Spring into Upcoming Events in Cleveland

As we March into Spring, eager to trade in those winter coats for short sleeves, Cleveland is full of upcoming events to help shake the winter blahs.

Here are a few I’m looking forward to. Be sure to leave a comment with your picks!

Burning River Roller Derby (March 16)

The Burning River Roller Girls return this Saturday, March 16 with their Season 7 opener of intraleague play. Cleveland’s premier flat track roller derby league is seeing a couple changes this season – namely, a new venue at the Ohio Nets Sports Complex in Parma and a few game rule changes.

Doors open for Saturday’s doubleheader at 6pm with the first game starting at 7pm. The league’s 5-time Hazard Cup Champion Hellbombers will take on the Cleveland Steamers first; followed by the 2010 Hazard Cup Champion Rolling Pin-ups battling the Hard Knockers.

How much do I love the Burning River Roller Girls? This much.

Get your tickets at brownpapertickets.com/event/340509. Pre-sale tickets are $13.41 with service fee.

Global Cleveland (March 21)

Are you new to Cleveland or a boomerang that recently returned to the area? If so, join Global Cleveland and St. Clair-Superior Development Corporation on March 21, 6-8pm for an evening of food, drink and getting to know the neighborhood at their Negative Space happy hour.

Negative Space in the Asian Town Center isn’t just an art gallery focused on global social issues; it’s evolved into a welcoming space for the community – hosting discussion groups, movie screenings, animal welfare fundraisers and other events like the Global Cleveland happy hour.

The happy hour is free to attend. Complimentary appetizers and cash bar will be provided.Thursday, March 21, 2013 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. RSVP at eventbrite.com/event/5603139140/estw

 

YP Pantry Happy Hour at Noodlecat (March 21)

It’s a happy-hour doubleheader on March 21 with the Cleveland Foodbank’s YP Pantry also hosting a get-together at Noodlecat.

Get your slurp on from 5:30-8:30 (which means you can happy hour hop from this to Asia Town or vice versa) and learn more about how you can get involved with the YP Pantry.

Your first drink is on the house if you bring 3 canned goods or a $5 donation for the Foodbank. The drink ticket is good for draft house sakes, draft Sapporo, house red and white wines, and cans of Black Label beer.

And even better: Anyone who becomes a member of YP Pantry between now and April 1, can purchase a ticket to Market at the Foodbank (regularly $100) for only $55!  Sign up at the happy hour or online at http://bit.ly/Z12xHR.  RSVP for the happy hour at eventbrite.com/event/5836562315.

Dinner in the Valley (March 22)

Each month in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Conservancy for CVNP hosts a unique Dinner in the Valley. For only $34, enjoy a themed dinner plus lecture in one of CVNP’s beautiful meeting spaces.

This month’s dinner is next Friday, March 22 at the Happy Days Lodge in Peninsula, Ohio.

Chef Larkin Rogers will present a “Food of the Early 20th Century” dinner starting at 6pm, followed by the Lyceum Lecture series. The Flood of 1913 is the topic of this month’s lecture which starts at 8pm.

For dinner+lecture reservations, call 330-657-2796 ext. 121. Pricing is $34 for adults and $7 for children ages 5-12. Reservations for the dinner package will be taken through March 18.

Tickets are also available for the Lyceum lecture only by calling 330-657-2909 ext. 100.

 

Weapons of Mass Creation Benefit Concert (March 22)

The 4th annual Weapons of Mass Creation Fest – a celebration for those who love to create – doesn’t return til August 16; however, that doesn’t mean the WMC team isn’t busy.

Fresh off a music showcase at SXSW, WMC will be hosting a concert on Friday, March 22 at the Beachland Ballroom to raise money for this year’s festival.

Get a taste for what’s to come at Weapons of Mass Creation 4 with performances, special presentations, door prizes, and WMC pre-sale tickets.

Hosted by Pat The Producer from 87.7’s Inner Sanctum Show, the concert will feature music from OHIO SKY, LEAU LOU & 2 LEFT SHOES, MOON HIGH, FREEZE TAG and SHISHO.

Tickets for this fundraiser are only $10 and can be purchased at ticketweb.com/fb/3408484/beachland.

