Cleveland Beer Week 2010 Event Picks

Posted on October 17, 2010 by Laurel Miltner

Once again, I sifted through the Cleveland Beer Week event list and put together my picks: These are, in my opinion, the events that are most worth attending if your schedule and bank account permit.

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

cleveland beer week

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!

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East Side vs. West Side Holiday Throw Down

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s no surprise that festive events are popping up all over the place.  This weekend, an epic battle of holiday lights and family fun will take place across the Cuyahoga River, with Lakewood events on Saturday and University Circle festivities on Sunday.

Tupac Santa

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.

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Cleveland Beer Week: Oct. 16-24

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

Today starts the much-anticipated Cleveland Beer Week, which technically is a week and a day but hey, who’s counting (or complaining).

Cleveland Beer Week

I’ll be honest… pretty much every week is beer week to me, but I’ve been looking forward to this celebration of craft brews since I first heard about it several months ago and the site was no more than a landing page. My, how far it’s come.

The Cleveland Beer Week Website hosts lots of information, including details on the more than 100 events taking place throughout the week. If you have the time and the desire, check them out for yourself here, where you can sift through it fairly easily by date, venue or event type.  You should also grab a Scene magazine, which includes a printed version of the event listing.

However, if you don’t have time or just feel the laze creeping in, following are some of the events that have caught my eye:

Four Course Beer, Fondue and Raclette Dinner
Tonight, Friday Oct. 16 from 7-9 PM, Moxie will host a 4-course dinner paired with beer selections from Merchant du Vin, featuring beers from Lindemann’s, Ayinger, Rochefort, Samuel Smith’s and Celebrator and food including breads, meats, fondues and domestic raclette. Holy yum, Batman. $45 per person.

Ommegang Beer and Cheese Pairing
Saturday, Oct. 17, head to the Beer Engine for a pairing of four Ommegang brews with four different cheeses. Cost is $10, and the event runs all day or until they run out of the goods.

Kegs and Eggs with Dogfish Head
On Sunday, Oct. 18, grab your breakfast at the Beer Engine, where they’ll be serving up some special Dogfish brews  — Festina Peche poured through peaches and blackberries, and Palo Santo poured through coffee beans. 10 AM – 1 PM.

Dogfish Head Pint Night
Meet Adam Lambert from Dogfish head and have a $4 pint with him at the Coventry Winking Lizard on Monday, Oct. 19 from 5-7 PM.

Crop/Stone Beer Dinner
Next Monday, Oct. 19, 6-8 PM, Crop Bistro will host a dinner a five-course dinner paired with Stone Levitation, Vertical Epic, IPA, Pale Ale, and Smoked Porter.  Cost is $55 per person.

Greenhouse Tavern School of Hops
The Greenhouse is hosting two different pairings:  The first (School of Hops Volume I) will be on Tuesday, Oct. 20 and feature tasting dishes will be paired with brews from New Holland Brewing. Second option (School of Hops Volume II) is on Thursday, Oct. 22 with tasting dishes paired with beers from Ithaca Beer Co.  Either choice from 6-9 PM and costs $25 per person.

Lilly Chocolate Pairings
Lilly Handmade Chocolates will showcase their favorite pairings at the Lilly Handmade Chocolates store every day during beer week. However, for special tastings off-site, check out one of the following:

  • Wednesday, Oct. 21 — Lindeman’s Lambic and Lilly Handmade Chocolates at the Beer Engine. All day event. $15 per person.
  • Also Wednesday, Oct. 21 — New Holland Vintage Dragon’s Milk with Chocolate at the Gateway and Coventry Winking Lizards. 5-7 PM. $7/each (each pairing, I assume?)
  • Thursday, Oct. 22 — Beer and Chocolate Dinner This. Sounds. Scrumptious. Five courses, savory and sweet, hosted at the Bistro on Lincoln Park, featuring chocolates from Lilly and beers from  Hitachino, Two Brothers, Dogfish Head, Nogne O, and Eisenbahn. This one is a bit pricey at $75 per person, but I’m guessing if you can swing it, it will be worth it. 6:30 PM.

