10th Annual Animal Attractions at the Cleveland Zoo Rainforest

Ever wonder how Willy, the Cleveland Zoo’s 13,000-lb bull elephant, gets along with Kallie, Martika, Shenga and Moshi, the herd’s female elephants? Want to know more about mating behaviors of the Zoo’s other creatures big and small?

At last week’s Animal Attractions I got my fair share of answers to the birds and the bees at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Hosted by the Cleveland Zoological Society, Animal Attractions raises money to support the Cleveland Zoo and its various programs.

Although I was a bit squeamish, Scott persuaded me to get upclose to this Corn Snake at the Cleveland Zoo’s Animal Attractions

Last Thursday, Scott and I escaped into the Rainforest’s balmy oasis, where – surrounded by porcupines, capybaras and orangutans – we enjoyed an evening of delicious food, drinks and quality time with some of the zoo’s critters.

On the menu was a selection of food and drink from Cleveland restaurants:

After meeting up with Jen and Matt (read her recap here), we enjoyed jambalaya from House of Blues, grilled shrimp from Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and hummus and tabouli from Whole Foods Market. It was great seeing Lisa and her team after the Ohio Blogging meetup a few days before!

AMP 150’s braised short rib, goat cheese polenta and carrot salsa at Animal Attractions

The two dishes that really stood out to me, though, were the asiago chicken and potato pancakes from Creekside Restaurant and AMP 150‘s braised beef short rib. The contrasting tastes of creamy goat cheese polenta and crisp carrot salsa really elevated AMP 150’s tender short rib.

Mini-cupcakes from The Cleveland Cupcake Company lent a sweet note to the evening with a whimsical selection of flavors – my favorites being the jalapeno-topped orange cream and greek yogurt minis.

Cleveland Cupcake Company’s Mini-Cupcakes

As promised, we also got up close and personal with many of the Zoo’s creatures. Scott and I made new friends with an armadillo and corn snake. We marveled at a beautiful (and slightly scary) iridescent constrictor.

And we saw a few things we’ll never be able to unsee during Curator Andi Kornak’s 50 Shades of Gray presentation on elephant socialization and mating.

Cleveland Zoo Curator Andi Kornak

The Cleveland Zoological Society hosts a full schedule of events for young and old throughout the year.

Families can enjoy events like Fairytales and Frogs on Feb. 18 and Breakfast with the Easter Bunny in March.

And leave the kids at home for a peacock-themed ZippityZooDoo (June 7) and Twlight at the Zoo (Aug. 2) this summer.

Check out all upcoming events at clevelandzoosociety.org/events.

Disclosure: I was asked by the Cleveland Zoological Society to help promote Animal Attractions. In exchange, I received two complimentary tickets to the event. As always, all opinions are my own.

Valentine’s Day is only a couple days away. If you go out to celebrate, WhyCLE has Cleveland Valentine’s events for every sense and Bite Buff has some delicious dining options for you.

Me? Scott and I keep it quiet on Valentine’s Day because we celebrate our anniversary the following week.

This year, we’ll be checking out the new Die Hard movie and then picking up a dinner for home. After last week’s Ohio Blogging Meetup at Whole Foods Cedar Center, we have some inspiration.

Whole Foods Market Wine Buyer Audree Sinnett and Sweet Designs’ Ines Rehner

This was Ohio Blogging’s 3rd annual trip to Whole Foods. And as last year demonstrated with a pizza making contest, they always have something delicious up their sleeve.

This time around the theme was “Chocolate Three-Way” featuring a selection of chocolate-infused tastings.

Chef Sarah Schoenberger’s Chicken Enchiladas and Mole Sauce at Ohio Blogging Whole Foods Meetup

First up, a chicken enchilada with traditional mole sauce. Whole Foods Chef Sarah Schoenberger hit this right on the nose. While the enchiladas were excellent, the slight burn of the mole with a hint of chocolate was what won me over.

And the corn and black bean salad they paired with the dish was so great I snagged a to-go box for lunch the next day.

Then it was time for something sweet. Whole Foods brought in Ines Rehner from Lakewood’s Sweet Designs.

At Lakewood’s Sweet Designs, Ines Rehner creates delicious tasting and looking treats like chocolate shoes and handbags

After moving from Croatia to pursue her dream of opening a chocolate store, Ines taught herself how to make chocolate blends in her kitchen at night.

