In its heyday, PlayhouseSquare played host to crooners, jazz and big bands musicians like Bing Crosby and ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra.

Now, as PlayhouseSquare’s revitalization hits a dazzling high, Cleveland’s own jazz festival, the Tri-C JazzFest has unveiled a new format celebrating the district.

It’s the 35th anniversary of the Tri-C JazzFest and they’re making a big move – closing down Euclid Ave. between 13th and 14th St with three days of concerts.

From June 26-28, music lovers can take in twelve ticketed shows throughout PlayhouseSquare’s theatres, plus a host of free outdoor music, food trucks and Great Lakes brews on Star Plaza.

Concerts include trumpeter Sean Jones and the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra opening the festival on June 26; Eddie Palmieri, whose career as bandleader spans 50 years, with a night of salsa and Latin jazz on June 27; and pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias performing her tribute to Chet Baker at the Hanna on June 28. Check out the full schedule below:

The free Star Plaza concerts, which are the latest centennial gifts from the Cleveland Foundation, will take place outside on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28 starting at 3pm.

You can learn more about the musicians and purchase tickets on the JazzFest website.

You can also win two tickets right here to the Raul Midón concert on June 28!

Blind since infancy, Midón grew up listening to his father’s collection of Charlie Parker and Miles Davis records, as well as the pop music of the time: Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Paul Simon.

He writes on the JazzFest’s website: “The way I play today is an amalgam of those styles, mixed with my fascination with the great rock and blues guitarists like Eric Clapton and B.B. King. I’m constantly trying to integrate everything I know musically into the guitar.”

The New York Times describes Midón as “a one-man band who turns a guitar into an orchestra and his voice into a chorus.” And now you can enjoy his concert at the Hanna Theatre by entering my giveaway.

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 telling me who your favorite jazz, blues or swing musician is.

2) If you’re a fan of Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland 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.

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

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

I want to see @RaulMidon at @PlayhouseSquare on 6/28. Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway for #TriCJazzFest tickets: http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-2w3

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 Tuesday, June 17 at 11:59PM to enter.  On Wednesday, June 18, 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 the Tri-C JazzFest with a guest in exchange for previewing the event. My choice to blog about the festival is based on how much Scott and I have enjoyed these concerts in years past. Opinions are my own.

Scott finds his perfect bench in Culpeper

I’ve gone fishing … Literally.   While spending this week in Virginia, I plan on catching a flounder or two at my parents’ house.

We’ve enjoyed our vacation so far, hitting up a few new antique shops in Gordonsville and Fredericksburg, taking drives through the country and strolls through Culpeper. And I can’t wait to spend the next couple of days along the Chesapeake.

These trips to see my sister Gabbie and my parents always come at the perfect time – allowing me to hit reset when I need to the most.

Gabbie and Scott figure out which antique store we’re heading to next

Although my blog and I are both on vacation this week, I do have a winner to announce for my Grapes and Ale giveaway.

After placing the total number of entries into Random.org: Congratulations, entry 29 – Mindy Rodgers, for winning this giveaway! Please reply to my email by June 9 to confirm you can attend Grapes and Ale.

Grapes and Ale tickets are still available for purchase online. Learn more here.

Have a wonderful week and if you miss me, head over to Beyond Bylines today where I’ve written about the torture (at least for me) of writing a blog’s About page.

Congratulations, entry 26 – Franklin Mayse, for winning this giveaway!
Please reply to my email by the morning of 5/13 to confirm you can attend Silver Spoon.

Cleveland Magazine’s Silver Spoon Awards Party, May 14

When it comes to Cleveland food events, I like to prepare in advance. That means scouting which restaurants are going to be there, developing a game plan for the most efficient tasting route, and getting my appetite in shape.

There are some events I can get away with going in blind; however, if there’s anything I’ve learned from previous years, the Silver Spoon Awards Party is not one of those events.

I mean that in the best way.