Night of the Living Dead Scavenger Hunt and Haunted Houses
Next Friday (Oct. 23), in Tremont from 6 PM- midnight, dress up and scavenge around the neighborhood with other Halloween-clad beer lovers. The event begins at Southside, stops at several haunted locations including Lava Lounge and Treehouse, and concludes at midnight at Treehouse. The winner gets a trip for two to the Magic Hat Margi Gras parade in Burlington, Vermont. Can it get any better? Oh yes, the event is free! (Seriously though, it is pretty lame to go to bars and not buy anything so you should still expect to spend some cash.)

BREWzilla
This is the macdaddy of all Beer Week events, the closing ceremonies, BREWzilla. This is a huge craft beer and food festival taking place next Saturday, Oct. 24, from 6-11 PM at the Arcade. Beer from more than 5 breweries including Ommegang, Sam Smith, Lindemann’s, Dogfish Head, Stone, and Cleveland’s own Great Lakes and Indigo Imp.  Appetizers from Winking Lizard and Heinen’s, and also some treats from Lilly if you can get them fast enough.  Ticket options:

  • Brewer’s Circle. 6-7 PM early access to the event, tasting glass, 25 tasting tickets, 5 appetizer tickets, access to “circle only” brews and a Cleveland Beer Week t-shirt. $75. Worth it? I’m seriously considering it. (DD = $65 for everything but the beer tastings)
  • General admission. Admittance begins at 7 PM, tasting glass, 20 tasting tickets, 3 appetizer tickets. $50.  (DD = $40 for everything but the beer tastings)

Cheers!

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Weekend Picks: Sept. 25-27, 2009

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

On this, the first official weekend of fall 2009, there are plenty of cool events to keep you occupied in CLE, including a couple of last outdoor festivals that might just be worth your time.

Friday

The Bridge Project
From 4 PM – midnight on Friday, head over to the Detroit-Superior Bridge and check out this free  extension of Ingenuity Fest. This project promises to be amazing, as the programmer, Chuck Karnack, is the director of All Go Signs (aka the masterminds behind one of the coolest installations at Ingenuity this year).

Bridge Project

The Bridge Project takes place on the lower level of the bridge (basically, from my understanding, underneath) and will feature live entertainment, local art and crafts, and food and drink vendors. Again, this is a free event, so if you’re available and it sounds cool, this is a great opportunity support your local artists and see Cleveland from a new perspective.

Tribute to Hunter S. Thompson
Friday starting at 7 PM, at Visible Voice Books in Tremont, celebrate the work of Hunter S. Thompson. Upstairs, Visible Voice will screen documentaries and film clips of the influential author and journalist, while the garden courtyard will be open for Hunter fans to read and share their favorite passages of his work, or work influenced by him. If you are interested in attending, please email an RSVP to info@visiblevoicebooks.com.

Saturday

Repeats! The Bridge Project continues, this time from noon-midnight, and the Hunter S. Thompson Tribute moves east, to the Barking Spider Tavern, from 4-6 PM.

Sergio’s World Music Party
For $10 on Saturday night, enjoy a cheap-ass “world traveling experience” by heading over to Shaker Square. Starting at 7 PM, a DJ will spin a mix of Afro-Latin, salsa, samba, Bhangra  and Bollywood music. Sergio’s Sarava will be selling food and drinks starting at 8 for multiples of $2 tickets — food ranging from quesedillas (4 tickets) to scallops (6 tickets) to chicken xim xim (6 tickets) and drinks inlcluding beer (2 tickets) , wine (3 tickets)  and mixed drinks (4 tickets). There will also be a Carnaval drum line.

Oktoberfest Fun

If you’re looking to get your Oktoberfest on this weekend, check out Laura’s recent post about Cleveland-area bars with great Oktoberfest offerings kicking off this weekend.

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Weekend Picks: Sept. 11-13, 2009

Posted on September 11, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

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"

    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"

    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

Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival

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.)