Since opening Sweet Designs’ doors in 1995, she has expanded to her current location on Detroit Ave. There she makes more than 100 different artisanal chocolates. truffles, hand-dipped fruits, nut clusters, and caramels.

A selection of Signature Chocolate Bars from Lakewood’s Sweet Designs

At the meetup, we tried a variety of selections including chocolate covered strawberries, truffle-stuffed chocolate figs, and a few of her signature chocolate bars. My favorite was the pumpkin-seed-covered chocolate bar.

Ines even shared a bit of professional advice on how to eat chocolate-covered strawberries: After dipping the strawberry, cut off the stems, than halve the strawberries long-ways. Useful knowledge in time for Valentine’s Day!

Whole Foods’ Market Wine Buyer Audree Sinnett played matchmaker with wine and beer pairings. We enjoyed a selection of Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee, Sam Smith Chocolate Stout, Sexual Chocolate and a bonus chocolate liqueur.

Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee, Sexual Chocolate Wine, and Sam Smith Chocolate Stout

Honestly, I couldn’t pick a favorite from Audree’s choices. The Iron Horse was a delicious sparkling Blanc de Noirs. The Chocolate Stout when mixed with Framboise resulted in a rich fruity combination I need to keep on hand at home. And the chocolate liquer proved a very unique treat – chocolate melted in vodka, aged in oak barrels. Thick, creamy and luxurious.

While I couldn’t try the Sexual Chocolate because of my red wine allergy, Scott did grab a bottle for its awesome label:

SLO Down Wines’ handcrafted label for their Sexual Chocolate wine tells the blend’s backstory.

This excellent evening was put together by Whole Foods Community Manager Lisa who plans  events and outreach efforts like these:

Every Thursday from 4-6pm, the Cedar Center Whole Foods hosts a Whole Deal with Morag! cooking demo. Tomorrow is a wine pairings dinner featuring Argentinian wines. And on Feb. 27, stop by for an Italian Cheese class at 7pm.

More events can be found on the Whole Foods Cedar Center calendar.

Elizabeth and Steve from Lake County Visitors Bureau with Kimberly, Chris and Hans

While the food was a nice bonus, the real reason I enjoy going to the Blogger Meetup each month is to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. At this month’s Meetup:

• Always JAM in CLE – Jessica’s Recap
• @BeautyNewzFlash (+ husband)
• @CharitUrbanista
• Clue Into Cleveland (That’s me! + Scott)
• Cooker Girl
• Eat*Drink*Cleveland
• It’s a Hero (+ husband Chad and baby Ari)
• Lake County Visitors Bureau (+ boyfriend Steve)
• Lane Baldwin Photography
• Life Lyn Style (safe travels in Seattle, Lyn!)
• Our Journey
• Poise in Parma (+ Hans and Aunt Kathy) – Alicia’s Recap
• Rust Belt Runner – Holly’s Recap
• Smitten in Cleveland (+ Mr. Smitten, aka Chris)
• Wearing Mascara
• WhyCLE – Jen’s Recap

If you’re a blogger, want to start a blog, or a blog supporter, check out one of the Ohio Blogging Association’s upcoming events.

In March, we’re volunteering at MedWish. If you read my recent post about MedWish International, you know I’m really hoping to make it on March 19.

Girls Day Out at PlayhouseSquare’s SPANK! (at Hanna Theatre now-Jan. 27)

This weekend was spent loading new furniture into our house. After more than a few speedbumps (like half our couch arriving in the wrong shape and color), I was clamoring to escape for a couple hours.

SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody at PlayhouseSquare was to the rescue.

I’ll be honest. Before the curtain went up on Sunday’s performance, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. I never had any huge desire to read Fifty Shades of Grey, but having worked backstage on another parody musical for two years, I have a soft spot for them.

And the one thing I learned while working on Menopause the Musical is when you stage a spoof, you have to completely give yourself over to the source material.

If the crowd at Sunday’s show was any indication, the cast of SPANK! did just that.

As soon as the house lights went down in the Hanna Theatre, the production jumped right in with a strip-tease from the male lead, Hugh Hanson (played by Gabe Bowling). There was no turning back.

Full house at the Hanna Theatre for SPANK!

