & Costello. In 1977, the Roxy closed but tonight Le Femme Mystique Burlesque will pay tribute to old theater with the 5th Annual Roxy Remembered. Miss Alexandra Huntingdon and the Gentleman’s Intermission will provide the music and burlesque dancer Toni Elling, an African-American burlesque performer from Detroit, will be on hand as well. Abby Downton and Ken Schneck will host. The event begins at 7 p.m. at the Beachland Ballroom and tickets are $17 to $40. (Niesel, photo via Emanuel Wallace)

Saturday, May 23 - Scary Stuff: An interactive haunted house and mystery hybrid, the Burning River Horror Story looks to fulfill your haunted house craving all year round. You and your friends (and sometimes strangers) are locked in a room for up to one hour. In order to get out, you have to solve various logic puzzles and riddles, find clues, and answer trivia. But, beware; there is also a zombie in the room with you! It is your goal to solve all the puzzles and escape the room before you get eaten. This event runs Saturday and Sunday from noon till 8 p.m. Admission is $29. (Wintucky, courtesy photo)

Sunday, May 24 - Mixtape Mania: Did you ever wonder what local musical theater performers sing in the shower, when they’re not crooning ditties from West Side Story or Urinetown? Well, that question will begin to be answered tonight when the Cleveland Stage Alliance produces “Dirty Pop: The Millennium Mixtape” at the Bop Stop. Co-produced by Eric Thomas Fancher and Joanna May Hunkins, this is the first of what will be an on-going series of vocal concerts celebrating various aspects of the pop culture. This inaugural concert will take us all back to the days when we weren’t sure if our computers would crash as the year 2000 rolled over. The songs will pay tribute to that era, with new arrangements of songs by Christina Aguilera, the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and more. All bar proceeds will help fund music scholarships. So, drink up! Subsequent concerts will be staged at different venues and explore music in many genres such as disco, jazz, Disney, maybe even the Muppets. Dirty Pop: The Millennium Mixtape takes place tonight from 8:30 to 10:30. Tickets are $15. (Christine Howey, photo via Wiki)

Sunday, May 24 - Rock for a Reason: Since it was founded in 2007, Guitars for Vets has provided some 20,000 guitar lessons and distributed some 2000 guitars to veterans. Today from 5 to 9 p.m., the Cleveland Chapter of Guitars for Vets holds a fundraising event at Stamper's Bar. Paydirt & Friends, EZ Lovin’, and the G4V Band. Admission is free and there will be Guitars For Vets merchandise available, silent auctions, and raffles. (Niesel, photo via Wiki)

Monday, May 25 - A Memorial Day Weekend Tradition - Memorial Day Weekend wouldn’t be Memorial Day Weekend without the Marc’s Great American Rib Cook-off and Music Festival. An annual tradition for the past twentysomething years, the four-day event kicks off on Friday (5/22) at noon at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. Rib cookers from all around the country will set up booths so you can sample their variations on barbequed ribs. In the amateur grilling competition, contestants will have two and a half hours to cook three racks of ribs. The event will take place at noon on Saturday (5/23). Locals artists such as M4, Chris Allen Band, Megan Zurkey, These Knees, Hawkeye, Cities & Coasts, Ryan Humbert, So Long Albatross, Ottawa, Archie Green, Tom Evanchuck and Midnight Passenger will perform on the Ones to Watch stage throughout the weekend. Enjoy music in the Acoustic Dining Tent presented by Roots of American Music, a local non-profit music education organization, featuring some of the most Acts such as Rachel Brown, Austin Walkin’ Cane, Tony Lang, Callie Shea Sullivan, the Spyder Stompers, Joshua Jesty, Jason Patrick Myers and Christopher Black will perform in the acoustic dining tent. Entertainment acts are scheduled for each night too. Tickets are $8. (Niesel, photo via CleveScene archives)

Monday, May 25 - A Slugger Returns: Oh how the mighty have fallen. A couple years back, the Texas Rangers had one of the toughest teams in major league baseball. But after losing a few key players to injuries and after one superstar slugger (Josh Hamilton, you know who you are) bolted for the West Coast, the team took a turn for the worse. But now, Hamilton has returned to try to bring the Rangers back to the playoffs. He brings a big bat into a lineup filled with big bats. Today’s game begins at 4:10 p.m. and tickets start at $10. (Niesel, photo via Wiki)