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Weekend Picks: Sept. 4-7, 2009

Posted on September 3, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

It’s Labor Day weekend, which means there is A LOT going on in the CLE today-Monday. There is no excuse for boredom this weekend, my friends.  Need a nudge? Here are some suggestions:

Weekend Festivals

Taste of Cleveland (Friday-Monday)

I really enjoyed the Taste of Cleveland when I went last year.  This event takes place at the Tower City Amphitheater, 11-11 Friday, noon-11 Saturday and Sunday, noon-8 on Monday. Admission most days is $8, but only $5 if you have a Giant Eagle card, and only $1 on Monday. More than 30 local restaurants will be at the festival serving some of their best/most popular dishes, including Crepes de Luxe, the Peirogi Place, Das Schnitzel Haus and Souper Market.  There are also cooking demos throughout the weekend, where local chefs teach the crowd how to make a particular dish and then offer samples of it.

Bands perform each day (included with admission), namely Peter Frampton at 9:15 on Friday, Lita Ford with awesome local 80′s cover band The Breakfast Club at 9:15 on Saturday and local music education project The Paul Green School of Rock at 2:30 on Monday. (There are some others, too, but these are the ones I’d want to see. You can see the rest of the lineup, and get more information on the festival at the Taste of Cleveland Website.)

Octoberfest (Friday-Monday)

As a beer lover, I have to mention Octoberfest at the Berea Fairgrounds, taking place Friday 5-midnight, Saturday & Sunday noon-midnight and Monday noon-9, with general admission tickets costing $8.  Friday-Sunday, there’s going to be a Best Octoberfest Microbrew Competition, with local bands (including The Breakfast Club and The Spazmatics) performing in the Bier Garden.  On top of the beer, plenty of German food will be available from several vendors.

Cleveland Air Show (Saturday-Monday)

For some Clevelanders, Labor Day weekend is synonymous with the Air Show. This annual event takes place at the Burke Lakefront Airport, 9-4:30 Saturday-Moandy. Tickets are $19 in advance or $21 at the door. Basically, you just hang out and watch people fly planes and do air acrobatics. Pretty neat stuff.

A good tip if you’re broke-ish — find a friend that lives downtown and has roof access. You can see a lot that way.  If you’re really ambitious, you can also try to get a spot at Edgewater, but you might have to show up at like 6:00 in the morning.

Other Events

Studio-A-Rama (Saturday)

Case Western’s radio station, WRUW, is hosting a free outdoor concert this Saturday from 2-midnight on the Case Campus.  This day-long show features 9 bands, with headliners Mission of Burma at 10 PM.  See the entire lineup and schedule.

So… if you sit at home and do nothing this weekend, clearly it’s your own damn fault. Go and enjoy the last of the summer festivals… before it stars snowing.

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Weekend Picks: Aug. 28-30, 2009

Posted on August 27, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

Today starts a new weekly post here at Cleveland Yuppie: Weekend Picks.

Tired of sifting through all of Cleveland’s on- and off-line event listings to find the weekend’s hottest, affordable events for young professionals?  We’re going to try our best to do the hard work for you, and share what we think sounds like a good time.  If we miss anything, leave a comment to let us and other CLEyuppie readers know about it.

Friday, August 28

  • The Leff Electric Bldg, at 1163 East 40th (just north of Lakeside) is transforming into a rollerskaing rink, dicotech, theatre and soda bar from 7-10 p.m. for a free roller-disco party, Electric Roller DiscoTech.
  • Celebrate the “Year of the Beard” and help to raise money for Cleveland’s Domestic Violence Center by heading to Forti’s Bourbon, Beer & Eatery (the old downtown Boneyard location) from 8-midnight. Apparently, this guy named Andy Bendernagel hasn’t shaved since 2008, and is somehow turning this craziness into a fundraiser.  Entry is free, but seriously, buy a drink and give a decent tip to help fight domestic violence.
  • Arts in August brings the Verb Ballet to Lincoln Park in Tremont for a free performance at 8:30 p.m.  Attendees are suggested to bring a blanket or lawn chairs, and are welcome to pack a picnic. Afterward, take a walk around Tremont and grab a bite or a drink at one of this communities’ incredible bars or restaurants.

