Tag Archives: rock hall

WhyCLE Challenge: Reasons 7 – 13 to Love Cleveland

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One of this week's reasons why I love Cleveland: going to an Indians game. Although the Indians didn't win on Wednesday, getting my picture with "Slider" (well, Slider's statue) and hanging out in Progressive made up for it.

As I posted last week, I’m taking the WhyCLE Challenge in May where I’ll be tweeting a daily reason why I love this city.  You can follow those reasons and my other tweets @ADHicken.  I’ll also be recapping these reasons on my blog each weekend.

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Reasons 7-13 to love Cleveland taken straight from this week’s Twitter stream:

#WhyCLE Reason 7:  Cleveland’s comic book history & celebrating @FreeComicBook Day @WestlakePorter http://ow.ly/4O5Kg #FCBD

#WhyCLE Reason 8: More natl coverage for #CLE! @playhousesquare’s work w/@cleveplayhouse @wviz = economic success in arts http://ow.ly/4PHeY

#WhyCLE Reason 9: Events like Chef Jam, where food meets rock at @rock_hall. http://wp.me/pPIgG-Aj #HappyinCLE #clefood

#WhyCLE Reason 10: Tues. in @TremontWest. Tonight eat @ Civilization, Ty Fun & Tremont Scoops &10% benefits Arts in Aug. http://ow.ly/4R21x

#WhyCLE Reason 11: The #Indians! There’s nothing like catching a game after work to make the day that much better. #GoTribe! [Another picture from Wednesday's game: http://tumblr.com/xu12hda3ec]

#WhyCLE Reason 12: Bowling at Mahall’s in #Lakewood where I can score games by hand. Love this place! http://ow.ly/4SU5k #happyinCLE

#WhyCLE Reason 13: Another excellent exhibit to check out at #CLE’s @rock_hall. Women Who Rock opens today: http://ow.ly/4TLnk

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Want to catch up on previous reasons why I love Cleveland?

Chef Jam 2011: Cleveland Music Meets Food at the Rock Hall

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Have you entered my giveaway yet for PlayhouseSquare Partners’ Mini Golf Par-Tee? You have until Wednesday at 11:59PM. Check the link to learn how to win a pair of tickets to play putt-putt in the Palace Theatre.

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One of my favorite events from when I first started Clue Into Cleveland was last year’s Chef Jam at the Rock Hall. It was the perfect culmination of a June weekend also filled with Parade the Circle and roller derby.

The sold-out event featured over 20 Cleveland chefs coupled with local bands and free access to the Rock Hall’s exhibits.  It was an epicurean dream and first introduced me to restaurants like Melange and Bistro on Lincoln Park which I would enjoy visiting over the course of the year.

Well, I’m happy to say Chef Jam 2011 is right around the corner. On Sunday, June 12 at 7 p.m., Cleveland’s top chefs will again descend on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, serving up specialties inspired by their favorite band or musician and dressed like the rock stars they are featuring.

Participating restaurants include:

ABC

Amp 150

B Spot

Bar Cento

Blue Canyon

Blue Point Grille

Dante

Deagens

Flying Fig

Greenhouse Tavern

Lago

Melange

Melt

Moxie

Osteria

Pier W

Prosperity Social Club

Sasa

Sweet Moses

XYZ

Zack Bruell Restaurants

In addition to the culinary delights prepared by the chefs, Maker’s Mark – who is presenting the event – is inviting the chefs to create a special dish utilizing their bourbon. The winning chef of the infusion challenge will receive a trip to the Maker’s Mark distillery in Louisville.

Scott enjoying Melange's Watermelon 'Bad to the Bone' Ribs at last year's Chef Jam.

Paired with the food will be special performances by The Cream of the Crop All Stars and Cleveland’s Abbey Rodeo with special guest Jim Bonfanti of the Raspberries.

Tickets are $65 and will go on sale to Rock Hall members and staff on Monday, May 9 and to the general public on Tuesday, May 10. They are available through the Rock Hall website (www.rockhall.com/event/chef-jam-2011) or the Rock Hall Box Office.

Each ticket includes samples of all the dishes offered during the event, as well as Great Lakes Brewing Company beer, wine and tours of the Museum’s exhibits. One of the reasons I’m excited for Chef Jam is the chance to check out the new Women Who Rock interactive exhibition.

Proceeds from the event will support the Rock Hall’s education programs and The Ohio City Farm (be sure to check the links out for more information about these incredible programs).

Last year’s Chef Jam sold-out in three weeks and this year’s buzz is growing so get your tickets as soon as they go on sale.

Chef Jam 2011 is presented by Maker’s Mark and sponsored by KeyBank, Time Warner Cable, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Ohio Natural Gas and Event Source.