When I’m asked for a list of my favorite Cleveland food events, a small handful come to mind. Year after year, Silver Spoon is consistently tops.

Photo via Silver Spoon CLE, by Lane Baldwin Photography

Each year, Cleveland Magazine readers vote on restaurants that are the best at what they do. Whether that’s pizza, brunch, sushi, Greek food, dessert, happy hour … the list goes on. The restaurant finalists are then invited to show off their signature dish in May to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation, Great Lakes Region, Northeastern Ohio.

Add on top of that, wine from eight international vinters, cocktails from Brown-Forman, a silent auction, late-night after-party in the VIP lounge, and loads of other surprises, and now you know why I prepare like I’m going to run a marathon. 

This year’s Silver Spoon Party promises to be bigger than  ever because  it’s the 20th Anniversary. On Wednesday, May 14, over 40 restaurants will take over 200 Public Square. 

20 Years of Cleveland Magazine’s Silver Spoon Awards

And today I’m happy to not only share a sneak peek at what this year’s restaurants have planned, but also 2 tickets for you to win!

Here are some of the dishes you’ll be salivating over:

• Aladdin’s Eatery: Jasmine’s Favorite and Lebanese Salata
• Blue Point Grille: Blue Point oysters
• Bubba’s-Q World Famous Bar-B-Q: De-boned baby back rib steak and Texas style brisket
• EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute: Rabbit pie and ratatouille
• Felice Urban Café: Grilled Calamari Salad with New Potato Confit
• Great Lakes Brewing Co.: A tasting of a variety of beers and Bananas Foster Mousse Cups
• Humble Wine Bar: Chocolate towers and cheese cakes
• Jammy Buggars: PB&J Meatball Slider
• Luca Italian Cuisine: Sacchetti al Tartufata Bianco, white truffle and ricotta stuffed sacchetti, black truffle cream sauce, aged fig balsamic
• Lucky’s Café: Mini Reuben, corned beef, sauerkraut, on rye with Thousand Island dressing, all house made topped with swiss
• Master Pizza: Pepperoni, plain, sausage, and the award-winning “Popeye” pizzas
• Pacific East Coventry: Assortment of sushi
• Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar: Braised Beef Ropa Vieja
• Pearl of the Orient – East: Phoenix Salad (smoked shredded duck breast, chicken breast, agar agar, honeydew, cantaloupe, sesame seeds, sesame vinaigrette)
• Pearl of the Orient – West: Strip Steak with Hoisin Sauce and Crispy Wonton
• Phnom Penh: Vegetable Kuy Teav Chha Khmer; Chicken Preah Vihear
• Pier W: Crawfish etouffee and zucchini bloom fritter, fava bean emulsion
• Salmon Dave’s Pacific Grille: House cured wild salmon with citrus barbecue sauce and a mango poblano salsa
• Society Lounge: Ramos “Bathtub Gin” Fizz, Kegged and Carbonated Moscow Mule and Barrel Aged Woodford Manhattans
• Spice Kitchen + Bar: Seared Ramp Ravioli with green garlic sauce and micro greens
• Sweet Melissa: Chocolate covered strawberries, cannoli, chocolate cake, red velvet cake, NY style cheesecake, keylime tarts, cookies, and more
• Taki’s Greek Kitchen: Lamb chops w/mavrodaphine syrup, and spicy feta dip w/pita chips
• Toast: Pigs in a blanket
• Ty Fun Thai Bistro: Pad Thai
• Zoup! Euclid & East 4th Street: Lobster bisque and chicken pot pie

Check out the full list of participating restaurants to see who else will be there. Personally, I can’t wait to discover what Cork & Cleaver, DANTE/Ginko, Fired Up Tacos, Lolita, and Mama Roberto’s have up their sleeve.

Hungry yet? You can purchase tickets for the Silver Spoon Awards Party online for $150 (VIP) and $100 (general admission).  Or you can enter to win two general admission tickets right here!

