1. Do more stuff that can’t be summed up in a Yelp review.
2. Update the format/breadth of information I share.
3. Find a few additional authors.

I’m still trying to figure out the best approach.

Sorry if there are actually any remaining readers who are disappointed in my serious lack of blogging skillz.

If you make it to any Beer Week Events (either that I suggest here or not) let me know what you think!

Monday, Oct. 18

Dogfish Head Takes Over the SouthSide
This is another full-day event, at the SouthSide. Not sure which will be available in full glasses, but several special, tough to find ales from Dogfish will be available in tasting flights. The full lineup includes: 60 Minute, 90 Minute and 75 Minute IPAs; Punkin Ale; SouthSide cellar-aged Burton Baton, Sahtea; Midas Touch; Theobroma; Black & Blue; Immort Ale and Bitches Brew. Cost: TBD. I’ll try to update if I get details.

Exotic Beer Night
From 8 PM – close, La Cave du Vin will feature unique brews from Europe, including: beers brewed with smoked tea leaves, chili pepper, absinthe leaves, mustard seed, chinotto (a bitter citrus, according to Wikipedia) peel and oysters. They’ll be selling the beers individually, and “discussing each one at length,” per the nice gentleman I spoke with on the phone. This definitely sounds like an interesting stop for anyone looking to sample simply something a little different and out-of-the box. Cost: price of beers.

Tuesday, Oct. 19

Cellar Offering
Warehouse Beverage will bring some 2008 Stone Vertical Epic out from the cellar, on sale from one day only (and likely won’t last long at that). No idea what this will be going for, but if you don’t have the 2008 and are interested in the Vertical series, you’ll probably be able to get this at Warehouse for less than you’ll be able to find it online.

Collaboration Day
Rocky River Brewing Company will have each of the six Ohio-brewery collaborative beers on tap. The beers include:

• Smoked black lager from Thirsty Dog and Indigo Imp
• Strong barrel-aged ale from GLBC and Cellar Rat
• Rye kolsh from Brew Kettle and Willoughby Brewing Co
• Imperial American porter from Hoppin- Frog and Rocky River Brewing Co
• Alt bier from Buckeye Brewing Co and Cornerstone Brewery
• Wet-hopped IPA from Fatheads and Black Box

Cost: price of beers. Oh, and they’ll be selling burgers for $6 as well.

Side note: a 12-pack on this collection in bottles will also available for sale at any Heinen‘s location at some point soon. They’ve had some delays in releasing it, but if you check Heinen’s out on Facebook, the store will update when it’s available.

Wednesday, Oct. 20

Crop Bistro Beer Tasting
Crop Bistro will feature six small plates paired with six craft beers — Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, Indian Brown Ale and Saison du Buff; Great Divide the Denver Pale Ale; Hoss Rye Lager and St Bridgets Porter. Each pairing will be available on its own, or as a full tasting menu. Cost: varies.

Thursday, Oct. 21

Meet the Brewer of Stone Brewing
From 4-7 PM at Fathead’s Brewery will have Mitch Steele of  Stone Brewing on site, with the promise of some very special beers from Stone as well. Cost: price of beers.

Brewing Demonstration with SNOBs
From 6-9 at the Lakewood Winking Lizard, there will be an interactive demonstration on homebrewing, sponsored by the Society of Northeast Ohio Brewers. Though I’ve never seen SNOBs in action, I can say from experience that homebrewing is enjoyable and rewarding if you’re a beer lover, so if you’re interested this might be worth checking out.

Friday, Oct. 22

Beer Floats!
Lilly Handmade Chocolates will make four different floats with craft beers and artisan  ice cream — Lindeman’s Framboise with Mitchell’s vanilla bean, Vintage Stone Russian Imperial Stout with Handel’s double chocolate chunk, Cantillon Gueze with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream’s cherry lambic sorbet and Trappist Rochefort 10 with East Coast Custard’s buttered pecan. And as if that weren’t enough, each will be topped with one of Lilly’s truffles. I’m drooling just thinking about this. Cost: $15.

