Cleveland Yuppie

There are some really interesting-sounding (and free!) events coming up this weekend, with a major focus on the arts.  Cleveland Yuppie’s weekend picks for September 11-13, 2009 are:

Friday

Tremont ArtWalk
This monthly event occurs on the second Friday of every month, but with fall right around the corner there may not be many left when you actually want to walk around neighborhood.  I love the Tremont ArtWalk… most likely because I love Tremont.  Check out the ArtWalk Map to plan a route, or at least get an idea of where things are.  Basically, from 6-10 you can drop into any gallery and see what they have going on, and on top of it the streets are full of people, and the bars and restaurants are buzzing.  A few tips:

• Many galleries offer wine and/or beer, and sometimes even snacks, to patrons during the art walk if you donate a little cash.
• The Lava Lounge has really good happy hour drink and food specials (until 8 PM!).  My carnivorous friends highly recommend the burger (and I admit I tried James’ one day, and it is damn good).
• Edison’s Pub has a phenomenal beer selection, and the attached deli sells really good pizza by the slice.
• Tremont Scoops
  

  Lillly's "Lime"

  has some of the best ice cream in Cleveland… quite possibly because it is the only legit ice cream shop I know of in city limits.  But seriously, it’s good.

• For a true indulgence, head over to Lilly Handmade Chocolates. Lilly’s mind-blowingly delicious, handmade confections are little pieces of art.
• There are bus routes – the 81 and 23 – that go right through Tremont, and the West 25th rapid station is not a far walk.
  

  Lilly's "Heather"

• I could likely say something positive about almost any place called out on the ArtWalk Map, but honestly, it’s more fun to explore yourself.  If you go and have a great experience to share, please comment or send me a message on Twitter @laurelmackenzie.

Playhouse Square Dance Showcase
Playhouse Square will be featuring free performances of eight local dance companies — including Dancing Wheels, Ohio Dance Theater and Verb Ballets — tonight starting at 7:00. No tickets required.

Saturday

Sparx City Hop
From noon – midnight. free trolleys will shuttle event participants around Cleveland, from midtown/AsiaTown to Ohio City and down to Tremont.  You do, however, have to download free trolley passes from the Sparx Website, which also offers a downloadable PDF with a comprehensive guide to each neighborhood and more event details.  (I’d actually recommend downloading the guide even if you’re not going on the City Hop, just to see all the things you may not know about in each area.)

There is a lot to see throughout the trip, including art galleries, great restaurants, Asia Plaza, the Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival (info below), a car show, sidewalk concerts and an outdoor showing of The Dark Knight.

Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival
From 11 AM – 6 PM, Lincoln Park in Tremont will host the annual Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival, which will feature art, sculptures, jewelery, food and live entertainment. Admission is free.

Sunday

The Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival continues on Sunday, from noon – 5 PM. (Information above.)

Browns Home/Season Opener
Football season officially begins in Cleveland on Sunday at 1 PM… actually at more like 6 or 7 AM for all the crazy tailgaters.  While you may not be able to get tickets this late unless you charm a scalper, I can guarantee that just about any downtown bar with a television will have the game on and a crowd cheering on our favorite (under)Dawgs.  Don your brown and orange and find some fellow fans. (And if you need new Browns gear, I highly recommend checking out Locker Room at Tower City.  It is so the best place in the city to find cool sportsteam clothing.)

Filed under: Cleveland festivals, Weekend Picks, tremont | Tagged: Cleveland Browns, Playhouse Square, Sparx, summer events, Tremont ArtWalk