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 telling me which dish or restaurant you’re most excited for.

2) If you’re a fan of The Arthritis Foundation, Northeastern Ohio Chapter 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.

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

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

I want to win tickets to @SilverSpoonCLE! Enter @ADHicken’s #SilverSpoonCLE giveaway: http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-2uQ #CLE

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 Sunday, May 11 at 11:59PM to enter.  On Monday, May 12, 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 Silver Spoon with a guest and give away 2 tickets on my blog. My opinions and the choice to post about this event are my own.

Congratulations, entry #8 – Kim, for winning this giveaway.

Wine Lovers: I have an event and giveaway specifically for you today

Are you the person everyone turns to to select a bottle of wine? If you think you know how to pick a good red or just love Cabernet, join Nature’s Bin at the 78th Street Studios’ smARTSpace for Cornucopia Uncorked.

A fundraiser for Nature’s Bin’s Cornucopia program, Uncorked takes place next Thursday, April 10 from 6:30-9:30pm.

Enjoy an evening of food from Nature’s Bin (including something for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans), live music from Men with Short Beards, and a competitive wine tasting.

Tickets cost $50 ($30 of each is tax-deductible). I’m also giving away two tickets below.

But first … What is a competitive wine tasting?

• Uncorked guests bring 2 bottles of Cabernet, the evening’s theme wine (preferably priced between $12 and $24, or as close as possible). 
• At check in, one bottle is bagged and numbered.  The other bottle is then set aside. 
• The bagged bottles are put out for tasting (you can’t see through the bags so no one knows what they are tasting).
• Everyone then votes for their favorite blind-tasted wine.
• The guests who bring the top five voted bottles are awarded prizes.
• The person who brings the number one wine will receive the majority of other bottles that have been set aside.

Uncorked is not just a great way to put your wine tastes to the test, but the event will also raise money for Cornucopia.

Since 1975, Nature Bin’s Cornucopia program has helped people with disabilities develop their skills, confidence, and workplace potential by providing work adjustment training and job coaching and placement services.  Today, they serve people with a wide range of severe disabilities including developmental disabilities, mental illness, autism, visual and hearing impairment, and injuries resulting from accident or illness.

Fundraisers like Uncorked help Nature’s Bin fund their non-profit program so that they can continue to help unlock individuals’ potential and become fully functioning members of their communities.

While I’d love to attend Uncorked, I’m unfortunately allergic to red wine. (I know, with a maiden name like DiGiandomenico, it’s a funny allergy to have.)

The upside of this is that one lucky person and their friend get to benefit from my allergy by going in my place. All you have to do is enter my giveaway.

How to enter: Do 1, some, or all 5 of the entries. Separate comment needed for each.

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

1) What’s your favorite type of Cabernet? Leave a comment on this post letting me know.

2) Follow @Naturesbin 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 Nature’s Bin 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:

I want to win tickets to #CLE’s Cornucopia Uncorked wine tasting. Enter @ADHicken and @Naturesbin’s giveaway: http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-2sQ

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 April 7 at 11:59 pm to enter. Random.org will select the winner, which I will announce on April 8. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. Good luck!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend Uncorked with a guest in exchange for blogging about it. I can’t attend so am giving away my two tickets. My choice to post about this and any opinions are 100% my own.

August 23rd can’t come soon enough — Not only is it Date Night at the Zoovies, it’s also my birthday. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than seeing Back to the Future at the Zoo!

And one of you will be joining me at the sold-out event with your own pair of tickets. After removing one pingback, one duplicate entry and entering the remaining entries into Random.org, congratulations to:

Entry # 75 — Michelle @tinktastic! Please reply to my email by Friday morning to redeem your two Zoovies tickets.

If you didn’t win, you have one more chance over at Poise in Parma. But before you head to Alicia’s giveaway, enter my new giveaway for Taste of the Browns below:

Taste of the Browns – Sept. 9

The Cleveland Browns have gone through a lot of changes as they head into the 2013 season. It’s Haslam’s first full season as owner, the team has a new coach, and the stadium a new name.