Spaten Boot to the Face
Starting at 5 PM until they’re gone (limited quantities available) the Gateway, Lakewood, Coventry, Bedford Heights and Independence Winking Lizard locations will sell 2-liter boots filled with Spaten Oktoberfest for $45. And, you get to keep the boot. Beer Fest, anyone?

Hops! The Spice of Beer by Mitch Steele
From 7-9 at the Bedford Heights Winking Lizard, Mitch Steele (of Stone) will do a presentation centered around hops,: its history, the life of a hop vine, varieties, characteristics, how it’s used in brewing and how important it is to beer. Can you think of anyone better to talk about hops than the mastermind behind some of the most aggressively hopped ales around? There will also be beer and food samples. Cost: $25. Reservations are suggested, so give the Wink a call or check out its website to confirm your spot.

Saturday, Oct. 23

BREWzilla: A Monster of a Beer Tasting
This is the official event of Cleveland Beer Week, taking place 6-11 PM at the Galleria. The evening will feature craft and imported beers from more than 80 breweries; a dedicated area for Ohio Breweries that will feature the six Beer Week collaboration brews; and food from the Winking Lizard, Heinen’s and Lilly Handmade Chocolate (sandwiches, cheeses and truffles). Cost: $75 for “Brewer’s Circle” (includes early admission at 6, special appetizers and beer, 25 drink tickets and a other specials) or $50 for general admin  (admission at 7, 20 drink tickets). Get tickets in advance.

Alrighty kids (21 and over), there you have it. I hope you enjoy Beer Week. (Responsibly.)

Cheers!

So here, I’m narrowing things down. This is largely completely subjective, based on my own personal tastes (smaller crowds, bars/restaurants/shops I love, low price tag or definitely worth the splurge, etc). However, I’m definitely considering factors such if the event will feature a hard-to-find beer, first taste of a seasonal or other rare tapping.

This post is the “weekend edition,” which covers today through Sunday. I’ll have something up for the rest of the week for you by Sunday night. Cheers!

Today (Friday, Oct. 15)

Stone 10/10/10 Vertical Epic Tapping
All Winking Lizard locations are tapping kegs of the much-anticipated annual Vertical Epic brew from Stone. This year’s version is made with muscat, gewurztraminer,  sauvingon blanc grapes and chamomile. Seriously, Stone Vertical Epic is some of the most-coveted craft brew of the year. Read: get to your closest Wink as soon as you’re out of work. Cost: whatever they’re charging for a glass.

Saturday, Oct. 16

Pumpkin-Palooza
From noon-7, Lilly Handmade Chocolates will be pairing four of her delicious truffles with four different pumpkin ales: Southern Tier Pumking, The Bruery Autumn Maple, Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale and DogfishHead Punkin Ale. Cost: $12

Cheese and Beer Pairing with Lucky Penny Farms
At the Buckeye Beer Engine, from noon-1, they’ll be pairing beers with locally made cheeses (with dairy from that were raised at a local farm): Buckeye Witless Belgian Wit with Lucky Penny Chevre, The Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weisse with Lucky Penny Feta, The Bruery Autumn Maple with Lucky Penny Gouda and The Bruery Rugbrod paired with Lucky Penny Swiss. Cost: $17.

All Hail the Ale Night Bicycle Ride
Starting at 7:30 at Century Cycles in Peninsula (1621 Main Street/Route 303), bike the Towpath Trail with fellow craft-beer lovers and end up at the Peninsula Winking Lizard, where they will tap special kegs from Left Hand and Sierra Nevada. Cost: free, plus the cost of beers afterward.

Sunday, Oct. 17

Clambake and Weiss Beer Festival
From noon-6 at the Tremont Tap House, enjoy a seasonal clambake and see how the food pairs with Witbiers, Hefeweizens and American Wheats. Get a 4-beer sampler for $8, or purchase full glasses of any beer that the Taphouse has, well, on tap. They’ll also be playing the Browns-Steelers game, and I can’t think of a better place to drown your sorrows. Clambake cost and menu TBD… I’ll update this post as soon as I find out.

