If you’ve read Clue Into Cleveland for a while or know me IRL, you know that groups and events for Cleveland young professionals top the list of my passions.

I am incredibly grateful and lucky to have come across PlayhouseSquare Partners after moving to Cleveland because it’s given Scott and me a ton of opportunities to develop professionally and personally.

We’ve met fantastic friends, learned from some great leaders, and had a chance to give back to an institution that means a lot to us. And it’s something that I see not just in Partners, but across many of the city’s young professionals groups.

It’s why I’m so happy that the Cleveland Zoological Society is adding their name to the list of local organizations focusing their attention on the twenty-something to forty crowd.

When Scott and I attended last month’s Animal Attractions, the Zoological Society unveiled Ambassadors’ Circle, their new initiative designed to foster the next generation of Clevelanders who share a passion for animal conservation and wildlife.

Starting in May, the Zoo’s Ambassadors’ Circle will help host a series of events for YPs, including a Wine & Paint (May 7), ZippityZooDoo (June 5), the Twilight at the Zoo VIP Party (August 7) and my personal favorite Date Night at the ZOOvies (August date TBA, but tickets will go on sale June 15).

Just like Animal Attractions, these events help raise money and awareness for conservation efforts while giving attendees an opportunity to cut loose with the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s very own party animals. 

Ambassadors’ Circle members will also get the opportunity to:

• Participate in Urban Safaris — culture and education programming at different locations around town
• Support animal care and learning opportunities for over 100,000 Northeast Ohio school children
• Engage in the planning and implementation of Ambassadors’ Circle activities
• Receive discounts on select tickets
• Receive invitations to seasonal exhibitions and celebrations
• And meet other like-minded animal lovers and young community leaders

The cost is pretty reasonable as well, starting at just $10/month for individuals and $15/month for couples, which includes 4 Zoo passes.

I’m really excited to see what the Zoo continues to offer with this group. For those who join it now, I think you’ll find the experience incredibly rewarding and will have the opportunity to shape the group’s growth.

If you’re interested in joining or learning more about Ambassadors’ Circle, email YP@ClevelandZooSociety.org, call 216.661.6500 x4530 or read the Cleveland Zoological Society’s announcement. 

Disclosure: I attended Animal Attractions in exchange for previewing the event on my blog. I am also the chair of PlayhouseSquare’s young professionals group. All opinions here are 100% my own.

Over the holidays, Scott and I celebrated our tenth anniversary together. I know that’s not so long for others (I marvel at my parents who have been married for over 45 and together for over half a century). But still, a decade.

All those mushy feelings make getting through the drabness of another cold winter much easier to bear. Because there’s nothing like a little bit of passion to warm the cockles of your heart when temperatures dip into the single digits.

The Cleveland Zoological Society knows what I’m talking about. This February 5th, join them in the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s RainForest for one of my favorite winter events, Animal Attractions.

Animal Attractions is an evening for adults only, featuring food, cocktails, and fun presentations on the birds and the bees … and lions and tigers and bears … oh my.

In addition to the food, drinks, and presentations at Animal Attractions, some of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s animals will be on hand for up-close meet and greets.

From 6:00 to 9:00 pm, guests can enjoy a sampling of tastes from these area restaurants:

• AMP 150
• Butcher & The Brewer
• Cleveland Cupcake Company
• Creekside Restaurant & Bar
• Great Lakes Brewing Company
• House of Blues Cleveland
• Merwin’s Wharf
• Tremont Tap House
• Whole Foods Market Cedar Center

I’m happy to see a few of my favorites from previous years’ Animal Attractions on the list (AMP 150 and Cleveland Cupcake Company are always must-stops for me!) plus new ones like Butcher & The Brewer, Merwin’s Wharf and Tremont Tap House.

An open bar from Samuel Adams and Rain Organics Vodka, plus wine tastings round out the evening’s menu.

You’ll also enjoy conservation education with a twist at Animal Attractions. In years past, Scott and I attended a 50 Shades of Grey presentation about the zoo’s elephants and a trivia game on the mating habits of bears.

All in all, it’s a wonderful evening out at one of Cleveland’s most beautiful spots. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s RainForest showcases more than 10,000 plants and over 600 animals from the jungles of Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Dr Chris Kuhar, the Zoo’S Executive Director, will be among the featured speakers at Animal Attractions

With a 25-foot waterfall, research hut, and other interactive exhibits, the two-acre, two-level indoor space is a wonderful way to enjoy the Zoo — especially when it’s so cold out. Getting the chance to explore it after-hours is definitely another perk to attending Animal Attractions.