Saturday, August 29

  • From 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., the Cuyahoga River at West Bank of the Flats will be home to the 2009 Cleveland Dragon Boat Festival.  Admission is free, and these races are surprisingly fun to watch.  If it’s nice out and you live downtown, take a walk or bike ride and check it out for a bit.
  • Another free Verb Ballet performance at Lincoln Park in Tremont at 8:30 p.m.  Same details as Friday’s event.

Sunday, August 30

  • Cleveland’s own lady rockers Hot Cha Cha play the Grog Shop in Coventry, along with Child Bite, DD/MM/YYYY and Tiger Fighter at 9 p.m..  Tickets are $6.

So, go enjoy the weekend and all that our great city has to offer!  If you check out something great, leave us a comment about it to share your experience.

Update: Thanks to our wonderful reader Ashley who caught an error on an event that I listed, but had the dates wrong for. Stay tuned for info on the upcoming Tremont Arts & Cultural Fest in September!

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Look who’s evil now!…and other exciting events from my weekend.

Posted on July 15, 2009 by Laura Novak

We’ll get to the evil deadites in a minute, but first let’s start with the Ingenuity Fest. What a great time had by all in attendance on Friday. I think Laurel summed it up best, but I must say as my first experience goes, it was truly a fun and exciting event. Special thanks to Dave’s Markets where I bought my tickets for half price. I would have enjoyed spending more time at Ingenuity, but for once my weekend was packed with entertainment.

Evil Dead The Musical

Evil Dead poster

Evil Dead poster

There’s probably a lot of Evil Dead fans who will not be pleased to know that I was clueless about this cult classic movie before seeing the musical version, but I was entirely clueless to the point where I thought it was going to actually be scary. Sitting in the tiny Beck Center Studio Theater where the seats are stained red and the cushions are worn thin, I had no idea what I was in for, except for one warning – prepare to be covered in blood. Then the music starts “Cabin in the woods, oooooo! Cabin in the woods, yeeaaaah!” Oh, this isn’t scary at all, I thought, it’s absolutely hilarious! And it was, every minute of it. Evil Dead The Musical has been so successful that the Beck Center has extended the run at least three times, now running until July 26. Which means, if you hurry, there still might be a ticket or two available. (Request seats)

As far as the price goes, $30 per ticket isn’t exactly inexpensive, but here’s where the difference between cost and value comes into play. Not only is the blood splattering musical more entertaining and interactive than any movie, but it is also doing great things for the Beck Center. Imagine what the extended runs and your support can do for this non-profit organization. Seeing this show has encouraged me to keep up with the Beck Center and learn more about upcoming shows and events. Not only is the website, www.beckcenter.org, a great way to stay informed, but you can also become a fan on Facebook and receive updates on Twitter (@BeckCenter).

I would be remiss if I did not mention that I also enjoyed a delicious dinner at Melt before the show. July sandwich of the month, Firecracker Chicken, yum!

Sunday at the Beach
Sunday came bright and beautiful this past weekend as my family gathered at Huntington Beach to celebrate my sister’s 27th birthday.  The beach was on overload, likely due to the Edgewater mishap, but there was still plenty of sand and water for my nieces and I to play.  Though, the washed up beaver was a gentle reminder that Lake Erie, like any other body of water, is full of life (minus one beaver). Still, that is one of the nice things about the Cleveland Metroparks, there is so much life around you. Whether you’re at the beach, hiking through woods or visiting the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo there is an abundance of nature in Cleveland to appreciate and most with no price tag attached.

Are you in the Cleveland know?
I couldn’t help but think that my fun-filled weekend would not have been possible if my friends and family weren’t aware of upcoming Cleveland events.  While I knew all about Ingenuity Fest by following on Twitter (@ingenuityfest), I had not heard of Evil Dead The Musical until I was in the theater. Which leads me to ask, “Are you in the know?” Who are you following on Twitter? What are you favorite CLE Web sites and Facebook fan pages? Or maybe there’s another way you find out about Cleveland happenings.  Here’s a few of my Twitter favorites for up-to-the-minute CLE info – @DowntownCLE, @PositivelyCleve, @clevemetroparks and @Summer_of_CMA. Please share your thoughts, I’d love to know how fellow Clevelanders learn about events in our city.