**Update: Clambake cost is $25 for 1 dozen clams, corn, sweet potato, bread and chicken. You can add on a 1.25 lb lobster for $15 or another dozen clams for $10. Also, I just spoke with Christian from the Taphouse on the phone, and tickets are going fast (and you need them), so swing by ASAP if you’re interested.

Thirsty Dog Meet & Greet
From noon-3, head over to Tower 230 and grab your first-of-the-season 12 Dogs of Christmas Ale from Akron’s own Thirsty Dog. (In my opinion, this is better than the much-loved Great Lakes Christmas Ale.) Also, Mitch from Thirsty Dog will be on site, and they’ll be playing the Browns-Steelers game. Cost: $3/pint. Seriously. I might have to take this over the Taphouse. Life is full of tough decisions.

Side note on Beer Week: If you have an iPhone, there is a pretty slick app for Beer Week this year that makes looking at events and other info pretty easy. Check it out.

So, Cleveland, enjoy Beer Week. But do it responsibly. Please have a DD or call a taxi. Also, the Crowne Plaza hotel is offering discounted rates for Beer Week if you mention it.

Sad but true: the Tremont staple will be opening its doors for the final time tonight (Friday, Oct. 8, 2010) at 6:00 PM, and staying open until question mark — likely until the crowds die down, or they decide to shut in with a close group of supporters.

Now, I’m the first to admit that at times, I had no clue what some of the pieces at Asterisk were supposed to mean. The whole bridal-gown-on-a-mannequin-and-video-of-the-beach exhibit, for example, was far beyond my realm of understanding. But, a lot of the pieces were really impressive, heartfelt, poignant, political and downright special. It felt good to walk around the gallery and see what it had to offer.

The coolest thing about Asterisk, to me, was that on any given second Friday of the month, I never knew what to expect walking in. Except, of course, that it would be provocative, and most likely polarizing. (“This is incredible” vs. “How is this art?” polarizing.)

Never knew what to expect, of course, outside of one particularly awesome constant: The Penis Room. A room full of vintage pictures and paintings with phalli (apparently that is the proper plural of phallus) precariously placed within them. Small drummer boy… which a huge penis. Marilyn Monroe… with a penis in her face. A Norman Rockwell doctor… with a penis almost poking the child whose heartbeat he’s testing. A giant wave… with a penis riding it.

Call me juvenile if you want — I’m fully admitting that my favorite part of a reputable art gallery is a room of images with cut-and-pasted (maybe photoshopped) penises in them, here — but some of my favorite art walk memories are of giggling like a 12-year-old in this closet-sized, basement room with my friends.

For this, and for your more refined exhibits: Asterisk, I will miss you.

For a more cultured take, see Tim Marshall’s heartfelt tribute to Asterisk on the Spangle Magazine website.

Note: Tim’s article mentions that Asterisk is planning a moving sale on Saturday, Nov. 6 at noon. So, you’re in the market for some crazy art, you may want to check that out. I’ll post more info when I see it. Maybe I can get my hands on one of those fuzzy, punching-bag-looking chandeliers (which are likely way out of my price range) or a little memento from my favorite room — but I bet those will go fast.

Me and the BF, James

The point is, for this year’s home opener, the BF and a couple of friends and I got tickets in the Dawg Pound, bought some tailgating supplies and decided to wake up at 6:00 in the morning on a Sunday to start drinking and watch some football.

Here’s what I learned:

The Early Bird Gets the Parking Spot.

OK, so I knew that Clevelanders were serious about their tailgating, but really — Clevelanders are SERIOUS about their tailgating. Wake-up-earlier-on-a-Sunday-than-you-should-during-the-workweek serious.

After packing the cars, meeting up with the friends and getting downtown by the stadium, the time was about 8:45 AM, and the infamous Pit lot was full… Well, almost full. To stay there, we would have had to park on a hill. So instead, we decided to turn around and venture to another lot where the parking would be less precarious. At that point, we didn’t even try to make it to the Muni lot — we just decided to find somewhere to park and so we could get down to business.