General admission tickets for Animal Attractions cost $65. Or save $5 on your ticket and get a bunch of other great benefits by becoming a member of the Cleveland Zoological Society. You can purchase tickets online at www.clevelandzoosociety.org/events/2015/02/animal-attractions.

The Cleveland Zoological Society is also hosting an Animal Attractions sweepstakes on their Facebook page. You can learn more and enter it here: http://woobox.com/ronn89.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend Animal Attractions with a guest in exchange for blogging about it. I’ve attended this event in years past and opinions and the decision to blog about it are 100% my own.

Please reply to my email by the end of Monday to confirm you can attend ZOOvies.

Date Night at the ZOOvies may be sold out, but I have 2 tickets you can win

When I told Scott that we’d be seeing The Great Outdoors at this year’s Date Night at the ZOOvies, he freaked out and started spouting off a bunch of quotes.

I’ve never seen the movie, but when Scott’s face lit up at the mere mention of the movie and he told me it starred one of my favorite comic actors John Candy, I realized I had something to look forward to.

Between the John Hughes script about a camping trip gone comically awry and hijinks from Dan Akroyd and Candy, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has yet again put together the perfect late-summer outing (and birthday-eve for me!).

The pretzel and candy bars are a great touch to Date Night at the ZOOvies

On Friday, August 22, pack up your picnic blanket and lawn chairs and head to the Zoo’s Savanna Theater for an evening of The Great Outdoors … in the great outdoors!

The movie starts at 8:30pm, with hot pretzels, popcorn, a candy bar, beer, wine, and soda served during the movie, but if you get there early, you can also enjoy light apps and drinks starting at 7pm. The African Savanna and Australian Adventure will be open to tour, as well.

You can read my recap of last year’s ZOOvies for more info, but if you’ve been to Twilight at the Zoo or previous ZOOvies, you know the Cleveland Zoological Society throws a wicked party. 

Just a few of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s party animals

I’m still recuperating from the fun we had at last Friday’s Twilight. After last year’s rainstorm, this was my first time actually experiencing all of Twilight at the Zoo. 

The food line in the VIP party was definitely worth the wait – delicious oysters, ceviche, filet, and short rib sliders from Mitchell’s Fish Market, Fleming’s, AMP 150, and Carrabbas’s. While Scott tried his first sip of moonshine, we listened to The Madison Crawl and relaxed under the trees.

After meeting up with Jen and Matthew, we made our way down the hill to the Zoo’s main entrance with the goal of seeing as many bands as possible.

Even a short rain shower couldn’t stop Scott

Scott showed his proud Jersey boy roots by rocking out to Bon Jovi tribute band Wanted. We filled up on delicious Reuben Bites as Shady Drive laid down some classic rock. And we cooled down with Joe Bell and the Swing Lizards around Monkey Island.

My favorite band, though, was Craic. Every time we stopped by their stage, the crowd was having a blast, and I will never turn down an opportunity to dance to Celtic rock.

I can’t wait for August 22 for more summer fun at the Zoo. Although Date Night at the ZOOvies is sold out, I have 2 tickets to give away for you and a friend.  You won’t see Groot, but Scott told me to prepare for more talking raccoons.  I hope you can join me!

There are 5 Easy Ways to Enter the Giveaway
**You must leave a separate comment on this post for each entry**

1) Leave a comment with your favorite thing to see or do at the Zoo.

2) Follow @CleveZooSociety and @ADHicken on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know you did both.

3) If you’re a fan of the Cleveland Zoological Society and Clue Into Cleveland on Facebook, leave a comment on this blog post letting me know. If you’re not yet a fan, you can become one here and here.

4) Tweet the following and leave one comment letting me know you tweeted:

I want to see The Great Outdoors in the great outdoors. Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway for @CleveZooSociety #ZOOvies tix http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-2wD

You can tweet once per day for additional entries. Just leave a separate comment each time you tweet.

5) Subscribe to Clue Into Cleveland via a feed tracker like Bloglovin’ or Feedly and leave one comment letting me know you did. This can also include signing up to receive email notifications in the top-right “Subscribe” section of this page.

You have until Friday, July 15 at 11:59PM to enter. On Saturday, July 16, Random.org will select a winner and I’ll announce the winner’s name on my blog.  Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry – good luck!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend Twilight at the Zoo and Date Night at the ZOOvies with a guest in exchange for blogging about the events. My choice to blog about it is based on how much Scott and I have enjoyed this event in years past.

I don’t care what else I do between now and September — Twilight at the Zoo is my big must-do for this summer.

After scheduling conflicts kept us from going in previous years, Scott and I made sure last summer’s Twilight at the Zoo stayed open on our calendar.