Shakespeare this isn’t. But when you go to a show based on Fifty Shades of Grey, you’re not expecting that. What you can expect is plenty of sex and laughs – SPANK! didn’t disappoint with many a’ double entendre plus some not as subtle visuals.

SPANK! also mined its fair share of humor from the book’s ridiculous characters and moments. It helps if you’ve read the book (or in my case, Wikipedia’s plot summary). Otherwise, you may not believe some of the parody’s references were actually written.

The sight gags were well-complemented by audience interaction and song parodies (this theatre nerd liked the unexpected choice of Into the Woods’ I Know Things Now for one of the melodies).

The only complaint I had was a handful of offbeat light and sound cues throwing off the show’s pacing. In particular, there were a few moments right at the end of scenes where a late light cue kept a joke from popping as much.

However, the performances from Bowling, Alice Moran as the story’s innocent Tasha and Suzanne Sole as the Chardonnay-fueled writer E.B. Janet were spot-on, broad and hilarious, which more than made up for a couple of missed tech beats.

Come early and stay late for SPANK’s pre and post-show festivities

Drinks beforehand at the Hanna Theatre’s bar didn’t hurt either – especially the aptly named Whips and Cuffs cocktail.  After the show, grab your friends for a photo with Hugh Hanson himself.

SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody is onstage at PlayhouseSquare through January 27 (this week’s performances run the 24th-27th).

Tickets range $10.00 – $45.00 and can be purchased here: http://www.playhousesquare.org/default.asp?playhousesquare=58&objid=3661

Disclosure: Photos provided (in order) by WhyCLE, Poise in Parma and my giveaway winner Ali. PlayhouseSquare offered me 2 tickets for myself and 2 to give away in exchange for sharing my opinions about the production.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

Fortunately, there are a few things going on in Cleveland between now and February 23 to wet your Jump Back whistle.

Get a Clue! Trivia Night

Jump Back Ball is hosted each year by PlayhouseSquare Partners, the theatre’s young professionals group.

However, Partners doesn’t stop there.  From our annual OSU tailgate to theatre outings, dine-arounds and putt-putt in the Palace, we’re busy year-round with events for Cleveland’s under-40 and young-at-heart crowd.

Our next event is Thursday, Jan. 17: the first annual Get a Clue! Trivia Night at Black Dog Kitchen & Bar in downtown Cleveland.

Sign up with a team or individually for a night of themed trivia rounds with prizes for the winners.

The evening starts at 6:30, trivia at 7.  Tickets are $25 for general public ($20 for Partners). Each ticket includes a buffet, 2 drink tickets for beer, wine and select liquor and entry in the trivia contest.

Call Molly Franz at 216-640-8416 to order tickets and learn more here.

Friday Nights at Noodlecat

Chef Jonathon Sawyer of Noodlecat and Greenhouse Tavern will be serving up delicious fare at this year’s Jump Back Ball VIP party.

But you can get in on the Noodlecat fun at their new Friday Night event series:

#karaokeCAT is back next Friday, Jan. 18! Scott and I had a great time when Cleveland’s A Plum hosted Noodlecat’s first Karaoke Night in November.  This time around, Jen, Alicia, Kimberly and I are hosting the January event.

Stop by for some singing (I’ve heard Jen will buy a sake bomb for the first person to sing a Richard Marx song) and hang out with bloggers from the Ohio Blogging Association who are coming out for our monthly meetup.

Karaoke starts at 9pm with Noodlecat’s Late Night Happy Hour Menu available 9-11pm. Their $2 steam buns are my favorite happy hour special in the city.

Maybe monster movies are more your thing?  In addition to karaoke on the third Friday of every month, join them tonight, Jan. 11 and the second Friday of every month for Monster Movie Night.

Tonight’s movie is GODZILLA (the 1954 release). DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (1969 U.S. release) plays Feb. 8 and GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK aka GMK (2001) is March 8.

Monster movie screenings begin at 9pm on the second Friday of every month. At tonight’s screening, Noodlecat will give away a $50 Noodlecat gift card to the person with the best Godzilla costume.

Rock out with the Bands of Jump Back Ball

One of my favorite parts about Jump Back Ball is dancing my face off on the State Theatre stage.

Jump Back 2 Spaces will feature performances by two local party bands:  SWAGG on the mainstage and Velvet Shake as the last night band.