Where to Park? (Pit versus Muni Lot)

In the week before the game, I tried to find information online about whether the Muni or the Pit lot was better, because those are the only lots I had ever heard about, and have heard dueling views about which offers more fun. What I found is that it really doesn’t matter, but one difference may essentially be that the Muni is full of old-school fans that have been at this forever, whereas the Pit tends to be a younger crowd. But, all I know from personal experience is that those people wake up too early for me.

The truth? You can park in just about any lot near the stadium, and people will be drinking, grilling and barking by 9 AM. We ended up in a lot across Rt. 2 from the Muni, at the Burke Lakefront airport. Here are two things that made this lot awesome:

1. Parking was only $20. We even took up two spots, but only had to pay for one. A friend of mine said that her friends, who have tricked out an old truck into a tailgating machine, had to pay for four spots at the Pit, for a total of $120. That’s about what we paid for two tickets to the game.
2. The airport kept its lobby open, and let tailgaters us the bathrooms. Ladies: this means not having to resort to the alternatives of port-a-potties, squatting in public or making friends with strangers that own an RV.

And, there were still plenty of people to make tailgating in this lot a damn good time, without getting so crazy that I feared for my safety. Oh, and it took a surprisingly short amount of time to get out after the game. Win! (Even though we lost.)

You Will Never See More Cornhole Per Capita Anywhere Else.

That’s it. Cleveland tailgaters love their bean bag toss.

Drink Heavily Before Entering the Stadium.

When I went to a game last year, I thought that maybe the only reason my only beer options were Bud Light and Bud Light was because I was in the nosebleeds. While this is somewhat true — other stands expand offerings to include a few other mass-produced options — craft beer isn’t available anywhere in the stadium. Not even Great Lakes. Seriously. I asked at least five stadium employees, and half of them basically laughed at me.

And, the limited beer selection the stadium does offer will set you back $8 for a 16 ounce. So, if part of your ultimate football experience is keeping a warm fuzzy feeling even when the Browns are losing, and you don’t wan to bend over for shitty beer, guzzle before kickoff.

Bonus to this approach: you’ll definitely be sober in time to drive home.

The same general concept applies to food, of course. Half the fun of tailgating is grilling some grub. Enjoy it. A lot of it. Because everything in the stadium is overly priced, and most of it is likely mediocre in taste. Personally, I recommend stopping by the West Side Market the day before and picking up some brats from Old Country Sausage.

Bring Plastic Cups.

While I’m on the subject of drinking: Though I don’t know the official rules, I believe there’s some sort of caveat that, although the police know people are drinking, it’s allowed because they don’t really KNOW people are drinking. Because people pour alcoholic bevvies into plastic cups (not clear ones), so that drink labels, cup contents, etc. aren’t visible. So, be sure to pack those.

(I like the SOLO cups with the mini chalkboard-type deal that lets you write your name on the cup with your fingernail. Then you know whose is whose without having to bring a marker.)

Prepare for the Aftermath.

By the time the BF and I got home from the game (around 5:30 or 6 PM), we were pretty much out of commission for the rest of the day. Tailgating — at least at the ripe old age of 26 — really takes it out of you. Or perhaps it was just the five hours of drinking followed by no drinking, which typically ends in tiredness no matter the activities involved.

Either way, I was tuckered out. I did, however, pop a few painkillers before falling asleep, which I’m sure helped keep me decent the following day. So, that’s probably a good tip, too.

Tailgating is Fun.

There’s a reason why this activity is a favorite pastime of Clevelanders — tailgating is so much fun. I’ll definitely be back at least once this year. Even if I don’t get tickets to another game.

Due to a rain delay that lasted about an hour, the friends I was with and I went on a serious culinary adventure around the park. Our mission: funnel cake.

We asked at least three employees where we could find the elusive funnel cake that we were pretty sure we smelled when we first entered the park. All relied on tiny cheat sheets to help guide our way. And, though I can’t recall the exact section, I believe we arrived at our deep-fried destiny somewhere around section 160. (That also jives with this some-what helpful map from the Indians website.)