But one thing not changing this season is the Browns’ longtime support of the Cleveland Foodbank through their Taste of the Browns fundraiser.

On Monday, September 9, fans of Cleveland food and football will descend on First Energy stadium from 6-9pm to help raise funds for the Foodbank while enjoying treats from over 30 restaurants.

If you’ve never been, check out my review of last year’s Taste of the Browns which raised more than $140,500 for the Foodbank.

One thing to know is the Browns and the Foodbank outdo themselves every year and the 15th annual Taste of the Browns will be bigger and better than ever.

At Taste of the Browns, enjoy food and drink, while meeting current and alumni Cleveland Browns players

Restaurants serving up delicious signature dishes include: B-Spot Burgers, Deagan’s, Lago, Momocho/El Carnicero, The Greenhouse Tavern, Pier W and many more.

Cleveland Browns alumni and current players will also be on hand to meet and mingle with fans, while live music and auction and raffle items provide plenty of entertainment.

General admission tickets are $175 each ($75 is tax-deductible) and can be purchased here.

I also have 2 general admission tickets to give away. How to enter: Do one, some, or all five of the entries. A separate comment is needed for each.

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 on this post telling me which Taste of the Browns restaurant you haven’t been to before that you’d like to try.

2) Follow @CleveFoodbank 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 Foodbank 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:

I want to tackle hunger at @CleveFoodbank’s #TasteoftheBrowns. Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway and you can too: http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-2ar

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 Monday, August 19 at 11:59PM to enter. On Tuesday, August 20, I will select a winner using Random.org and will 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 Taste of the Browns in exchange for hosting a giveaway. I will be out of town and unable to attend. I am also a council member of YP Pantry, the Foodbank’s young professionals group.  However, my choice to post about this event and opinions are 100% my own.

After removing one pingback and a few duplicate entries, congratulations to:

Entry #29 – Sheila Dina – Random.org selected you as the winner of a group bike tour of Downtown CLE, Ohio City or University Circle! The tour is good for you and up to 11 other people. It expires October 31, 2013 and is valid only on the weekend.

I will contact you today in regards to redeeming it. Other details of the prize: You must give 48 hours notice, must use the whole gift certificate at once and cannot split tours.

Because I’m still catching up on things after our Cedar Point vacation, I’ll be back next week with a new Cleveland blogs roundup.  In the meantime, you can find me over at PR Newswire for Bloggers with my profile of the comics blog – Girls Gone Geek. Just in time for Comic-Con!

Enter to win a Cleveland Bike Tour for you and 11 friends

With my last two “fun in the Cleveland sun” giveaways, we’ve checked out upcoming concerts and gone to the beach. This next one is for the active Clevelander:

I hide indoors during the winter. So once the sun starts shining and temperatures rise, I like to get outside as much as possible: dragging Scott on walks, taking a swim at our pool, and – after last year’s bike tour of downtown CLE – hopping on a bike.

Biking used to make me nervous; I had one too many falls growing up. But when the Ohio Blogging Association went on a bike tour, Anne Smith of Cleveland Bike Tours not just taught us a lot about the city, but was also incredibly patient in getting newbies like me comfortable with biking. (My recap of the downtown Cleveland bike tour)

Anne Smith of Cleveland Bike Tours leading a downtown Cleveland tour

Anne’s Cleveland Bike Tours company has been around for a couple of years. If you’re on Twitter, you may know her as @BikeCLE.

A boomerang who grew up here and eventually moved back, Anne shares her love for CLE by taking Clevelanders and tourists on tours of downtown, the east and the westsides:

The Ohio City bike tour takes riders throughout Cleveland’s artisan neighborhood. It starts and ends at the Glass Bubble Project with other stops at the Westside Market, Franklin Castle, Great Lakes Brewing, community gardens, Franklin Circle Church, Monroe Street Cemetery and more. Visit gltc.eventbrite.com for more details and specific dates.

