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.

The view from Ohio City’s Cleveland Hostel on a summer afternoon

As I was running around Cleveland at Saturday’s RTA Scavenger Hunt, I realized somewhere between Gallucci’s and the Cleveland Hostel that it was the first time this season I had really enjoyed a day outside.

Given that summer officially starts on Friday at 1:04 am, I’m overdue to get some new shorts and bust out the sunscreen. While I’m not the lounge-by-the-pool, sunbathing type, I’m definitely excited to soak up the rays in other ways.

In fact I’m so excited that I’m hosting 3 giveaways over the next month featuring some of my favorite outdoor summer activities.

First up: Live Nation Summer Concerts!

This summer, Live Nation will bring acts like Moody Blues, The Killers and Weird Al to Cain Park and Jacobs Pavilion

A few years ago, I was able to cross the Squirrel Nut Zippers off my concert dreamlist when I saw them perform at Cain Park.  Along with Ben Folds Five and Cake, they were one of my top 3 favorite groups in high school.

And if there was anything that could have made their vocals and melodies more hypnotizing, it was the beautiful, tree-filled backdrop of Cain Park.

Nestled in the middle of Cleveland Heights, I find this rolling park offers a nice respite from the city. All summer long you can enjoy live music and theatre in one of two covered outdoor theatres. Or you can take in beautiful artwork at the Cain Park Arts Festival and Audrey & Harvey Feinberg Art Gallery. No matter what you end up doing, save room – and time – for a picnic dinner at the park.

On the other hand, maybe you like to enjoy your music right in the middle of the city.  If rocking out along the water is more your style, there’s Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica.

While I haven’t been, I have heard the the space is surprisingly intimate and acoustics great for an outdoor venue. Plus, I really don’t think you can beat the views of Cleveland’s bridges, buildings and waterways on a summer night.

Great outdoor concert venues right in Cleveland

From June through September, Live Nation Cleveland is filling these venues with a lineup for all music tastes:

@ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
7/7- O.A.R. with Andrew McMahon and Allen Stone
7/23 – Steely Dan
7/24- Chicago
8/3- Daughtry/3 Doors Down
8/4- The Beach Boys
8/5- The Killers
8/10- Backstreet Boys
9/13- Tedeschi Trucks Band
9/29- The Moody Blues
(Update: The Ke$ha concert which was originally listed has been cancelled)

@ Cain Park
6/26- Happy Together Tour (The Turtles, Chuck Negron from 3 Dog Night, Mark Lindsay from Paul Revere and the Raiders, Gary Lewis and The Playboys and Gary Puckett and The Union Gap)
7/19- Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson
7/31- Weird Al Yankovic
8/7- YES
8/10- Michael Stanley
8/18- Michael McDonald

And here’s your chance to win 2 tickets to one of these concerts!

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) Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment with which concert you want to see if you win. If you are selected as the winner, this will be the concert you receive tickets to (based on availability).

2) Follow @LiveNationCLV and @ADHicken on Twitter and leave a comment on this post telling me 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) Tweet a link to this blog post on Twitter, tag @ADHicken and @LiveNationCLV in the tweet, and leave a comment letting me know you tweeted.  Example below:

I want to see [REPLACE WITH BAND YOU WANT TO SEE] in #CLE! Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway to win tickets to a @LiveNationCLV concert this summer http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-26i

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 a 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 June 24 at 11:59PM to enter. On June 25, 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!

Disclosures: I was invited to give away 2 tickets to one of this summer’s Live Nation concerts at Cain Park or Jacobs Pavilion. In exchange, I was provided 2 tickets to the concert of my choice. My opinions and the choice to post about these concerts are my own. Entry 1 is mandatory and the winner will be awarded a pair of tickets to the concert they indicate in the comments. If there is a lack of available tickets to the winner’s first choice, other concert arrangements will be made.