You can get a preview of what they’re bringing to the party by checking out these upcoming performances:

SWAGG

• Friday, Feb. 1 at Avenue Tap House
• Saturday, Feb. 9 at Blind Pig
• Friday, Feb. 15 at The Distillery

Velvet Shake

• Friday, Jan.11 at Hooley House in Brooklyn
• Friday, Jan. 18 at Willoughby Brew Co.
• Saturday, Feb. 2 at Brother’s Lounge in Lakewood

This week was all about upcoming events in Cleveland. I didn’t get to a bunch so if you have an event you’re looking forward to, share it in the comments section below!

This is part 3 in my Jump Back 2 Spaces series. Check out my previous posts:

• Part 1: Getting into Character
• Part 2: Jump Back Hair-spiration with ONE Styling and Dino Palmieri

Disclosure: I am co-hosting Karaoke at the Cat and splitting compensation with my co-hosts. I am also a member of the PlayhouseSquare Partners board. However, the choice to share these events is my own because I have enjoyed them previous to any affiliations.

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Animal Attraction

Each year when October rolls around, I marvel at the number of birthdays that fall during the month.  And then I do a little math, count back 9 months, and it all makes sense to what people were doing a lot of the previous February.

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo understands that couples like to get close(r) this time of year. So escape the cold and cuddle up at the 10th annual Animal Attractions on Feb. 7.

From 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. in The RainForest, the Cleveland Zoological Society hosts a series of fun and educational presentations about what makes hearts go a-flutter at the Zoo.

A few of last year’s up-close animal encounters included The Mating Game, My Two Dads: Same-Sex Couples in the Animal Kingdom and Sex, Lies and Videotape.

Cleveland Cupcake Company at Animal Attractions

Because wine makes us all a bit more amorous, they’ll also have an open bar and wine tastings from Jacobs Creek along with tasty samples from Cleveland restaurants like:

• Great Lakes Brewing Company
• Duet Catering
• Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
• The Cleveland Cupcake Company
• Whole Foods Market (Cedar Road)
• Creekside Restaurant & Bar
• AMP 150
• House of Blues Cleveland

Tickets are $55 for Zoo members, $65 for non-members (get a group of 10 together for $550). They can be purchased at ClevelandZooSociety.org.

If you’re a fan of the Cleveland Zoological Society on Facebook, you can also enter to win free tickets at the “Animal Attractions Tab” under their Timeline cover photo. They’re giving away a pair of tickets on February 4th for you and your amour.

Disclosure: I was offered two media passes to Animal Attractions in return for sharing this information. The Zoo Society provided the photos for this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of my favorite Girls Days Out from last year at Jen’s wedding

UPDATE: In addition to entering my giveaway below for SPANK! at PlayhouseSquare, you can increase your chances of winning by checking out Smitten in Cleveland’s, WhyCLE’s and Life in the CLE’s giveaways going on now.

***

I find that when I need to blow off steam, a Girls’ Night (or Day) Out is the best remedy – whether it’s yoga with Poise in Parma or @CLEYogi, or a Sunday of Les Mis, crafting and Downton Abbey.

If you want to make like Cyndi Lauper and have fun, I have 2 upcoming girls’ nights and a giveaway for you:

While these events are primarily geared towards women, anyone is encouraged to attend.

Battle of the Bombshells Happy Hour Kickoff
Jan. 11, 8-10pm at Around the Corner

The Battle of the Bombshells is back! Last summer the Blondes vs. Brunettes flag football fundraiser came to Cleveland for the first time and raised $41,253.00 to tackle Alzheimer’s disease.

This year’s goal is to raise $50,000, which will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association’s research, support and care efforts for more than 56,000 affected in Northeast Ohio.

And BvBCLE wants YOU!

Join them this Friday, Jan. 11 from 8-10pm at Around the Corner.  $20 gets you all you can eat and drink at their Happy Hour Kickoff.

While you’re there, learn more and sign up to participate in this year’s game. Women and men are both being recruited.

Ladies play ball (red-heads are free agents), but anyone can coach or join an event committee.

Teams Blonde and Brunette will also be competing to raise funds by raffling off a booze basket and other prizes until 10pm.

