We haven’t seen anything like it in our 20 years of doing CoolCleveland. Live events are starting to come back, but not like before the pandemic. Each week we scramble to include last-minute events and pull out those that cancel, and it hasn’t been easy.CoolCleveland’s most popular post each year is our Festival Guide, which we’re publishing earlier than ever to accommodate a couple of early ones: the North Coast Harbor Ice Fest and the Lake Erie Folk Fest. Our complete Festival Guide will be updated as we hear of more dates and cancellations. Not so popular is the sad welcome international visitors receive at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, according to CoolCleveland columnist C. Ellen Connally.
It’s not too early to start planning your garden, and the Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District is here to help with informational events and a native seed, plant and tree/shrub sale. The Shootouts preview their new album and upcoming visit to the Grand Ole Opry with a stop at Jilly’s in Akron this week. Plus catch new work from GroundWorks Dance, Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Near West Theatre, North Coast Men’s Chorus and Cleveland Opera, among many others. Get back.
It may seem early for us to be publishing the first version of our 2023 festival guide. But there are two festivals happening this weekend: the North Coast Harbor Ice Fest and the Lake Erie Folk Fest. And the next couple of weekends bring two of the biggies: Kurentovanje and Brite Winter.
After 2020 was cancelled, with more cancellations and date changes in 2021, 2022 was a more normal year for big events. And it looks like 2023 will be a packed year, despite a few events that called it quits after the pandemic. Nearly 70 events have already revealed their dates, and we’ve rounded them up for you. Look for a more compete directory in about six weeks when more things have firmed up. Read more.
It’s been a year since the Cleveland Museum of Natural History began offering free admission on Sundays to residents of Cleveland and East Cleveland. In that time, nearly 10,000 guests took advantage of the CMNH’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Days and visited CMNH free, many for the first time.
Be sure to follow the new ticketing policy and reserve your tickets before arriving at the Museum by calling 216-231-4600 or visiting CMNH.org/visit. Read more.
it’s not too early to work on your planting plan for this year. The Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District doesn’t just recommend landscaping with native plants — it’s better for the ecosystem — but is selling the seeds, starter plugs and plants you need to do so.Read more
People flock to Cleveland’s Kurentovanje festival (February 18 this year) to see the fuzzy kurents clang their big bells to chase away winter. Be part of it as a volunteer: serve drinks, sell merchandise, clean up, staff the kids’ area. They’ve got a sign-up form online and are looking for YOU! Read more
Billy Bass is a legend. A popular DJ at WIXY-1260 who then helped launch progressive rock radio as DJ and program director at the fledgling WMMS, Billy (2nd from left) is credited with breaking artists such as David Bowie nationally by playing their music non-stop in Cleveland. He even coined the phrase, “Cleveland: The Rock & Roll Capital of the World.”
Billy will guide you through the exhibits, sharing his personal behind-the-scenes stories, tidbits and anecdotes of some of the most fabled artists in the history of Rock & Roll. Schedule a 2-hour tour at your convenience. Read more.
It’s not a new problem but it’s holding Cleveland back from becoming a true international destination. And in years of complaints, it seems like no steps have been taken to address it.
“I recently flew nonstop from Cleveland to Cancun on Frontier Airlines,” writes Connally. “But my complaint is not with Frontier but the treatment of international passengers arriving at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport after and while going through U.S. Customs.” She points out that after going through customs, passengers have to go back through TSA checkpoints, necessitating repacking in the concourse so that “forbidden” items such as liquids, which had already passed through customs, weren’t in their carry-ons. That in addition to hours-long delays at customs.
“With antiquated facilities & logistical problems that cause international travelers unneeded problems, I understand why International carriers shy away from flying into Cleveland,” she says. “If you want to be in the big leagues, you have to treat people like you are a big-league city.” Read more.