Cleveland Bike Tours stops at the Fountain of Eternal Life Cleveland War Memorial

On the Downtown Cleveland bike tour, explore the city’s historic districts. Stops include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, PlayhouseSquare, Public Square, the Old Stone Church, Progressive Field, Erie Street Cemetery, and the Great Lakes Science Center. Visit gltc.eventbrite.com for more details and specific dates.

Cleveland’s cultural center is the heart of the University Circle bike tour. The basic tour rides by museums, through Little Italy and Case Western Reserve University. An extended tour also includes a ride along Cleveland’s cultural gardens and a visit to the Rockefeller Greenhouse. While Ohio City and Downtown are suitable for riders of all levels, University Circle is slightly more difficult. Call (330) 532 – 8687 for details and reservations.

Bike rentals are available to take on CVNP’s Bike Aboard and the Towpath

Everything is included in the price of the tour ($40) – bikes, baskets, bells, helmets, and water.  Cleveland Bike Tours also handles non-tour bike rentals that you can take on Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s Bike Aboard and the Towpath.

For my last summer fun giveaway, I’m giving away one bike tour for up to 12 people. The winner can choose from the Ohio City, Downtown or University Circle tours and be joined by 11 of their friends or family. (Other details about the tour: Expires October 31, 2013. Must give 48 hours notice. Valid only on the weekend. Must use the whole gift certificate at once. You can not split tours.)

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) Leave a comment with which neighborhood you’d like to tour. If you win, you can still choose to attend a different tour.

2) Follow @BikeCLE 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 on Facebook, leave one comment on this blog post letting me know. If you’re not yet a fan, you can become one here.

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

“I want to @bikeCLE! Enter @ADHicken’s giveaway to win a #Cleveland bike tour for you and 11 friends: http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-28h”

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 July 17 at 11:59PM to enter. On July 18, 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!

Disclosure: Photos courtesy of Cleveland Bike Tours. In exchange for posting about these tours and hosting a giveaway, I was invited to attend a tour. My choice to host this giveaway and opinions of Cleveland Bike Tours are my own.

Luau on the Lake on July 20 – #SC4KLuau13

There are certain activities that are must-dos each season: sledding in Winter, pumpkin patches in the Fall, and beach parties in Summer.

So for my second Fun in the Sun giveaway, I’m giving away 2 VIP tickets to Shoes and Clothes for Kids’ Luau on the Lake on Saturday, July 20.

For 8 years, SC4K has raised money for Northeast Ohio’s children with this Hawaiian-themed beach party.

While enjoying beautiful views of Lake Erie from Whiskey Island, partygoers at Luau on the Lake will get food, drinks, and dancing.  Although I don’t know what this year’s menu holds for us, last year’s party included delicious Caribbean Jerk-Spiced Roast Potatoes, Citrus Glazed Chicken, Sweet & Sour Brined and Slow Roasted Pork Loin and Island-inspired Sorbet.

General admission ticketholders can wash all that food down with beer, wine and soft drinks, while purchasers of the VIP “Big Kahuna” package will get that PLUS 3 specialty island cocktails, early admittance, and a lei, tote and souvenir tiki cup for only $10 extra.

A few more fun things to note about Luau on the Lake:

• In addition to dancing and lounging by the lake, partygoers can enjoy games of beach volleyball,
• “Jack be Limbo, Jack be Quick” during the Luau’s limbo contest,
• And hang out with Q104’s Allan Fee who will be there as the event’s official host.

For only $10 more than general admission, VIP ticketholders get everything + 3 free island cocktails and this Big Kahuna package

The party goes from 4 to 9pm on July 20. Before July 14, general admission tickets cost $40, which includes food, beer, wine, soft drinks, and entertainment. For only $50 (until July 14), VIP ticketholders get in at 3:30 and enjoy everything plus the “Big Kahuna” package listed above.