And it seemed as if the gods would smile upon us for an evening of outdoor music and summer drinking … until the rains came. And, boy, did they come.

But you know what? Despite getting drenched and only seeing a few of the bands perform, Scott and I had a fantastic time with our friends. Plus we had a reason to buy matching safari hats.

(I tell myself that we needed something to keep the rain out of our eyes, but the real reason is that we love safari hats.)

I also got this awesome photo with WhyCLE’s husband:

The evening was one of the highlights of last summer, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for good weather on August 1, the date of this year’s Twilight at the Zoo.

From 7pm til midnight, stages will be staggered through the Zoo, featuring 18 local bands.

There will be something to satisfy every musical taste – funk to folk, rock to reggae. This year’s bands include:

• 1988
• Abby Normal and the Detroit Lean 
• Almost Famous
• Armstrong Bearcat
• Joe Bell & The Swing Lizards
• CRAIC
• Disco Inferno
• Funkology
• Jah Messengers
• The Madison Crawl
• Robbing Mary
• Rock the House Live!
• Run Avril Run
• SchoolGirl Crush
• Shady Drive
• Skin & Bones
• Velvet Shake
• Wanted – The Bon Jovi Tribute Band 

General admission tickets, which cost $80 per person or $700 for a block of 10, also include free Sam Adams beer, Twisted Tea, wine and soda and a selection of small bites to eat.

Upgrade to VIP tickets ($150 per ticket/$1200 for block of 10) and get access to the VIP party from 6-9pm.  VIP partygoers enjoy priority parking and early entry, an open bar, and catering by AMP150, Carrabba’s, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Mitchell’s Fish Market. 

And don’t drink and drive: Arrange for a designated driver or book one of the Zoo’s hotel/ticket packages with the Cleveland Airport Marriott.

Purchase tickets online or go here for more information.

One other thing … if you’re planning on getting tickets, get them now. This event usually sells out, and if this year’s Date Night at the Zoovies is any indication (sold out yesterday for an August 22 event), Twilight tickets may be gone sooner than later.

Hope to see you there! I’ll be packing safari hat just in case.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend Twilight at the Zoo with a guest, in exchange for promoting the event. Opinions are 100% my own and based on attending last year’s Twilight.

Photo provided by ClevelandZooSociety.org, courtesy of Dale McDonald

There’s a lot going on at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo right now, as the Zoo shakes off winter and prepares for a summer full of activities. Summer Day Camp starts in less than a month, tickets are on sale for Twilight at the Zoo, and – as I write this – Carousel Works is at the zoo installing the new Circle of Wildlife carousel:

It’s no wonder with everything going on that Cleveland’s zoo is one of the final nominees in the USA Today 10Best U.S. Zoos contest. Be sure to vote for the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo here!

To continue bringing us more educational and conservation activities, the Cleveland Zoological Society raises money and awareness through zoo memberships, adopt-an-animal programs and fundraising events.

Their next fundraiser, ZippityZooDoo, will be held June 6. It’s the event’s 41st year and is always a wonderful evening celebrating the kick off of the Zoo’s summer season.

ZippityZooDoo starts at 6pm with an open bar and hors d’oeuvres. Enjoy strolling around parts of the Zoo and getting up-close with some of its animals.

Then at 8pm, sit beneath the summer night sky for a gourmet dinner. Check out the menu, which includes olive and goat cheese stuffed mission fig with citrus pomegranate syrup, caviar, and maple citrus glazed airline chicken.

Photo provided by ClevelandZooSociety.org, courtesy of Dale McDonald

Dancing to The Element til 11 and a silent auction featuring behind-the-scenes experiences with orangutans, gorillas, and flamingos (among many other prizes) round out the night.

The event’s goal is to raise $300,000 overall for the Zoo. Individual tickets start at $250, which includes valet parking, dinner, dancing, and entertainment. Other ticket levels include preferred seating, name recognition in the program, plus an exclusive VIP pre-party in the African Elephant Crossing. 

Learn more and get your tickets online. You can also read my recaps of the last two ZippityZooDoos here and here.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend ZippityZooDoo but am unable due to a scheduling conflict. Opinions are 100% my own and based on my experience at previous ZippityZooDoos.

Animal Attractions at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s RainForest, February 6, 6-9pm

“Baby, it’s cold (really, really cold) outside.”

It’s time to cuddle up — not just because of the cold, but also because Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. (Where did the time go, right? Feels like it was just Halloween.)

That means it’s time for one of my favorite Cleveland winter events — the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Animal Attractions.