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Ingenuity Fest 2009: Recap

Posted on July 15, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

This weekend, for me, was spent almost entirely at Ingenuity Fest.  Luckily, the fun occurs just down the street from my apartment, so it’s pretty easy to bounce around.  As I mentioned in my previous post, the boyfriend James and I also got weekend passes for the Screaming Tiki convention, which was small but had some pretty cool stuff going on.

Friday

So let’s see… Friday night James and I had a quick dinner at home and ran out to the festivities ASAP.  We started at Screaming Tiki because we knew that we’d be meeting several people throughout the weekend at Ingenuity who were not going to the convention as well.  We basically just walked around the dealer hall, which had some really neat geek memorabilia, vintage toys and tons of comics.  I was in Buffy/Angel and Dr. Who/Torchwood heaven, and had to refrain myself from spending too much money on kitchy items that I do not need. (Slayer Kendra action figure, anyone?)

Lisa Lock Agua Dolce

Agua Dolce Poster

We met up with some friends and had a few drinks at our apartment, then ran back outside and down the street to Ingenuity.  We caught bits and pieces of several performances, including the amazing Lisa Lock’s Agua Dolce (ballet in the Halle lobby fountain), an eco-fashion show (sponsored by Revive Fair Trade) and the Tesla Orchestra.  I think we all fell in love with the ALLGOSIGNS area and gallery.  One neat think they were doing in the gallery: Raw Umber transformed an old cigarette machine into an art vending machine.  You insert $5, pull a tab and out comes a surprise piece of local art.  How can you turn that down?  Put $8 in a standard machine and you get cancer sticks, but $5 in this one got me a little framed photo.  Win.

Saturday

Saturday was a new beast because my parents came out to experience Ingenuity with us for the first time.  It was actually my dad’s Father’s Day gift from James and I, to come spend the day with us and check out our favorite Cleveland Festival.  I was a bit nervous that it would be a little too out there for them, and some things probably were, but overall they really enjoyed it.

Once again, we started at Screaming Tiki and explored the dealer hall.  We bought this crazy Japanese soda and some comics.  In the artists area, we found a lady that draws superheros as fetuses.  This is a lot funnier and less crazy than it sounds.  I now have a “Bat Fetus” sketch hanging on my fridge, which was drawn on-the-spot and purchased for $1. We also ran into a friend that works for a local comic company, Mask and Cape, and bought a couple of their comics.

A few Ingenuity highlights from Saturday:  36 Views of a Bridge (time-lapse photography exhibit exploring areas surrounding Cleveland’s Veterans Memorial Bridge) and the Asterisk gallery, which we missed on Friday.  I love going to Asterisk any time I go to the Tremont Art Walk (free event that takes over Tremont on the second Friday of every month) because the work they show is electic, interesting, sometimes fun and sometimes a bit disturbing.  I think some aspects of Asterisk were a bit much for the parentals, but overall I think they liked it.

We had dinner at Otto Mosers (no Website – it’s a deli in the theatre district), which is always tasty, reasonably priced and overall great for what it is.  Peronally not my favorite place — I’m mostly vegetarian and there is one sandwich on the menu that is meat-free — but for my reuben-loving dad, it was perfect.  And I have to admit, they make a damn good grilled cheese.

We also checked out the Tech Center more thoroughly on Saturday, which had some cool NASA stuff and a neat art exhibit, Material Matters, showcasing blown up images of metals at high magnification.  Sounds strange, but some of them were really pretty!

After the parents left, we went back out to try to catch my friend Andy’s awesome rock band, Ghost Town Trio, but the schedule I has was wrong, so I missed them.  Sad.  Instead, we opted for some of Tim Miller’s Lay of the Land, a one-man show on his experiences in the gay community.  LGBT issues are near and dear to me, so I really enjoyed the content of Tim’s show.  What I couldn’t handle for more than 20 minutes, however, was the fact that he frequently had to catch an audible breath mid-sentence.  Not cool.  I left.  Sorry, Tim.