RSVP on Facebook or email sberman@alz.org. And learn more about BVBCLE’s other going ons by visiting bvbcle.org, @bvbcle and facebook.com/bvbcleveland.

SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody and Giveaway
Jan. 17-27 at the Hanna Theatre

While Fifty Shades of Grey hasn’t made it on my reading list yet, I’m a sucker for a good spoof.

SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody arrives at Cleveland’s Hanna Theatre January 17 through 27.

Described as: “the hilarious unauthorized musical satire that brings the naughty fun of the saucy best-selling book to life in one laugh-filled high-energy show. Part Chippendales, part Second City…all in one delicious package.”

On Jan. 20, you can join me, WhyCLE, Smitten in Cleveland and Life in the CLE for a special Sunday Funday at SPANK. The show starts at 3pm with pre-show cocktails beforehand.

Because I’m a firm believer in the more the merrier, I have 2 tickets and drink tickets to give away to the show:

There are 5 Easy Ways to Enter the Giveaway!
Leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

1) For one entry, leave a comment on this post sharing what your favorite girls night out activity is. (You can just get me a bottle of wine and sushi and I’m happy.)

2) Follow @ADHicken on Twitter and leave one comment here letting me know you did.

3) If you’re a fan of 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.

4) Twitter users can also get an extra entry each day for tweeting: “I want to see SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody. Enter @ADHicken’s Girls Day Out giveaway for your chance to win: http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-1L7”  (Each day you do this, you must leave a new comment.)

5) Subscribe to receive Clue Into Cleveland blog posts by email or via the RSS feed and leave a comment letting me know you did. This can include signing up to receive email notifications in the top-right “Subscribe” section of this page.

You have until Sunday, Jan. 13 at 11:59PM to enter. On Monday, Jan. 14, I will select a winner using Random.org and will announce their name on my blog.  Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry.

Disclosure: I was invited to host a giveaway and blog about SPANK! at PlayhouseSquare in exchange for 2 tickets to see the show. Opinions here are my own.

Today is the Ohio Blogging Association‘s All State Blog Swap where bloggers from all around the state are swapping posts.

This guest post is by Danielle from Find Time for Fun. Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Danielle wanted to share her love of the area with her two young children but  struggled to find information about family friendly activities. Visit FindTimeforFun.com to learn about events, attractions and ideas for fun at home.

Then visit Poise in Parma to read the rest of today’s All State Blog Swap posts and check out my post Clue Into Cleveland’s Top 5 for Out-of-Town Guests.

***

Winter is right around the corner, which means the snow will be here before we know it!  While winter certainly isn’t my favorite season, I do try to make the best of it.

Thankfully, Cleveland offers many fun wintertime activities; some will have you playing outside while others will help get you into the Holiday spirit.  Below are my five recommendations for winter fun in Cleveland.

The Chalet in Mill Stream Run Reservation (photo from www.clemetparks.com)

Tobogganing at the Chalet in the Mill Stream Run Reservation – Remember how much fun it was to go sled riding when you were young?  Channel your inner child this winter and go Tobogganing in the Cleveland Metroparks.  The Chalet has two 1,000-foot refrigerated ice chutes that can operate with or without snow and are open from the end of November to the middle of March.

Snowshoeing at Penitentiary Glen Reservation – Lake Metroparks offers nearly 7 miles of snowshoeing trails for guests to explore.  Beginners can start with the Peppermint Trail, a short quarter-mile loop.  Snowshoes can be rented by the hour or by the day, and rental is available daily from the middle of November through early March.

Rink at Wade Oval in University Circle

Outdoor Ice Skating at the Rink at Wade Oval – There is something about ice skating outdoors that makes it even more enjoyable.  This winter, get the full ice skating experience at the outdoor Rink at Wade Oval.  Admission is FREE and Skate Rental (if needed) is only $3 per person.  The Rink is open from the end of November through the middle of February.

Lolly the Trolley Holiday Tours – Riding through Cleveland on Lolly the Trolley is a great way to see the city.  Add Christmas lights and decorations to the mix and you have a truly unique and memorable experience.  During the month of December, there are a number of Special Holiday Tours including: A Christmas Story House Tours, Silver Bells Plus Tours and Family Fun Night Tours.