This year’s Animal Attractions will be hosted by the Cleveland Zoological Society on February 6. It takes place inside the Zoo’s RainForest so you’ll be nice and warm to enjoy all of the food and wine and birds and the bees.

At Animal Attractions, sample food from area restaurants

From 6-9pm, enjoy an open bar, Jacob’s Creek wine tasting, and bites from:

• AMP 150
• Cleveland Cupcake Company
• Cork & Cleaver Social Kitchen
• Creekside Restaurant & Bar
• Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse
• Great Lakes Brewing Company
• House of Blues Cleveland
• Rosander Event Kitchen
• Vitamix
• Whole Foods Market Cedar Center

There will also be animal meet-and-greets and presentations throughout The RainForest about animals’ mating habits.

The most entertaining part of last year’s Animal Attractions was curator Andi Kornak’s 50 Shades of Gray presentation on elephant socialization and mating. We saw a whole lot of things we’ll never unsee and learned about how the Zoo’s female elephants interact with Willie the bull. Check out my review to read more about last year’s event and see pictures of our up-close encounters with the Zoo’s armadillo and corn snake.

Chris Kuhar gives a presentation on animals’ mating habits at last year’s Animal Attractions

Animal Attractions tickets cost $60 for Zoo members, $65 for non-members and you must be 21 or older to attend. Funds raised will benefit the Cleveland Zoological Society’s animal well-being, conservation, and educational efforts.

You can also enter the Zoo’s giveaway to win a pair of tickets to Animal Attractions by heading over to the Cleveland Zoological Society’s Facebook page between now and January 26.

This giveaway kicks off the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s new The Zoo Isn’t Just for Kids campaign. In addition to Animal Attractions, the Zoo hosts a variety of adult-only programming like their ZooKeepers’ Circle, Twilight at the Zoo music festival, and Date Night at the ZOOvies.

Learn more about the Animal Attractions giveaway at http://goo.gl/MZ4I71 and purchase tickets at ClevelandZooSociety.org.

I hope to see you on February 6!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend Animal Attractions with a guest in exchange for previewing the event on my blog. However, the choice to promote this event is 100% my own — this is a Cleveland event that I love and I’d blog about it regardless.

Hi! I’m Jessica and I’m a recent marketing graduate from Kent State. I recently got to check out my first Cleveland American Marketing Association (AMA) event and now I’m here to tell you all about it.

On August 15th, the Cleveland chapter of AMA hosted an Urban Picnic featuring the Cleveland Metroparks.

Source

The AMA brought in the Cleveland Metroparks’ Chief Marketing Officer, Sanaa Julien and Director of Communications, Sue Allen to discuss their recent acquisition of over 450 acres of lakefront property including Edgewater Park. The event was hosted at the riverfront Rivergate Cafe in the Flats, and attendees were provided drinks and dinner from the StrEat Mobile Bistro Food Truck. The weather was absolutely gorgeous for an evening spent by the river!

Myself, my boyfriend Mike, and my friend Dawn met up, got drinks, and mingled while people were arriving. We sat in the sunshine and enjoyed the river views!

 Dawn & myself and Mike & I

Then it was time to eat! StrEat Mobile Bistro had a delicious menu prepared for us:

 Source

 Dawn and Mike ordering a delicious meal! (Photo by Helen Harry from Cleveland Print Room)

I had the Broccoli Mac & Cheese and the “Truck Made” Potato Chips – they were both great!

After dinner, it was time for the presentation to begin. Patty DelMonico, the President of the Cleveland AMA chapter, started things off with an introduction and some background on AMA.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, the American Marketing Association is a volunteer organization and is one of the largest marketing associations in the world, with over 30,000 members who work, teach and study in the field of marketing across the globe (via AMA’s website).

“The AMA is a professional association for individuals and organizations leading the practice, teaching and development of marketing knowledge worldwide.

Our principle role is to serve as a forum to connect like-minded individuals and foster knowledge sharing, provide resources, tools and training and support marketing practice and thought leadership around the globe.”

–AMA’s website

The event was also sponsored by CLE Clothing Co, who has a new t-shirt partnership with the Metroparks. We learned that CLE Clothing Co was started in October 2008, and they opened their first store in 2010.

Next, the planner for this event, Kasey Crabtree, told us about the AMA’s next event – Mix at Six: Speakeasy Party on September 26th at Society Lounge on East 4th. I don’t know about you, but this sounds F-U-N to me! Plus, it’s the day after my birthday and I have been wanting to check out Society Lounge… count me in!

Patty then introduced Eric Barnett, who is the Metroparks Marketing Specialist and also President-Elect for Cleveland AMA, to be the moderator for the Metroparks discussion.

