Colin Dussault’s Acoustic Side Project greeted people near the stadium’s entrance.

Nestled at the corner of 9th and Carnegie, there’s just something about Progressive Field that I really enjoy. I’m a transplant to Cleveland, so my fondness for the stadium doesn’t stem from a home team association. And, as someone who competed in marching band through the Philadelphia and South Jersey region, I’ve been in my fair share of stadiums. But Progressive captures something few others do.

I’ve mulled over what that “something” is, and I currently claim it is “hopeful enthusiasm.” Clevelanders have a solid ability to both recognize “what is” while planning for and looking forward to “what could be.” Something about Progressive Field captures that. Regardless of its corporate origins, the stadium’s current name is very fitting for this city.

What makes everything better is when you have the opportunity to freely drink the official beverages of “hopeful enthusiasm” – wine and beer. The Grapes & Ale at Progressive Field event, which happened a few Fridays ago on June 27th, brings all this together for a great time. And, since it raises funds for Our Lady of the Wayside, we have a perfect storm of good vibes.

Wines, foods, and peoples.

Arriving at Progressive Field a tad early, Amanda and I could smell the predominantly barbecued food that was waiting to accompany the many spirits that are automatically included with entry.

After getting our etched wineglasses, my first stop was to try the Johnny Appleseed hard apple cider, followed by some flipflop moscato. Then we moved on to grab some of the always-delicious Famous Dave’s wings.

Amanda was Designated Driver that evening, and there was plenty of bottled water and soda (“pop” if you’re not a transplant) for her. There was also salad and veggies, ample seating if you walked in deep enough, and even a putting green.

Famous Dave’s not only provided good eats, but a nice take-home surprise.

If you don’t like wine, the Beer Garden had taken over Progressive’s Budweiser Patio. You don’t need to buy tickets to go in – although you do need an empty glass and then tickets if you want any beer – but the mini hot dogs were delicious and the snow cone machine was a great treat.

There were also some games spread about. If leaving with the little wine glass wasn’t enough, the beer tickets got you a handled mason jar and a Lime-a-Rita sample got you another festive glass. Although I didn’t have any, a trusted source told me the Leinenkugel’s stand had brought a Russian Imperial Stout that was great.

I like my crushed ice plain.

If you didn’t bring extra cash for the beer (like me), no worries. There was still plenty of that free-flowing wine, as well as a few other spirits.

To be honest, my wine preferences are pretty narrow; the wine needs to be white and sweet. I’m not listing a lot of sampled names here not because there wasn’t a large selection, but because there was and my sampling was more copious than my note-taking.

The vendors stretched down an entire side of Progressive Field; there was plenty of wine I didn’t drink, and plenty of wine that I did. But you needed to do something special to stand-out in my memory, and the vendor which delivered that was Cupcake Vineyards:

• Walk-in wine truck pulled into the stadium? Check.
• Photo-op? Check.
• Second photo-op? Check.
• iPads with all the info and cat videos you could want? Check. (Especially because one of our cats is named Cupcake.)
• Tiny cupcakes at the ready? Check.
• Delicious Prosecco? Double check.

When it came to wine, Cupcake Vineyards got my vote for “Win.”

Cupcakes! Cupcakes cupcakes cupcakes! CUPCAKES!

Great venue, great drinks, great food, great company – what more am I to say? Grapes & Ale at Progressive Field was a feel-good event last year, and it was a feel-good event this year, and I eagerly look forward to next’s. Until then, I declared I’d review this as a sonnet, so here it is:

Progressive Field is a really great space,
Open and cool and filled up with big smiles.
If the Indians don’t manage to place,
It’s still a spot where-in I’d walk for miles.

Awesome is Our Lady of the Wayside,
Caring for those who are needing a boost.
Providing shelter, respite, and a ride.
So help by drinking fermented grape juice!

Grapes & Ale at Progressive Field is fun,
Food, spirits, and beer all over – delish!
So buy some tickets, you son of a gun!
“This never should end,” is what you will wish!

So come on down to 9th and Carnegie,
Bring hunger and thirst…but not the baby.

Selfie! Selfie selfie selfie! SELFIE!

Disclaimers: 

• I know Carnegie/baby is a terrible rhyme, but how about YOU come up with a better word that rhymes with Carnegie! 
• Also, Amanda was offered tickets to attend Grapes & Ale at Progressive Field in exchange for blogging about it. I got her second ticket because I can flap my eyeleshes like a pro. The decision to attend and post about an event is her own, based on whether she thinks it’s something that may also interest others.
• My decision to blog about the event was not my own, but part of Amanda’s agreeing to be Designated Driver so I could run about downing samples like a thirsty camel at an Oasis Sample Party. It seems batting eyelashes is not as powerful a tool of persuasion as I thought.