Onstage around Cleveland (various)

With PlayhouseSquare’s Broadway announcement coming next week, I’ve been talking a lot about shows coming to Cleveland next year. However, patience has never been a virtue for me so here’s a list of a few shows premiering in Cleveland right now:

• Beck Center for the Arts:  Tony and Pulitizer-winning powerhouse Next to Normal (now through April 21) and The House of Blue Leaves (March 22-April 21)
• Cleveland Playhouse‘s fierce and funny new play Good People (March 22-April 14)
• Great Lakes Theater brings Much Ado About Nothing – Shakespeare’s “sublime battle of wits and will” (and one of my favorites) – to the Hanna Theatre (March 29-April 14)
• Cleveland Public Theatre has not 1, not 2, BUT 3(!) shows opening in the course of 1 week: DanceWorks ’13 (begins March 21), STRUCK (opens March 22) and NICK&JEREMY co-produced with Theatre Ninjas (opens March 28).

 

Cleveland International Film Festival (April 3-14)

Program Guides arrived earlier this week and tickets for members go on sale today — CIFF is almost here!

In only a few short weeks, the Cleveland International Film Festival returns April 3 through 14 with over 178 features and 164 shorts films from over 65 counties. There’s so much going on with this year’s festival, they had to throw in a 12th day to the festival!

Tickets are available to CIFF Members today (March 15) at 11 am and to the general public on March 22 at 11 am.

Become a CIFF member and you not just get early tickets, but discounts, enhanced online features, exclusive invitations and more. And once they go on sale, you’ll be able to purchase tickets at clevelandfilm.org/tickets.

Haven’t been before? Read about my experience at last year’s CIFF.

PlayhouseSquare Partners’ Bowl-a-Rama (April 11)

I may be a little biased since I’m planning this event but I hope you’ll lace up your bowling shoes and join me at PlayhouseSquare Partners’ Bowl-a-Rama on April 11. This year, we’re finding our inner “Dude” at Mahall’s 20 Lanes – hands down my favorite bowling alley this side of the Ohio state line.

$25 gets you 3 hours of bowling, 1 drink ticket and food. Best retro bowling shirt and first to bowl a strike win a prize! The party starts at 6pm, with bowling from 7-10pm. Reserve your ticket today by calling 216-640-8408 or visit playhousesquare.org/default.asp?playhousesquare=58&objId=3812

 

Yuri’s Night (April 13, early bird tickets through March 18)

I’m realistic and know I can’t make it to everything that happens in Cleveland. But the one event I regretted missing last year was Yuri’s Night. After reading Poise in Parma’s recap, the space nerd in me really wished I had been there.

Fortunately, this year’s Yuri’s Night Space Party is right around the corner and marked on my calendar.

Home to the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, the Great Lakes Science Center is the perfect spot to celebrate the anniversary of the first manned space flight by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

On Saturday, April 13, from 8 pm to 1 am, party with The Floorwalkers and Chicago DJ OZMTZ.  And when you take a break from the all-night dance party, drink and eat up and check out the newly redesigned NASA Glenn Visitor Center.

If you want to dress up in your best space-themed attire, you’ll be in good company because costumed members of The Great Lakes Base of the Rebel Legion and the Ohio Garrison/501^st Legion will be there too!

Early bird tickets are on sale now for $35 and available for purchase through this Monday, March 18. General admission tickets are $50 and go on sale Tuesday, March 19. Tickets will also be available at the door the evening of the event for $50. This event is for ages 21 and over only.

For more event information and to purchase tickets, visit greatscience.com/yurisnight.php.

Cleveland Flute Society Concert (April 21)

I understand all of these events can put a huge strain on the wallet.  So, I figured this last event will be a welcome relief because it’s free and fun for any music-lovers out there.

Each Spring, the Greater Cleveland Flute Society ends their season of performances, classes and events with the Cleveland Composers Connection Concert. This year’s concert takes place on Sunday, April 21 at 7 pm at the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland.

I love this concert because it demonstrates the wide range of talent we have in Cleveland by introducing attendees to local composers and musicians. Best of all, it’s free and open to the public.

If you’d like to learn more about the concert, you can read my recap of the Greater Cleveland Flute Society’s previous concerts here.

Cleveland is full-steam ahead for Spring and I didn’t even scratch the surface!  I’ll be featuring a few more upcoming events in the coming weeks – including a giveaway to Cleveland Foodbank’s Market at the Foodbank next week. You can also read up on more upcoming events at WhyCLE.

What upcoming events in Cleveland are you looking forward to?

Disclosures: I am a board member of both the Cleveland Foodbank’s YP Pantry and PlayhouseSquare Partners. Additionally, the Great Lakes Science Center invited me and a guest to attend Yuri’s Night in exchange for blogging about the event. The choice to write about these events and my opinions of them are my own.