Sue Allen and Sanaa Julien started off by talking about the process the Cleveland Metroparks went through to acquire the Lakefront Reservation. The process really began almost 100 years ago, with the story of William Stinchcomb and his vision of connecting the lakefront to the surrounding community (the “Emerald Necklace”). The Metroparks of today began the acquisition process with discussions with the state (who owned the lakefront properties). The acquisition would transfer approximately 455 acres of lakefront property, including the following properties: Villa Angela, Wildwood, Euclid Beach, Gordon and Edgewater parks and the East 55th Street Marina that are spaced out along 14 miles of lakefront property. The state no longer wanted (or had the means to) operate these properties, and the Metroparks were approached to take them over. On June 6th, 2013, the state turned the property over to the city, who then turned it over to the Metroparks.

“The 455 acres that make up the six properties will be split into two Park District reservations. Edgewater Park, East 55th Street Marina and Gordon Park will form Cleveland Metroparks’ new Lakefront Reservation. Euclid Beach Park, Villa Angela Park and Wildwood Park will become part of its existing Euclid Creek Reservation.

To facilitate the transfer, the State of Ohio first had to agree to terminate the lease it had with the City of Cleveland to manage the parks. The agreement included $14 million from the state’s transportation and public safety budget to pay for lakefront park improvements. Cleveland City Council then voted unanimously to transfer management of the parks to Cleveland Metroparks in a new lease agreement.

The final agreement gives the Park District a 99-year lease on the 14 miles of lakefront property at a cost of $1 a year, and three years to spend the $14 million in state funds on park improvements.”

-Cleveland Metroparks Press Release

(Photo by Helen Harry from Cleveland Print Room)

The next part of the discussion focused on the marketing aspects of the acquisition. One of the Metroparks’ main challenges was managing the public’s expectations. The state did what it could with Edgewater, but they wanted people to realize that even though there is new ownership, there wasn’t going to be an immediate/overnight difference. The Metroparks did promise to uphold the park to their reputation/standards.

During the acquisition process, the Metroparks placed high importance on listening to stakeholders and the community who would be using the reservations. They worked with LAND Studio to ensure a smooth transition by using surveys and meetings to find out the public’s opinion and what they really wanted from the new reservations.

Partnerships were increasingly important for the Metroparks during this time, including one with CLE Clothing Co. They also partner with the North East Ohio Regional Sewer District, who manages the cleanliness and quality of the waterways by monitoring the water and letting the public know whether it’s safe to swim or not. The Metroparks purchased a beach cleaning machine to help get the Edgewater property up to its standard. In the past, the state cleaned Edgewater Park 2 times per year. With the new beach cleaner, the Metroparks can clean the park 6 times per week. The new beach cleaner digs down 6 inches into the sand and the difference is noticeable. So far, they’ve been able to remove a lot of debris as well as clean up plant overgrowth.

 (Photo by Helen Harry from Cleveland Print Room)

Other communications issues the Metroparks had to deal with were keeping the deal private until it became 100% official. They didn’t want to spoil the deal, so working with the media was difficult because they had to explain how even though the city council approved it, it wasn’t a “done deal” – they still had to present it to the Metroparks board for approval.

The staff wasn’t able to comment on any media stories and had to deal with the media trying to release the story too soon. Once the deal was official, they had a huge design communications issue to deal with: all of the park signage had to be changed to reflect the Metroparks branding.

This was a lot more complicated than it probably sounds. There are hundreds of different signs throughout the lakefront properties, but the priority was put on the main signs with the name of the reservation, as well as updating all safety and emergency number signs so the public would be safe in the case of an emergency. Each Metroparks sign takes 2 months to make because they are hand carved from special wood and are made to last a very long time. They had to create temporary signs to put up immediately after the acquisition was announced so there wouldn’t be any confusion. There are a lot of partnerships with other organizations and entities to ensure public safety (which most people probably don’t think about).

During the acquisition, the Metroparks hadn’t created new marketing materials yet to reflect the new land. Replacing all old materials and adding new maps to the materials is an ongoing monumental task. They also had to become very familiar with the different uses for each park. For example, Edgewater Park is primarily an urban beach, whereas Gordon Park is used mostly for fishing and birdwatching. In marketing Edgewater Park, the most important factors were safety and cleanliness.

The Metroparks want to stay engaged with the community by being very communicative and visible. They want the community to know that even after the acquisition, they aren’t going anywhere. It’s a long process, but we’re all in this together. They’re in it for the long haul and they are part of our community. The main idea for the future is that the Metroparks can’t do this alone – they need community engagement, private partnerships for fundraising, and help generating excitement. Fundraising will be an especially important initiative for the future, and they want to increase programming for the community (but that takes money and volunteers).