If you believe it’s possible, what we found was better than funnel cakes. The stand also sold fried cookie dough and fried Twinkies – each for only $5! ($5 = one funnel cake, two Twinkies or two giant cookie dough balls. There was also a combo platter for $10, but I assume that was for lesser amounts.) For $15, the bf James, our friend Josh and I split a collection of fried goodness.

I cannot believe that I had never had a fried Twinkie before. To me, it was easily the best of the three, though the guys preferred the cookie dough. When the Twinkie gets hot from the oil, the cream filling melts into the cakey part, resulting in a super crispy exterior and incredibly moist interior.

Best. Thing. Ever.

Now, I thoroughly admit that largely due to the rain delay, I was at least four beers in before the Twinkies, so my perception may be slightly skewed. But hey, what sporting events are for, right?

In addition to the fried treats, Josh also introduce us to a place — dangerously near the Twinkies — where you can purchase slushies spiked with liquor. These cost about $10, but when you’re paying almost $8 for a beer, that’s a pretty sweet deal. I opted or vodka, thinking that something more flavorful like whisky or spiced rum would be strange. However, the guys got Jack and tequila in theirs. And I was admittedly a little jealous.

At this liquid concession stand, we also spied the ultimate needle in the haystack of standard ballbark beer – Dogfish Head and Stone ales. Only one of each, but still — all this time I thought the Beers of the World Stands (where the best thing you can find is Great Lakes, and they don’t get much more worldly than Heineken) was where it’s at.

And, by exploring more on the first level (we typically have seats in the mezzanine or upper deck, if you can’t tell) we also found much better quality brats, only slightly more expensive than those at every other stand in the stadium.

Including tonight, there are 8 more home games. I’m seriously considering getting tickets (and let’s be honest, at this point they’re probably like $5) just to get more of this incredible ball park food. Otherwise, I’ll be anxiously looking forward to next April.

Saturday – Lakewood

There are actually several events in Lakewood that could make up quite an interesting holiday fun day, especially if followed by dinner and/or drinks at one of Lakewood’s many local restaurants or bars.

• Candy Cane Cruise. 3-6 PM on Clifton Blvd near West 117th. Check out vintage convertibles, ice sculpting demonstrations and a light show projected on area buildings.  Also, you can participate in a scavenger hunt-type game by picking up a Candy Cane Cruise Passport at event HQ, visit participating shops and restaurants to gain stamps, then turn it in when you’re finished for a chance to win $150. Free event. No Website. Grab a Scene and check out pages 8-9 for an ad with more info.
• Ohio City Singers. 4 PM at Around the Corner, this local band will be performing their modern renditions of holiday classics, kicking off their Christmas concert series. $8.
• Light Up Lakewood. 6-8 PM on Detroit near Warren. Featuring a lighting ceremony, performances by local (mostly school) choirs, dance groups and other live entertainment, trolley rides, ice sculpting, snacks and warm (family-friendly) holiday beverages. Free event.

Sunday – University Circle’s Holiday CircleFest

From 1-7 PM at University Circle, there will be tons of options for free (or close to it) things to do, including free admission to any of University Circle’s impressive museums. You can also skate on the crazy non-ice ice rink ($3 skate rental), take a horse-drawn carriage ride, purchase local arts and crafts, do some crafts of your own, enjoy live musical entertainment and munch on some free cookies. And more. Seriously, there are a ton of events with specific times for each, so if this sounds remotely interesting, check out the 2009 Holiday CircleFest Schedule.

Tip: There will be limited free parking available, but also a free shuttle bus once you make it. If you don’t want to deal with the traffic, take the RTA HealthLine and you’ll end up a very short walk away from the action.

My take? As much as it pains me to say it as a west-side girl (although now that I live downtown I guess I get to be neutral?) CircleFest sounds really impressive, and like a great way to spend a December Sunday. However, I didn’t see anything about ice sculptures at that event, so at least Lakewood’s got a one-up there.