The weather was perfect (unbelievably so, after our winter), the grill was blazing with cheese brats and Dad Hicken’s BBQ-sauce-laced burgers, and Scott’s mom put together one of the best macaroni salads I’ve had.

Scott and I even squeezed in a bike ride down to the lake. It was a much-needed distraction to forget about the voice I lost 5 days earlier.

I love BBQs, and the best one of the summer happens in a few weeks. On June 27, Our Lady of the Wayside and Giant Eagle will host their annual Grapes & Ale party at Progressive Field. 

From 7-10pm, enjoy barbeque from Hot Sauce Williams, Famous Dave’s, 100th Bomb Group, Battery Park Wine Bar, and Corleone’s while sampling 200 wines and beers from William Hill Estate Winery, St. Michelle, Chloe Wine Collection, Great Lakes, Magic Hat, and more.

Colin Dussault’s Acoustic Side Project is back this year with live blues music throughout the night.

This party pretty much sums up all the best parts of summer for me: BBQ, beer, and the Indians ballpark.

Just learn from my first Grapes and Ale experience. Don’t wear white unless you’re carrying stain remover.

I’m not the only one who loves Grapes and Ale. The event has gotten so big the last couple years that Our Lady of the Wayside is expanding the space they use in Progressive Field.  That means room for even more fun!

Also new this year: Cupcake Vineyards’ Wine Truck will be making a tour stop  at the event.

Grapes and Ale raises money for Our Lady of the Wayside. Located out in Avon, they provide services for 500 children and adults with developmental disabilities. Their programs include:

• 24/7 residential support in nearly 60 homes throughout Cuyahoga and Lorain counties, plus short-term emergency resident placement
• A fleet of 75 vehicles to provide transportation throughout Cuyahoga and Lorain for individuals with developmental disabilities
• The Pathways Program which cultivates daily living skills with instructional activities, community outings, and volunteering

Grapes and Ale tickets start at $50 (Premiere Grand Tasting level), which gets you access to wine samplings and BBQ, a souvenir glass, music, silent auction and the Cupcake Truck Tour. Samplings of craft beers are also available for purchase at the WKNR Market Pavilion Brew Garden. The $125 VIP Majic of Wine Tasting ticket includes all of this, plus free parking and a blind wine tasting from 6-7pm.

Don’t plan on drinking? Enjoy BBQ, unlimited water and pepsi with a $20 Designated Driver ticket.

You can order tickets online or you can enter to win two $50 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 what’s your favorite side dish to serve at a BBQ.

2) If you’re a fan of Our Lady of the Wayside 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 @OurLadyWayside 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 a night of BBQ, brews and blues at #GrapesandAle – enter @ADHicken’s giveaway for tickets: http://wp.me/p2Ukr0-2vJ #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 Tuesday, June 3 at 11:59PM to enter.  On Wednesday, June 4, 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 Grapes and Ale with a guest in exchange for previewing the event. My choice to blog about this event is based on how much fun Scott and I had in years past. Opinions are my own.

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.

BBQ, brews and blues at the ballpark – besides being a fun tongue-twister, it’s my favorite way to chill out in the summer.

And on June 28, this triple-play of summer fun comes to downtown Cleveland at Our Lady of the Wayside’s Grapes and Ale fundraiser.

From 7-10pm, Progressive Field will be taken over by some of the area’s best BBQ restaurants and beer and wine providers.

With @MorganJPerez, Jen @WhyCLE, Crystal @EatDrinkClev on Progressive Field’s patio

The stadium’s main patio and concourse are transformed into a giant tasting pavilion filled with over 200 internationally acclaimed wines, as well as beer and food from places like Hot Sauce Williams, Battery Park Wine Bar, the 100th Bomb Group, Great Lakes Brewing Company, and Goose Island.

Meanwhile, the bluesy harmonica-guitar-bass trio of Colin Dussault’s Side Project will entertain guests as the sun sets over Progressive Field.

Admission to the Grapes & Ales Grand Tasting is $50 and includes a souvenir wine glass, wine samplings, food and music. Samplings of craft beers can also be purchased at the WKNR Craft Brew Patio.

Not drinking? Designated drivers can purchase tickets for $20 good for food, music, soda and water.

Excited to be Kickin’ it with Kenny from FOX8 (photo from EatDrinkCleveland)

Last year Scott and I went and had a fantastic time hanging out with Eat Drink Cleveland and WhyCLE (click the links for their recaps from last year). I also loved meeting @MorganJPerez and @KateConley.