2012 Glow at the Garden (photo from www.cbgarden.org)

Glow at the Garden – While visiting The Cleveland Botanical Gardens is always a great option, it is especially enjoyable during the holiday season.  From late November through the end of December guests can view the decorated trees and gingerbread houses while listening to Christmas music, ride on the garden express train, decorate their own gingerbread houses, and do some holiday shopping at the gift shop.

Those are just some of the events and activities that make winter in Cleveland fun.  Leave a comment below and let us know some of your favorite wintertime activities in Cleveland. 

Celebrate PlayhouseSquare’s next 90 years at Jump Back Ball

This year one of Cleveland’s landmark institutions is celebrating its 90th birthday. As the country’s largest performing arts center outside of New York, PlayhouseSquare engages our community and attracts over one million guests each year to 1,000+ annual events.

But that wasn’t always the case.

Although PlayhouseSquare was downtown Cleveland’s cinematic and entertainment destination for many years, the post-WWII flight to the suburbs combined with a growing interest in tv, led to both the proverbial and literal wrecking ball landing at the door of PlayhouseSquare’s theatres.

Who saved PlayhouseSquare, though?

It’s an empowering story that exemplifies the resilient, passionate attitude I love about Cleveland. And on Thursday, Nov. 15, you can experience it when a new documentary on WVIZ/PBS tells the story of the volunteers, civic leaders and organizations who put PlayhouseSquare on its remarkable road to renewal.

Thanks to fundraisers like Jump Back Ball, PlayhouseSquare is able to provide arts entertainment and education for Northeast Ohio

Staging Success: The PlayhouseSquare Story blends nostalgic older films and photos with stunning new footage and interviews from the people that helped usher PlayhouseSquare into a new era.  It premieres Thursday, Nov. 15 at 8pm (encores: 11/16 at 9 p.m., 11/18 at 4 p.m. and 11/22 at 10 p.m.). Find your WVIZ/PBS channel at ideastream.org/programs/channel_guide.

While the Staging Success story has a happy ending, PlayhouseSquare still needs your support to continue this vibrant renaissance for future audiences.

Hands down my favorite way to support PlayhouseSquare’s mission is to snag a ticket to Cleveland’s craziest party – the 22nd annual Jump Back Ball on Feb. 23, 2013.

As much fun as I had planning last year’s Jump Back Ball, I’m ecstatic this year to have been selected as one of PlayhouseSquare’s Jump Back Ball bloggers.

Especially because this year’s Jump Back Ball co-chairs Maurie and Sam have picked a fantastic theme: Jump Back 2 Spaces, featuring decor, activities and surprises from some of your favorite board games.

Feb. 23, 2013 at PlayhouseSquare’s State Theatre

Now you’re probably thinking – February 23 seems like it’s really far away.

However, as someone who has attended and volunteered for Jump Back Ball in the past, trust me when I say this: you want need to get your tickets now!

Fortunately, before you tune into Staging Success on Thursday night, PlayhouseSquare is hosting Jump Back Ball’s Kickoff Happy Hour.

Stop by the Market Garden Brewery from 5:30-7:30pm on Nov. 15 to enjoy free apps, drink specials and prizes. PLUS buy your tickets at the lowest price they’re ever going to be!

Enjoy a pint of Market Garden’s Festivus at the Jump Back Ball Kick Off

So why should you buy your Jump Back Ball ticket at the Ticket Kickoff Party?

• You’ll save the most money. Attending the Kickoff Happy Hour is the only way to get tickets for $135 each. The price increase the next day by $20.
• No handling fees. When the ticket price goes up the next day, each ticket will also have a handling fee. But if you buy tickets in person at the Kickoff Happy Hour, you don’t have to worry about any fees.
• You can sign up for a payment plan. I really like the payment plan option. I use it every year because breaking my purchase up over the course of 4 months makes it really easy on the bank account.
• Last year’s event sold out very early. If you want to go to Jump Back Ball, don’t wait — each year the event sells out earlier than the year before.  The earlier you purchase tickets, you’ll not just save money but also guarantee your spot.

If you haven’t attended Jump Back Ball in the past, it’s an evening of fine food, drinks and entertainment wrapped in a creative spirit. The State Theatre will be transformed into an homage to board games like Monopoly, LIFE, Clue, and Candy Land, with guests invited to dress up either in their finest or a theme-inspired outfit.