Sunday

Sunday started out as the day to catch everything we missed, but by about 3 we puttered out.

Our day started, once again, at Screaming Tiki for a couple events.  The good: Movie Trivia game full of sci-fi flicks.  The bad: 70 Years of Marvel Comics panel that featured one former employee of Marvel that was there for about 16 of those 70 years.  One more look around the dealer hall and we were back to Ingenuity.  We bopped around there for a bit, but started feeling like we had seen it all (even though we hadn’t).  So we bought a bloomin’ onion and headed home for a movie. (I tried to continue the Ingenuity theme, at least, by watching Repo: The Genetic Opera.)

Things I wish I’d seen:

The Wheel of Mashup.  You know the image I posted in my last article from Ingenuity 2008?  That was Thimbletron.  The crazy DJs at the Evolution Control Committee’s project this year was the Wheel of Mashup, and I missed it due to simultaneously running events and my Sunday laziness.

MorrisonDance Ingenious.  I do now know why I missed this, but I did.  And I wish I’d have seen it, because I’m sure it was beautiful.

My favorites of the weekend:

Joe Day, one of Raw Umber’s artists featured at Ingenuity.  Joe, if you are reading this — your work is amazing.  When I have more money to spend on real art, I will be purchasing one of your pieces.

Lisa Lock.  I fell in love with Lisa’s work at Ingenuity 2007, but this year she really stepped it up with Agua Dolce, along with Brian Murphy.  Laura (my fellow author here) and I ran into Lisa on the street on Friday, and I felt like a total fangirl.  I’m pretty sure I stammered a lot about how strong she is and how beautifully she moves, but I was pretty nervous and didn’t know what to say (and was also maybe a little tipsy).

Red Tie Products.  This small company out of Pittsburgh had a table at Screaming Tiki.  They also have a t-shirt and bag line called Grammar Matters, with grammatical sayings and cartoons on them.  They’re pretty funny and clever, and I probably would have bought a shirt if they made them in women’s sizes.

So, who else went to Ingenuity Fest last weekend?  What were your favorite moments?  What did I miss?  Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Resisting the urge to name this post “Hello Cleveland!”

Posted on July 10, 2009 by Laurel Miltner

Almost ever since I moved to downtown Cleveland just over two years ago, I have wanted to start a blog about how awesome this city is.  I don’t know what took me so long.  Maybe it was getting more comfortable with the lay of the land, or getting to know some other Cleveland folks both on- and offline.  Whatever it was that kept me from beginning, I definitely know what has prompted to to finally start:

Ingenuity Fest.

Ingenuity Fest 2008 Performance

Ingenuity Fest 2008 Performance

Ingenuity Fest 2009 starts tomorrow, and I don’t think I could be more excited.  Ingenuity is a celebration of art, music, technology and science that takes over Cleveland’s theatre district for one weekend a year and completely rocks the area (and my world).

I feel like the Ingenuity Festival is a testament to all our city could be if everyone applied themselves.  Cleveland is home to a NASA research center, an incredible medical community, wonderful art museums (especially once the Cleveland Museum of Art completes its renovations) a theatre community that is unlike any other in a city its size (that I know of), and of course – a bitchin’ music scene.

For one weekend a year, all of the best things about Cleveland (except the food!) converge for one crazy festival that somehow manages to bring it all together.

As if that weren’t enough, in addition to Ingenuity this year, we’re also being treated to the Screaming TikiCon, a comic/superhero/pop culture convention.  Tickets for Screaming TikiCon get you into Ingenuity Fest as well – either $20 for one day or $30 for the weekend.

Ingenuity Fest itself is $10 for a day or $15 for the weekend.  There are several ways to get discounted tickets — you can follow @IngenuityFest on Twitter to get the inside scoop on special offers and events.

If you want my play-by-play updates, I’ll be at Ingenuity Fest and Screaming TikiCon just about all weekend, and will be posting my thoughts here (when I get a chance), and during the festivities on Twitter (@laurelmackenzie).  If you’re going and you see me, come say hi!

See you at Ingenuity, Cleveland.

Filed under: Cleveland festivals | Tagged: | 3 Comments »

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