What do you think? Heading to any of these events? Does the Lakewood hodgepodge or U Circle collection seem better to you?

If you do go to either, or both, please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Happy weekend, friends.

Cedar Lee Cult Film Series: Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3D
Get your fright on at the Cedar Lee with a showing of Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3D. Choose between 3 showtimes: Friday at 9:30 PM or midnight, or Satrday at midnight. Tickets are $6.

All Weekend

Fabulous Food Show
Foodies and homecooks rejoice: this weekend marks the return of the annual Fabulous Food Show at the IX Center. Taking place Friday-Sunday, the Food Show features food and drink exhibits and tastings from many local and national restaurants and shops, cooking demos from both local and “celebrity” chefs, and more. Ticket prices range from $25-$65 for admission, with upgrade tickets for preferred seating ($15) and tasting passports ($10) available.

Friday

Face2Face Facebook Party
Tonight, join the Face2Face masterminds and any other brave social networkers at Anatomy for an event designed to bring Facebook friends face to face. Happy hour/networking meet-and-greet from 8-10 PM, followed by an all-out fiesta from 10-close. Free before 10 PM to brave the “networking” portion; $10 if you arrive after.

After Hours Party at the Cleveland Museum of Art
From 9PM – 1AM tonight, head to the newly renovated Cleveland Museum of Art for an event highlighting this year’s Cleveland Institute of Art student showcase inspired by current art museum exhibitor Paul Gauguin.  Admission is $10 and in addition to the exhibits includes refreshments, live music and a cash bar.

Tremont Art Walk
It’s the second Friday of the month, which means it’s time for the Tremont Art Walk. It’s supposed to be a nice, crisp fall night which I think will make for an excellent event.

Saturday

Turkey Trot Wine Tasting
Looking for the perfect wine pairings for Thanksgiving? (Or maybe just a nice excuse to sample some tasty food and wines?) Then Saturday, the wineries of the Grand River Valley have your solution.  From noon – 5PM, the good folks at Debonne Vineyards, Ferrante Winery, Grand River Cellars, Laurello Vineyard, and St. Joseph Vineyard will be offering wine tastings paired with Thanksgiving dish samples. Tastings are $5 per winery, or $4 each plus a canned good.

Sunday

America Recycles Day – Celebration at the Zoo
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is celebrating America Recycles Day by encouraging visitors to reduce, reuse and recycle.  With admission to the zoo ($7) on Sunday, you’ll be treated to recylcing-themed games, information about how to get started with a recycling program of your own, meet representatives from businesses that practice sustainability, check out some artwork make from upcycled materials and more. You can also drop off any materials that you want to recycle, from the standard paper/plastic to  computers, cell phones and ink cartridges.

Facelift at the Greenhouse Tavern
Keep getting your green on this Sunday by ending your day at the Greenhouse Tavern’s Facelift event, where they’ll be unveiling new artwork and rocking out with live music from the Buried Wires. Event begins at 4 PM; music at 5.

Halloweekends
This is the last weekend you’ll have the opportunity to visit America’s Rollercoast until May, so if you have a free day and some cash to blow, head west to Cedar Point for Halloweekends.

If you haven’t been, Halloweekends is DA BOMB, offering a combination of thrills (some of the best roller coasters in the world + haunted houses) that you just can’t find anywhere else.

Also, apparently after this season the Demon Drop will be no more, at least not at The Point, as it will be going far, far west to Knott’s Berry Farm in California. (WTF, right?) If you go to Halloweekends on Sunday, Cedar Point is playing a game for Demon Drop devotees to win a spot on the last ride. (Also, you can apparently get a ticket for Sunday admission for $25 if you purchase online ahead of time. That is some serious savings!)

Laura, who managed to get hooked up with "stitches" from a Halloweekends makeup artist when we were there a couple of weeks ago.

Laura and I both creeping around a Halloweekends graveyard.