One really interesting thing I learned is about how the Metroparks measures visitation. Growth of visitors isn’t specifically in their marketing plan, but it is obviously an objective of theirs. They are actually able to count cars in parking lots with tracking meters at the entrance/exit. They again reiterated that safety and cleanliness are their two most important marketing messages, and their focus is on engagement with the community.

Having a strong lakefront means so much to a city like ours. It means greater health benefits (with exercise and recreation availability), a sense of community and togetherness, as well as bringing more businesses to the lakefront. It’s about revitalizing the city, making it thrive, and connecting the local communities so they can embrace the lakefront for all that it has to offer.

I had such a great time at this event, and learned so much about how amazing and lucky we are here in Cleveland to have the Cleveland Metroparks. It is an incredibly unique asset and we should be very thankful!

I encourage you to help support our Emerald Necklace in any way that you can, and if nothing else, go out and enjoy the parks! I’d also highly recommend checking out the opportunities within the Cleveland AMA chapter – especially if you are in the marketing industry.

Thank you to Amanda for the opportunity to guest post and share about this great event!

Hi! I’m JAM! I’m a fellow CLE blogger and I write about all things positive in our great land of CLE!! A big thank you to Clue Into Cleveland for allowing me to guest post here!

Fun CLE fact: Did you know that CLE boasts nearly 22,000 acres of green space? WOW!! Much of that is thanks to the Cleveland Metroparks (aka The Valley for west siders).  As a mid-size metropolis, CLE offers tons of great outdoor parks, beaches and green spaces to enjoy throughout all four seasons. Find out more about the outdoor spaces CLE offers on Positively Cleveland.

Whether you’re in the mood for hiking, biking, kayaking or sunning (some of my personal faves) there are plenty of fabulous parks and green spaces to access in our city and surrounding areas.

Most recently, I’ve been going to Rocky River Park—which offers public access to Lake Erie, fantastic vantage points and a bit of peace and quiet, in comparison to other public CLE beaches and parks. I’d recommend a nice cup of coffee and heading down there on a Sunday morning to take in the tranquility and beautiful scenery from the bench swings by the water.

JAMmom enjoying her morning coffee on the waterfront bench swings at Rocky River Park.

View from the bench swings

Or you can head up the stairs to take in some views from the west bluff in the park:

How about this for a view?!

Atop the bluff, you not only get these gorgeous views, but there is also a grassy area for picnics and grilling out. Yum!

The pretty backdrop and less populated beach also serve as one of CLE’s favorite spots for family, engagement and wedding photo sessions.

Frame-worthy photos for the family!

So whether you’re looking for a green space to escape the hustle and bustle, a fun picnic in the park with the kids, a serene spot to drink your coffee and read the newspaper, or just want to dip your toes in the water—I highly recommend this little nook to take in the natural beauty in CLE.

Looking for other green places and spaces to visit in CLE? Check out some of my nature-loving posts like:

•  “Capturing the Cleveland Sunset” post at Gordon Park where other CLE bloggers suggested to check out Rocky River Park too
•  “Valley Memories” at Rocky River Metropark
• CLE’s nature/animal lovers’ paradise:“Earthfest at the Zoo” at Cleveland Metropark Zoo
•  “Bloom Lagoon” at Wade Lagoon!

Or

• Downtown Cleveland Alliance’s parks and green space in the downtown area
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park
• Cleveland Metroparks

What’s your favorite urban oasis in CLE? Do you have a favorite green space to take in a great sunrise or sunset in CLE? Share your positive thoughts!

This is the last weekend for Literary Lots / artwork by Julia Kuo

There’s much more going in Cleveland than I’m able to blog about.  And while this post still doesn’t capture everything that’s happening, here’s my ‘clue-down’ of upcoming Cleveland events that caught my eye.

THIS WEEKEND

Last Weekend of Literary Lots:  If you haven’t been able to check out Literary Lots this summer, this is the last weekend.  This month Literary Lots turned a vacant lot at Novak Park (Lorain on W. 38th) into a world of creativity for the community. In addition to revitalizing the public space, they’ve offered programming throughout the month that runs til August 18. Today, Friday and Saturday, there will be storytelling, poetry slams, printmaking and other workshops throughout the day. And on Saturday night starting at 8:30pm, all ages are invited to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the lot.  You can see all of their events at literarylots.org/events.