My suggestion: Save even more on your ticket by becoming a PlayhouseSquare Partner. One of the many perks of the tax-deductible Partners membership (starting at $100 for 1-2 people) is you get to enjoy a ticket price of only $110 at the Kick Off (limit 2 tickets).

If you buy 2 tickets to Jump Back Ball at the Kick Off, the $50 difference between the regular price and the Partners discount makes up for half of your membership. While the other half is made up by the tax deduction, invitations to other social, networking and volunteer events and an assortment of other perks.

And the best part about buying a ticket to Jump Back Ball or becoming a member of Partners on Nov. 15? You can go home that night, tune into WVIZ and know you’re Staging the Success of PlayhouseSquare’s next chapter.

Keep an eye on Clue Into Cleveland and playhousesquare.org/jumpbackball over the next few months for more information about Jump Back 2 Spaces.

Disclosure: I was invited to blog about Staging Success and this year’s Jump Back Ball in exchange for one general admission ticket to Jump Back Ball 2012. I will also be attending an advance screening of Staging Success as both a blogger and PlayhouseSquare Partner. My opinions on Jump Back Ball, though, are always 100% my own. Aerial photo of PlayhouseSquare is courtesy of PlayhouseSquare.

Looking to get outside and enjoy this Cleveland winter? The Brite Winter Festival returns this Saturday 2/18. (photo from britewintercleveland.com)

After the last week of snow, I think we are able to say that winter is finally here.  And just in time for two events that aim to celebrate Cleveland’s snowy season:

This Saturday from 5-10pm, Brite Winter Festival returns for its third year.  The event originally started as the creators’ proactive, grassroots approach to stave off the brain drain they were seeing in Cleveland among their fellow college graduates.

With Brite Winter, they wanted to give Clevelanders a chance to get outside and discover that our winters don’t just need to be tolerated – they can actually be a lot of fun.

For their third annual fest, they’re changing locations and bringing Brite Winter to Bridge Ave. and W.26th in Ohio City.

My favorite game from last year's Brite Winter Festival: Giant Skeeball!

The festival will feature art and games — and sometimes a combination of the two.

Artists from the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Museum of Art’s Community Arts Department, IngenuityFest and local companies like cyancdesign will take over the main festival grounds as well as some of Ohio City businesses to present their art installations.

One of my favorite games from last year – giant skee-ball – is back, along with other games like a Climbing Race Game, Light Fight and a Catapult Smashdown.

This year's Brite Winter moves to Ohio City. Pictured is last year's festival lighting up The Flats. (photo from britewintercleveland.com)

And for festival-goers’ listening pleasure, Brite Winter has eight venues and over 35 bands performing when I last counted.

Something that’s different this year: the festival will feature one outdoor stage and seven indoor venues like Bon Bon Cafe, Great Lakes Brewery and Joy Machines Bike Shop. So if you do need to take a break and warm up from the cold, you’ll have a lot of options for music.

The festival and all music performances are free and open to the public, though donations are always welcome. You can read my recap of last year’s Brite Winter here.

The Cleveland Urban Iditarod descends on Ohio City in March - part relay race/part street theatre to raise money for Harvest for Hunger.

In March, Ohio City will play host to another unique event when Cleveland’s Yo-Yo Syndicate demonstrates that being out in the cold can be enjoyable and help raise money for a local cause.

The Yo-Yo Syndicate, creators of IngenuityFest’s Doodle Bar as well as Cleveland’s branch of Dr. Sketchy, are helming the first-ever Cleveland Urban Iditarod on March 4th.

What is an urban iditarod?

While the real Iditarod is the famous long-distance race where a team of dogs tow a sled across Alaska’s frozen tundra, the Cleveland Urban Iditarod is almost the same thing. Except that instead of dogs, it’s people; instead of sleds, it’s shopping carts; and instead of Alaska, it’s Cleveland.

Have fun with your Urban Iditarod team -- dress yourselves and your cart up like this team from the Chicago Iditarod did. (photo from theyoyosyndicate.com)

Teams of 5 (4 to pull the cart, 1 “musher” who’s behind steering) must fill their cart with 40 pounds of canned food and race it through the course. The carts can be decorated (it’s even encouraged as long as the decorations don’t violate the guidelines) and racers can wear the craziest costumes they can pull together. All of this will help raise food and money for the Cleveland Foodbank’s Harvest for Hunger.

