This is generally one of the chillest (and hottest) weeks of the year, around the Fourth, which always feels like the middle of summer, even though it officially just began less than two weeks ago. So while the schedule of cool events might be a little lighter this session, let’s take that as an incentive. Because you were never going to do everything we recommend each week anyway, as that would be impossible.But there’s still thrills to be found, from Jamaican-born Clevelander Ras Khalifa headlining Reggae Sunday to an outdoor forum on Superman to a local maker mart at the Penninsula Flea, to the 99th Italian Festival in Gordon Square, to the 86th (and final) Fairport Mardi Gras. The Metroparks Zoo has the Asian Lantern Festival, the CBG’s got Gourmets in the Garden, the Ohio Shakespeare Festival is at Stan Hywet, and Carlos Jones is at Wade Oval Wednesdays.
Celebrate the Fourth in Cleveland at both Voinovich Park and the new North Coast Yards, and in Akron all over downtown at Locks 3 & 4 and up and down Main Street in celebration of their Bicentennial. That should charge you up.
Akron has long hosted a July 4 weekend festival downtown at its Lock 3 facility, but this year’s event is going to be different—and much bigger. That’s because this year Akron is celebrating its Bicentennial and the Heart of Akron Festival is its centerpiece. Events will be taking place all day and evening at Locks 3 and 4 and all along Main Street on July 3-5, with fireworks on Friday and what’s being touted as “Akron’s largest parade in 50 years” on Saturday.
There’ll also be a ton of food, ranging from fair food to gourmet offerings, an exhibit of technology and business investment opportunities in the city, and a really stellar lineup of talent—all of it local. That includes artists starting to make a national splash such as Youngstown rockers the Vindys and Akron Americana/country band the Shootouts, as well as young punk rockers OFF LEASH (formerly Detention), longtime Akron reggae faves Umojah Nation, charismatic hip-hop performer Floco Torres, and Cleveland’s red-hot soul-rock ensemble Apostle Jones. Read more.
The Cleveland Arts Prize, which has been honoring northeast Ohio creatives in diverse disciplines since 1960, also honors people and organizations that have helped the arts to thrive in this region. It has just announced that it is awarding the Barbara S. Robinson Prize for the Advancement of the Arts to the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation. Over the years the foundation has made major investments in such institutions as The Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Public Theatre and the Cleveland Institute of Art. Read more.
Lakewood grad and multidisciplinary artist Ariel Bettner appears at Studio West 117 on Wed 7/23 at 5:30PM to present a video of her multimedia work, Mountain Woman, take questions at an artist talk back, and raise money to travel to Scotland from her current home in Portland to present her performance later this month at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the world. Save the date! Read more.
THIS WEEK
WED 7/2 Pre-Gaming the Fourth
It’s a tradition that Cleveland reggae master Carlos Jones & his P.L.U.S. Band hold down the pre-July 4 slot of the Wade Oval Wednesday schedule. It’s always the perfect summer party with hula hoops, bubbles and that languid reggae sound floating across the peaceful all-ages crowd on the big lawn.
FRI 7/4 Boom! BOOM!
Watch the fireworks downtown at TWO free family-friendly parties, at Voinovich Park or the new North Coast Yards. Or catch a concert at the Music Box & watch them afterwards from the boardwalk. Or stay home and yell at the kids next door for scaring your dog with their amateur display.* Have a quiet 4th in nature at Summit Metro Parks’ “Firefly Fireworks.”
MON 7/7 Glory Years
John Gorman was the mastermind behind WMMS-FM when it was the dominant rock station in Cleveland and the country, the one every major star had to visit. He wrote a book about his experiences and tonight he’ll talk about them at the WIllowick Library.
TUE 7/8 Shark! Or Electrocution?
Some people would rather die from an electric boat battery (?) than encounter a shark. Other just want to learn more about the fascinating ocean predators and can do so during the Cleveland Aquarium’s FinFest. Do not hum the Jaws theme at them!