The money raised will support SC4K’s mission of providing Greater Cleveland’s families with new clothing, new shoes and new outlooks on life. Watch this video to learn more about Shoes and Clothes For Kids’ mission:

Tickets can be purchased at www.sc4k.org/Events/LuauontheLake/LuauontheLakeRegistration.aspx. The $40 general admission price and $50 VIP ticket are only available until July 14. After July 14, general admission tickets can be purchased online or at the door for $50.

And here’s your chance to win 2 VIP tickets to Luau on the Lake!

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) Leave a comment with what your favorite outdoor summer activity is. (Mine is going to Cedar Point and the islands!)

2) Follow @SC4K 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 on Facebook, leave one comment on this blog post letting me know. If you’re not yet a fan, you can become one here.

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

“I want to party like a Big Kahuna at #SC4KLuau13! Enter @ADHicken’s @SC4K giveaway to win VIP tickets: http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-27h”

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 July 3 at 11:59PM to enter. On July 4, 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!

Disclosure: Photos courtesy of Shoes and Clothes for Kids. In exchange for posting about the event and hosting a giveaway, I was invited to attend Luau on the Lake with a guest. My choice to host this giveaway and opinions of the event are 100% my own.

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.

Upcoming #CLEFood Events: Greenhouse Tavern dinner on June 18; Neighborfood on June 22

Greenhouse Tavern’s Prophets of Smoked Meat Dinner and Book Signing

After removing 1 pingback and 2 invalid entries and placing the remaining entries in Random.org:

Congratulations, entry #57 – Kate! You won two tickets to the June 18 dinner and book signing at Greenhouse Tavern.

If you didn’t win, you have another chance to enter over at WhyCLE. And tickets are available for purchase on Eventbrite.

Dishcrawl Cleveland’s Neighborfood

After removing 3 pingbacks and placing the remaining entries in Random.org:

Congrats, entry #34 – Katie B! (It’s apparently a lucky day for Kate’s and Katie’s!) You won two tickets to the Tremont restaurant hop and fundraiser on June 22. Tickets are also still available for this event at dishcrawl.com/neighborfoodtremont.

I will email both of you today – please reply by Monday to redeem your prize.

Now! For the news I teased earlier this week.

If you were at Ohio Blogging’s meetup on Wednesday and saw me enjoying the Goose Island beer tasting, you’ll know I’m not pregnant.

I also haven’t decided to embrace my love of capes and become Cleveland’s masked avenger.

Not happening.

But while I may not be taking up employment as Captain Cleveland, I do start a new job on Monday!

For 7 years (6 of those in Cleveland), I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the most hardworking, intelligent and conscientious people I know in PR Newswire’s Content Services department.

People who can spot a barely discernible, but significant typo on page 9 of a 30-page earnings announcement, while also counseling clients on social media, SEO, and writing strategies.

What started as an Assistant Editor position proofreading and distributing press releases evolved into something much more over the years. From counseling a nonprofit on how to increase their online presence to a large company on reaching media in China, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed helping our clients tell their stories.

And anytime my office sent out a news release about Cedar Point, I got a little giddy.

Although I’ve enjoyed the work, it was my team members that made me want to come in each morning.

I met some fantastic friends, ate my fair share of dip at Dip Day, and been lucky to have an incredible boss in Cathy Spicer (aka The Grammar Hammer!).

I’m going to miss working side by side with them everyday.

Customer Content Services’ Cleveland bureau (photo from blog.prnewswire.com)

The good news is that I still get to see their faces. Because on Monday I’ll be working only 50 feet away as a Media Relations Manager on PR Newswire’s Audience Development team.

I can’t wait to tackle what’s next and bridge what I’ve done in my current position with what I’ve learned as a blogger and media relations freelancer.

Over the next couple of months, you may notice fewer blog posts than usual. Until I get my bearings, I’ll be posting at least once a week (more likely twice).

But first, I’m happy with one more day where I am.