We drank a lot of wine, played some wine pong, enjoyed so much pulled pork and brisket, and I got my photo Kickin’ it with Kenny. I also left with a souvenir, winning a hammock in the silent auction.

The best part, though, was meeting people from Our Lady of the Wayside and learning about the homes and services they provide to more than 500 individuals with developmental disabilities in Cuyahoga and Lorain counties.

3 hours of BBQ, wine and entertainment for only $50? It’s a price you can’t really beat especially when the funds raised go to help families affected by MR, autism, cerebral palsy, and traumatic brain injury.

Get your tickets and learn more about the event, including the special VIP hour, at thewayside.org/grapes.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend Grapes & Ale with a guest in exchange for previewing the event. My opinion and the choice of which events I blog about is my own.

July 4th is only one week away which means it’s BBQ time in the Hicken household! Pulled pork, BBQ chicken, brisket and of course ribs – we can’t get enough of it. Unfortunately, our BBQ skills are pretty much limited to crockpot recipes so we often turn to local restaurants or markets when we’re jonesing for the best.

The good news is we don’t have to turn too far with many tasty options in the Cleveland area. I’m a personal fan of Bubba’s Q especially because it’s only 5 minutes from my house.

For my fellow summer BBQ lovers, there’s an event coming up that will showcase Cleveland’s sauciest BBQ, as well as plenty of wine and beer to help wash it all down.

On Friday, July 13, Progressive Field will open its doors starting at 6:30pm for Grapes and Ales.  Featuring BBQ from restaurants like Hot Sauce Williams, Battery Park Wine Bar, Famous Dave’s, 100th Bomb Group and Progressive Field, as well as more than 200 wine samplings, it’s a great way to unwind after the work week (just don’t wear white if you’re like me because you’ll get bbq sauce on it).

ESPN 850 WKNR is also hosting a Market Pavilion beer garden where tastings from Great Lakes, Goose Island, Magic Hat, Pyramid Breweries, and others are available for 50 cents each. All of this is enjoyed against the backdrop of live music from Colin Dussault’s Side Project featuring Jim Tigue and Eroc Sosinski and Progressive Field’s Indians Hall of Fame exhibits.

However, Grapes and Ales is more than just a tasting event; proceeds from the evening go towards Our Lady of the Wayside. Based right around the corner from me in Avon, Ohio, Our Lady of the Wayside provides homes and services to more than 450 developmentally disabled children and adults throughout Cuyahoga and Lorain counties.

What started over forty years ago when a local family began to foster children with mental retardation and other disabilities has blossomed into the far-reaching organization it is today – offering residential services and wellness programming 24/7 for individuals with a variety of developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, behavioral issues, and significant physical disabilities.

OLW’s programming includes support for families with children who have disabilities; nursing and transportation services; and arts, aquatic and equestrian therapies.  Their goal is to provide support so that children and adults can remain in a home environment away from institutional settings, thus building greater self-esteem, promoting a more independent lifestyle, and increasing their quality of life.

OLW has recently also focused their expertise into the field of Autism with two after-school social skills programs for children with moderate-to-mild autism and Aspergers.

Along with Giant Eagle, American Airlines, OLW and Progressive Field, Cleveland’s local radio and tv stations have come together to host Grapes & Ales with appearances from 105.7′s John Lanigan, Q104′s Tim Richards, ESPN 850′s Mark “Munch” Bishop and FOX 8′s Kenny Crumpton.  (If my coworkers are any indication, I know there are more than a few people out there who would go just so they can “Kick it” with Kenny!)

General admission from 6:30 to 10pm costs $50 and includes a souvenir wine glass, wine samplings, BBQ, entertainment and a silent auction and raffle. Beer samples cost 50 cents each.

For $125, guests can attend the VIP Majic of Wine Blind Tasting from 6-7pm which features the “Best of Grapes” wine selection, free parking and everything else included in the General Admission ticket.  And because every group should have a designated driver, tickets for anyone not drinking cost only $20 and feature BBQ, Aquafina and Pepsi products.

If you’re interested in joining me on July 13, tickets are available two ways: by calling 440-934-6054 or online at http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e5u5re6o88cf79cf&llr=kjdaz5eab.

And if you want to say hi, keep an eye out for the couple camped by the BBQ.

Disclosure: Grapes and Ales logo and photos from last year’s benefit were provided by Our Lady of Wayside. In exchange for previewing the event on Clue Into Cleveland, I was invited to attend Grapes and Ales with a guest. However, as with any event I post about, I am sharing this event because I think it is something that would interest people who read my blog.