Calling all CLE Young Professionals: The Cleveland Foodbank’s YP Pantry will be heading back to Lakewood’s Trinity Lutheran Church on Saturday, August 17 to volunteer at their Produce Distribution and Hot Meals Program. Volunteers are needed – so join me and help out from 10am to 2pm.  You can register for the Hot Meals group or Produce Distribution on Eventbrite.  (Select August 17 from the dropdown menus.)

The Weapons of Mass Creation Festival runs Aug. 16-18 in the Gordon Square Arts District

Weapons of Mass Creation Fest: Midwest’s premier art, design, and music festival returns to the Gordon Square Arts District August 16 through 18. Check out 20 speakers, 20 designers, and 40+ bands. Take a look at the schedule at wmcfest.com/schedule, which includes the speaker lineup, performances, workshops and parties. Right now you can still get a pre-sale 3-day pass for $75.  The day of, you can get one-day tickets for $35 each.

Last Chance to Get ‘SPANK’ed: I’ve never read Fifty Shades of Grey, but even I enjoyed SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody when it came through PlayhouseSquare in January (you can read my recap here). if you missed it the first time around – or want to get ‘spank’ed again, the show has returned to the Hanna Theatre. This is the last weekend of their return run. The remaining shows are August 15 through 18.  You can get tickets at playhousesquare.org/default.asp?playhousesquare=58&objId=3984.

And if all that wasn’t enough, this weekend is also The Feast of the Assumption Festival.

THE REST OF AUGUST

Get a special discount to the Arthritis Foundation’s L’Amour du Vin at the ticket kickoff Aug. 28

Outback Zoo Night: The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has teamed with Outback Steakhouse to raise money for Zoo programming.  On August 20, stop by a Cleveland-area Outback Steakhouse from 4-10pm for Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Give Back Night (some locations will also be open for lunch). Just say “Zoo Night” to your server, and Outback will donate 15% of the total check to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Learn more at clemetzoo.com/events/event.asp?event_id=166.

Belt Magazine Launches:  Rust Belt Chic was one of the best books I read last year, so I’m very excited to see the authors launching the Cleveland-focused Belt. The online pub will run three stories each week: an in-depth, reported article; a commentary piece furthering Belt’s mission to be ”where culture and economic development meet, for Cleveland and the rust belt,” and one personal essay submitted by readers.  If you’d like to submit something, check out their post rustbeltchic.com/becomeamember. You’ll also find more information about the Belt Magazine launch party on August 23 and how to get a lifetime subscription to the publication.

L’Amour du Vin Kickoff: Although the Arthritis Foundation’s L’Amour du Vin is still two months away, you can get a sneak peek at Lorain County’s premier food and wine tasting event on August 28. Enjoy an evening of free hors d’oeuvres and happy hour specials at Bistro 83 from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Plus, save $10 on your L’Amour du Vin tickets at the kickoff party. RSVP for this free event at facebook.com/events/152685288259527.

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER

Ballet in Cleveland brings Ballets with a Twist to PlayhouseSquare Sept. 19

Our Lady of the Wayside Labor Day Run: Help raise money for Avon’s Our Lady of the Wayside at their Labor Day Run on September 1. The race will take place at Rocky River High School and the surrounding area. Runners and walkers can choose from a 4-mile two-person relay, a 4-mile individual run, and a 2-mile fun run/walk. Pre-registration is $20; day-of is $25. And all registrants are entered to win a week-long stay in Myrtle Beach. More information and online registration is at hermescleveland.com/roadracing/events/laboroflove.asp.

Ballets with a Twist: Ballet in Cleveland’s founder Jessica Wallis has done a fantastic job at bringing classical ballet back to Cleveland and her next event is no different. On September 19 at 8pm, New York City’s Ballets with a Twist comes to PlayhouseSquare’s Ohio Theatre. Ballets with a Twist’s signature show Cocktail Hour infuses classical ballet with an irreverent pop sensibility in what has been described as “blasting the boundaries between high art and entertainment. We’ve seen the future of dance, and it is fun!” (The Huffington Post). There are a lot of great options for enjoying the show, including a VIP package featuring a pre-show cocktail hour and post-show champagne toast with the dancers.

“Just Us” Greater Cleveland Flute Society Concert: The Greater Cleveland Flute Society starts their 2013-2014 Season with the “Just Us” concert on September 15. The recital is free and open to the public featuring performances from Flute Society members. It starts at 2:30pm and will include solo, ensemble and a Flute Choir performance. The concert takes place at SouthWest Unitarian Universalist Church in North Royalton. If you’re a flute player or fan, stay up-to-date with the Greater Cleveland Flute Society on Facebook.

