Look, I know it’s super early to start talking holidays, but truth be told, a lot of holiday events sell out well in advance, some are sold out before Halloween. So if you’re in the mood to be proactive and plan ahead, today’s Friday Five includes 5 fun Holiday events in Cleveland to get you in that jolly holiday spirit.
(Several dates) Holiday Mixology Class at Quintana’s Speakeasy: Learn how to make festive holiday cocktails that you can replicate for your own holiday party. Dreading family time this holiday season? Just get them all drunk with your new cocktails!!
(Several dates) BYOB Holiday Lights Tour: Nick and I have wanted to attend this for years, but always end up thinking about it too late when tickets are sold out. BUT NOT THIS YEAR. We have our tickets, and you should get yours today!! And hey, if you’ve planned this out well, you can take some premixed cocktails from the Holiday Mixology class too!
(Several dates): Annie’s Christmas & Holiday cookies class: Want to do some holiday baking but don’t know where to start (you might recall my DISASTROUS self-guided cookie experience from last year). Annie’s Signature Sweets is the cure for your problems. She will teach you to make 3 of the most popular seasonal cookie varieties in less time than you would at home. The cookies include biscotti, kolache, and thumbprints.
(Several dates) Holiday Tea at The Ritz Carlton: I love high tea - my most favorite one (that I did TWICE) was at Sketch in London, and the location and atmosphere played a huge part it in. It’s been a really long time since I had one at the Ritz, and with their recent renovation, I can’t wait to have high tea at the Ritz this year!
(Several dates): Teddy Bear Tea at The Ritz Carlton: Yes, I know, it’s another tea, but this one is for little kids!! This high tea experience includes a child-friendly tea menu, create your own candy bags, story-telling courtesy of Mrs. Claus, and of course a teddy bear gift. This might just be the cutest thing ever.
For more current events in Cleveland, keep scrolling past this picture.
Photo by Kris Atomic on Unsplash
Fun holiday events in Cleveland for 2019
Fun things to do in Cleveland:
September 20th: Free Public Artist Workshop. If you’re an artist and want to expand to Public Art, attend this free workshop hosted by LAND Studio, and learn everything you need to know about creating and being selected for Public Art projects.
September 20th: F*Show XI If you’re in the market for contemporary furniture or what to source some great talent, this is the furniture show for you. I’ve been to this event several times in it’s history and the work is truly beautiful.
September 21st: Sunrise Yoga at American Heart Association’s Heart Walk. Want free yoga? This yoga event is hosted by one of my favorite yoga instructors, Alicia Hansen. Grab a mat and head on down to Mall C bright and early at 7 am and catch a gorgeous fall sunrise.
September 21st: CAN celebrates Women in the Arts. This is a ticketed event in super cool venue, supporting women in the arts, specifically Jennifer Coleman, the George Gund Foundation Senior Program Officer for the Arts and Kristen Cliffel, artist and recipient of the Cleveland Arts Prize Mid-Career Prize in Visual Art.
September 25th: Women’s Leadership Conference of Northeast Ohio I attended this event last year and it was an inspiring, educational day! This year’s event has an impressive, diverse set of speakers - if you have the time, I highly recommend attending.
September 27th: Night Market is back! This festival is always a blast, and features so much good food!
September 28th: Tremont Arts & Cultural Festival. It’s been several years since I’ve been to this event, mainly because there are so many competing arts festivals that feature similar artists. But I remember this having a really solid lineup of artists and vendors, so I’m going to try and check it out this year. If you’re not familiar with Tremont, this is a must-do, and then hang out after and walk around to check out some of the neighborhood restaurants and bars.
September 28th: SAKS + Modern Musings fall beauty event. My friend and fellow blogger Kimberly of Modern Musings is hosting a fall beauty showcase at SAKS. This event is free and open to the public so if you’re interested in learning more about fall beauty trends, this is the event for you. Rumor has it there’s a massive beauty giveaway happening too.
September 29th: Ohio City Street Festival This is another fun neighborhood festival featuring neighborhood restaurants, games for kids, ice-cream, and general end of summer fun!
October 2nd: Unpacking Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace with Together Digital. TI’m the Diversity and Inclusion Chair for the Cleveland Chapter of Together Digital, and this is our last open event of the year. So, if you’ve been curious about this organization, please attend this event. I will be moderating a panel of two fabulous speakers in the D&I space, and our panel will unpack the following topics:
Checking-In: Where does your institution stack up?
Advocating: How to make decisions that create diverse, equitable, and inclusive spaces for yourself and others.
Leading the conversation: Unpacking diversity, equity, and inclusion when you're not in charge.
Recruitment: Attracting and retaining diverse candidates and employees.
This is a women-only event and signups are required.
October 4th: MIX at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Art, drinks, dancing at the Museum. What could be better? Nick and I attended the September MIX and had such a blast. The October MIX celebrates the opening of the museum’s Michelangelo exhibit and features DJ Mick Batyske, who has deejayed private events for the likes of Jay-Z, Michelle Obama, Sotheby’s, Vanity Fair, and MTV. Pro tip: Get dinner before you show up so you can dance until the event ends! This event is free for CMA members, but is a paid ticket event for non-members.
October 5th: Ciao! Cleveland. This inaugural day-long festival will feature a wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, fashion, art, alcohol, coffee, music and of course FOOD! This event kicks off Italian Heritage Month around the Country!
October 6th: International Cleveland Community Day at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Celebrate all the communities that make up Cleveland with music, dance performances, art activities and in-gallery experiences. The day will also include a Naturalization Ceremony to welcome new U.S. citizens (it’s a beautiful ceremony if you’ve never witnessed one) and a line-up of short films from the New York International Children's Film Festival.
October 14th: CIFF Comedy Short Films at JukeBox! The next CIFF isn’t until March/April 2020, but this event gives you just a little taste of one of my favorite parts of the festival - enjoy some laughs with some drinks and pierogies!
I will update this list each week. ENJOY!
If you are hosting an event and would like me to mention it, please email me using the Contact Page on my website. These events are sorted by date so please make sure your event has not already been included when you email me. Thanks!