Urban Iditarods have been held in places such as Portland, Boston, Cincinnati and Chicago (where over $18,000 was raised for their local food bank), but this is the first time Cleveland will be hosting one.   With themed teams and contests at each stop, the Iditarod is part relay race/part street theater and will bring Cleveland’s creative community to the Ohio City neighborhood.

The race starts at 11:30 a.m. and the entire route is about 5.5 miles with 20 minute stops at each local west side location. The Market Garden Brewery, who’s also planning the first Ohio City Ice Carving contest that day, will be hosting the Urban Iditarod after party.

If you register online by Feb. 24th, the team fee is only $45 (it goes up to $65 through March 2nd; $100 the day of). The cart deposit is $35, which each team will get back once they demonstrate the cart has been taken home with them after the race.

The "Epic Epicness" of an urban iditarod! The Chicago Iditarod (pictured here) helped raise over $18,000 for their local food bank. (photo from theyoyosyndicate.com)

Although there’s officially only a month left of winter, with Brite Winter and the Urban Iditarod there are a lot of opportunities left to get out and enjoy it.

What do you have planned for your end-of-winter festivities?

Last year's Jump Back Ball filled the State Theatre with revelers

Before joining PlayhouseSquare Partners, I used to hate this time of year.  I’d get all pumped up by the craziness of the holidays; and then once January hit, it was like popping a balloon…instant deflation as the pace of things abruptly came to a halt.

Now this time of year means one thing: Jump Back Ball season!

This year’s Jump Back Ball is February 25th, so we’re in full scale planning mode between now and then.

Like last year, I’ll be posting a series of entries over the next couple of weeks that goes behind the scenes of Jump Back – from the food and entertainment, to the decor and costume ideas.  If this is your first — or fifteenth — time attending, hopefully you’ll find it helpful in planning out your night.

I’m particularly excited for this year’s Jump Back Ball – not because I’m co-chairing it (ok, maybe that’s a bit of the reason), but because I really like the theme we picked:

I’ve loved how excited everyone has gotten over what they’re going to wear (there are a lot of great costume ideas out there!), how the Decor Committee is going to transform the State Theatre into Alice’s Wonderland, and all of the other treats PlayhouseSquare Partners will have in store at the 21st Annual Jump Back Ball.

If you want to see what the fuss is about, you should act fast.  As of this afternoon, we only had 50 tickets left to sell. Call Molly Franz at 216-348-5265 asap to order yours.

So why should you go to Jump Back Ball? 

The annual party is PlayhouseSquare’s largest fundraiser, raising $140,000 last year.  It’s the perfect excuse to dress up (anything from suits to tuxes, cocktail dresses to formal wear is fine) or dress in costume. And each ticket includes all the food you can eat, an open bar, 2 bands, a silent auction and other activities. The festivities take place in the State Theatre, which is my favorite part about the event since you get to dance on the stage.

This year, the VIP pre-party is being catered by AMP 150.  Chef Ellis’ team did an amazing job during last year’s VIP Party so I’m glad one of my favorite Cleveland restaurants is back.   Plus, I can’t wait to see what Chef Jeff Jarrett – also well-known for his creativity and farm-to-table approach – has up his sleeves now that he’s taken the helm at AMP 150.

Chef Jeff Jarrett and AMP 150 will be the featured restaurant at this year's VIP pre-party

The main dinner is being catered by Sammy’s.  From the glimpse I got at the menu, a few of the items I’m excited for include the Alice-inspired Tea Sandwiches, “Caterpillar” Pasta, and “White Rabbit” Salad. Later in the evening, they’ll also be serving up a Mad Hatter Tea Party with a variety of desserts, teas and coffee.

If you’ve attended previous Jump Back Balls, you know the drinks are free-flowing — with multiple places to whet your whistle throughout the State. And, ladies, get excited because the Seagram’s Ladies Lounge is back! Last year I somehow missed this bar in the women’s restroom so I will be making it my mission to stop by this time around.

Of course, there is much more to Jump Back Ball than just eating and drinking.  Leading up to February 25th, I’ll be posting once a week with a focus on the different aspects of the party.

Come back next week for some help with costume ideas and in the meantime, go get your tickets before they sell out!