Ingenuity Fest: Ingenuity Fest has always been about melding art and technology. And for this year’s Ingenuity (September 20 through 22 at the downtown lakefront), they’ll be embracing how the two come together in independent filmmaking. The first annual IndieFest will showcase shorts and feature length films that inspire a spark through storytelling, music and digital technology. In addition to IndieFest, Ingenuity will feature performance and visual arts, a ‘Make Space’ for workshops and presentations, and the Northeast Ohio Showcase of Innovation. As always, Ingenuity Fest is free thanks to the support of donations, volunteers and sponsors. If you’d like to help out, visit ingenuitycleveland.com/support

September’s Ingenuity Fest will feature an indie film festival, art, technology, workshops and much more

BONUS ROUND!

Casting Call: Let’s Ask America is looking for Cleveland contestants for its second season. I’ve been a big fan of host Kevin Pereira since his days on G4’s Attack of the Show and he brings his quirky banter to this ‘play-from-your-living-room’ game show. Each day, four contestants are chosen to play via Skype – trying to predict which answers were the most popular among polled Americans. Contestants can win up to $50,000. If you’re interested in becoming a contestant, check out letsaskamerica.tv/contestant.shtml

Disclosure: I was invited to blog about the Outback/Zoo promotion, L’Amour du Vin and SPANK! in exchange for hosting an upcoming Zoo giveaway or event tickets. Due to a scheduling conflict, I am unable to attend SPANK. I am also a council member of the Cleveland Foodbank’s YP Pantry.  The choice to blog about these and the other events in this post are 100% my own.

Twilight at the Zoo 2013

Sometimes the weather gods try to ruin the best of plans. Perfect example: Our first Twilight at Zoo on Friday night. However, try as Friday’s monsoon might, it couldn’t stop us from having a wild time at the Zoo!

Fortunately before the rain started, we were able to sample some of the food and drink at the VIP party.  We enjoyed tastings from Mitchell’s Fish Market, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and AMP 150 (their crab and salad plates are pictured above).

We also enjoyed a few sips of Fireball and Firefly Moonshine. The Fireball+Angry Orchard mix was so good that I risked running through the storm for some more – it was worth it.

The one downside was that we didn’t have a chance to see a lot of the bands. However, we escaped inside the Primate, Cat and Aquatics building when the rain started, where we made our own fun and visited with some beautiful creatures.

We may have called it an early night, but I now see why it’s the summer party on everyone’s list.  It also didn’t hurt that this year’s Twilight at the Zoo raised $590,000 for the Zoo and its programs!

Fortunately, the Cleveland Zoological Society has
one more party up its sleeve this summer!

On August 23, make a date for the Zoo’s 2nd annual Date Night at the Zoovies.

From 7-8pm, enjoy free beer, wine and light appetizers while exploring the Australian Adventure and African Savanna sections of the Zoo.

At 8:30pm, it’s “your density – I mean destiny” to bring your blanket and chairs to the Savanna Theater for a viewing of Back to the Future under the night sky.

Hot pretzels, popcorn, candy, beer, wine, soda and water will be available for free during the movie.

It was such a great time last year that this year’s Date Night at the Zoovies has already sold out.  Don’t worry, though, because I have 2 tickets to give away!

How to enter: Do one, some, or all five of the entries. A separate comment is needed for each.

5 Easy Ways to Enter the Giveaway
**You must leave a separate comment on this post for each entry**

1) When you visit the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, what’s your favorite part? Leave one comment with your answer, good for one entry.

2) Follow @CleveZooSociety and @ADHicken on Twitter and leave one comment on this post telling me you did both.

3) If you’re a fan of Clue Into Cleveland and the Cleveland Zoological Society on Facebook, leave one comment on this blog post letting me know. If you’re not yet a fan, you can become one here and here.

4) Tweet the following and leave one comment letting me know you tweeted:

Hop in your DeLorean with @CleveZooSociety! Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway to win tickets to Date Night at the #ZOOvies http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-29I

You can tweet once per day for additional entries. Just leave a separate comment each time you tweet.

5) Subscribe to Clue Into Cleveland via a feed tracker like Bloglovin’ or Feedly and leave one comment letting me know you did. This can also include signing up to receive email notifications in the top-right “Subscribe” section of this page.

You have until August 12 at 11:59PM to enter. On August 13, I will select a winner using Random.org and announce the winner’s name on Clue Into Cleveland. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry – good luck!

DeLorean photo source: AdamL212

Disclosure: Photos courtesy of Cleveland Zoological Society. In exchange for posting about the Zoo’s summer events and hosting a Zoovies giveaway, I was invited to attend Twilight at the Zoo and Date Night at the Zoovies. My choice to host this giveaway and opinions of Twilight are my own.