Friday

Halloween Eve at the Blind Pig
Tonight, starting at 8 PM, get your Halloween on early at the Blind Pig. For $20, you get all-you-can-drink Labatt Blue, Labatt Blue Light and Three Olives cocktails. Cincinnati band The Websters will perform live, and if you win the costume contest (determined between 9 and 10, and announced at midnight) you’ll go home with a $500 prize.

Friday & Saturday

Halloweekend at the Garage Bar
Celebrate Halloween Eve in Animal House (or ancient Greek) style at the Garage Bar’s toga party. 80′s tunes. Costume context with a cash prize for the winner. No cover charge.

On Halloween check out the Garage Bar’s Heroes and Villains Halloween dance party.  $100 prize each for the best hero and villain costumes. Again, no cover.

Saturday

HELLoween
Promising to be “the most badass Halloween party of the year,” HELLoween is sponsored by Metromix, and will take place at both the Grog Shop and B-Side Liquor Lounge, starting at 10 PM. The bash will feature a dance party at the B-Side, live Iron Maiden covers by Mifune in the Grog Shop at midnight, a costume context with a $100 cash first prize and some local Cleveland gift certificates for 2nd and 3rd and free psychic readings. Bonus: drink specials from Three Olives Vodka and Kraken spiced rum ($4 bombs, $3 cocktails). Admission is $5, or free to B-Side only if you’re in costume.

Bier Markt Halloween Costume Ball
The Bier Markt is celebrating Halloween in style by encouraging everyone to stay classy: dress in Prohibition-era costume and recieve a free draft beer in the Speakeasy downstairs. Or, stay up in the Markt to shake your bootie with DJ GO.

Sunday

Day of the Dead
Celebrate El Dia de los Muertos this Sunday from noon – 8 PM at the Orthodox Church & Parish Hall, 6205 Detroit Avenue. Free event featuring live music, local art, food, lectures, decorated altars and more.

Touch Brunch
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that this Sunday might be a perfect time to take Laura’s advice and head to Touch Supper Club’s Sunday brunch… Bloody Mary, anyone?

Again, I’d check out any remaining Cleveland Beer Week Events (specifically, the Night of the Living Dead Scavenger Hunt tonight and BREWzilla tomorrow).

Also…

All Weekend

Ghoulardifest
Celebrate Ghoulardi, a pinnacle of Cleveland pop culture, at a festival for devotees taking place Friday-Sunday at the Marriott Cleveland Airport hotel. Promising to be a “fun-filled weekend of nostalgia, sci-fi, horror and comedy,” Ghoulardifest offers appearances by Big Chuck & Little John, a screening of PBS’ Ghoulardi documentary, Midnight Movies, a Ghoulardi lookalike contest and ongoing live entertainment. Times: Friday 5-9 PM, Saturday 10 AM – 7 PM and Sunday 11 AM – 5 PM. Tickets are $12 for one day of $25 for the whole weekend.

Friday

A.J. Rocco’s 8 Year Anniversary Celebration
Until 8 PM tonight, celebrate A.J. Rocco’s awesomeness and longevity with complimentary appetizers, $3.50 pints, $1.50 off craft beers and $2.50 Labatt and Miller Light.  Also featuring Neil Chastain spinning world beats. Seriously, the people at A.J. Rocco’s are incredible, and worth celebrating.

Coffinberry at the Beachland
Local indie rock band extraordinaire, Coffinberry, is playing the Beachland Ballroom Tavern tonight at 9 PM. Doors at 8:30. Tix $6. What are you waiting for?

Saturday

Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op Ghost Ride
Dress in costume and join a group 10-mile bike ride from 6-8:30 PM  through some of Ohio City’s scariest areas. Afterward, party from 8:30-11:30 PM with your fellow bikers at a bonfire featuring food, games, beer and live folk tunes. Lights and helmets are required for the ride. Cost is $10 per person or $35 for a group of 4, which goes to supporting education about and programs at the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op.

Sunday

Breastfest Cleveland
Sunday from noon-7 PM, head over to Brother’s Lounge in Lakewood, catch performances of about a dozen female musicians and take a stand for breast cancer awareness. Tickets are $10, and proceeds go to breast cancer programs at the Cleveland Clinic.