Chef Jam 2011 411:

Labor Day in Cleveland – 3 Days of Festivals, Food and Fun

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With Labor Day comes the unofficial end of summer. Even though the Fall Equinox is weeks away and there seems to be no end in sight to the stifling heat, Clevelanders who want to grasp that last bit of summer have a huge variety of festivals, parties, and other events to choose from this weekend.    

The Rock Hall celebrates its 15th Anniversary (from rockhall.com)

 

Kicking things off this weekend is the Rock Hall Ball. On Friday, Sept. 3, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a party from 8:30 p.m. – 2 a.m.  Live bands and DJs will perform, including soul singer Eli “Paperboy” Reed, alternative rock band Foxy Shazam and DJ Tommie Sunshine.  Two levels of tickets allow flexibility in cost. Platinum tickets ($55 member/$65 non-member) include access at 8:30 p.m., hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine until 12:30 a.m. and entertainment until 2 a.m. Vinyl Tickets ($15) include access at 10 p.m., cash bar and entertainment.    

Labor Day will also feature weekend-long festivals such as:    

  • Labor Day Oktoberfest - At the Berea Fairgrounds will be the 6th Annual Labor Day Oktoberfest. From attending previous Oktoberfests, I recommend indulging in this weekend of oompah bands, brats and beer.  In addition to the food and the beer, years past have had merchants and other organizations promoting a variety of ethnic backgrounds. New this year – the Cleveland Pops Orchestra will perform Beethoven’s celebrated Fifth Symphony.  I’ll be dusting off my alpine hat and putting on my polka-dancing shoes for this.
  • Cleveland Air Show - As the photo in my last post showed, I love attending air shows, and Cleveland’s annual celebration of flying machines at Burke Lakefront Airport is listed as one of the 101 Best Aviation Attractions. Although it runs Sept. 4 -6,  if you’re downtown this week, you can see – and hear – the jets and planes practicing.  Nearby businesses and museums will also be hosting ‘Watch Parties’ including Reddstone’s When Pigs Fly Block Party on Sunday and the weekend-long William G. Mather Air Show Deck Party at nearby Great Lakes Science Center.
  • Taste of Cleveland - The other major downtown festival this weekend is the 15th annual Taste of Cleveland which will feature national entertainment acts and regional food traditional to Northeast Ohio. In addition to the 30+ restaurants that will be at the event, there will be the American Wine School Tasting Bar and cooking demonstrations such as the “Cooking with Kids” parents/children class, the Ohio Natural Gas Ultimate Backyard Kitchen and the 7th Annual Time Warner Cable Mayors’ Dessert Cup Challenge. One of the entertainment acts Scott and I are most looking forward to: “Weird Al” Yankovic on Friday night. What can I say? We’re UHF fans.

Der Glockenspiel - an actual working clock - is one of the attractions at Oktoberfest (from clevelandoktoberfest.com)

 

If festivals aren’t your thing or you’re looking for a one-off event this weekend, there are other options including:    

  • The Cleveland Orchestra and Joffrey Ballet - On Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 p.m., the Joffrey Ballet returns to the Blossom Music Festival. The Ballet  joins Conductor Tito Muñoz and the Cleveland Orchestra in their presentation of Reflections (choreographed to music by Tchaikovsky), Tarantella (choreographed to Louis Gottschlak), and Pretty BALLET (choregraphed to Bohuslav Martinů). 
  • Cedar Point - Labor Day Weekend is the last weekend to visit the Soak City Waterpark in 2010. It’s also the end of Cedar Point’s regular season. Starting on Sept. 17, the park will open back up for Halloweekends.
  • Aut-O-Rama Drive-In - This weekend, audiences at the North Ridgeville drive-in movie theatre have their choice of a kid-friendly double feature with Toy Story 3 and Nanny McPhee Returns  or cult-classics-to-be Machete and Piranha.
  • The Happy Dog - DJ Kishka’s Polka Happy Hour is back this Friday from 6-9 p.m. (if you can’t make it to this one, he’ll also be at the Happy Dog on the 17th). After DJ Kishka, Adam Tanner and Mark Jackson of North Carolina’s Twilite Broadcasters bring their two-part harmony vocals and acoustic accompaniment to the Happy Dog from 9 p.m. til midnight.
  • Cleveland Polka Association Picnic - The Cleveland Polka Association’s B.Y.O.E. (Bring Your Own Everything) Picnic takes place on Monday, Sept. 6 at  St. Sava’s Picnic Grove (2300 West Ridgewood Drive, Parma). Gate opens at 2 p.m., musical performances run from 3-7 p.m. including Canton, OH’s Polkatones. (More information or large table reservations: 216-661-5227)

The Aut-O-Rama Drive-In presents Machete and Piranha (from autoramadrivein.com)

 

Fortunately, it’s a three-day weekend, which means plenty of opportunities to experience your share of these end-of-summer events.