Ohio
21 Things to do in Northeast Ohio this weekend
CLEVELAND, Ohio – When you’re done cleaning up from Christmas, there’s plenty to do around Northeast Ohio. You can still catch holiday pop-up bars or get the family out for a lighting display through the New Year. The Cavaliers, Browns and Monsters are all playing home games. When you’re not shopping for a New Year’s Eve outfit, check out the places to celebrate the festive night around Northeast Ohio.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is always busy this time of year spreading holiday cheer with a metal and orchestral mash-up of classic Christmas classics. The band brings its “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” tour, complete with laser light show and pyrotechnic, to Rocket Arena the day after Christmas. Tickets start at $55
3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., Friday, December 26
Rocket Arena, 1 Center Court, Cleveland
trans-siberian.com
Public Square Cheer Garden
Public Square is busy for the winter holidays with ice skating, an outdoor bar, firepits with tasty s’mores, and holiday tunes. The IlluminateCLE Holiday Light Show takes place every hour. Free, except for ice skating fee.
5 to 10 p.m., Friday, Dec. 26
Noon to 10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 27
Noon to 8 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 28
50 Public Square, Cleveland
winterlandcle.com
Holiday Lantern Tours
Take an interactive, lantern-lit walking tour of this outdoor living history museum as 19th-century villagers welcome you into their decorated homes and share seasonal traditions. Tickets $18-$28.
Through Dec. 28
Hale Farm & Village, 2686 Oak Hill Road, Bath
wrhs.org
Frost: An Ice-Capped Garden Experience
Cleveland Botanical Garden turns into the an ethereal wonderland for the holidays, with towering ice arches, dazzling light installations, 500 poinsettias, kids activities and more. Tickets $7-$28.
Through Jan. 4
Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd. Cleveland
holdenfg.org
Magic of Lights
Now at Victory Park in North Ridegeville, this former drive-through holiday light display has been reimagined as a walk-through experience this year, letting visitors explore bright, festive scenes up close and at their own pace. Tickets $8-$17.
Through Jan. 3
Victory Park, 7777 Victory Lane, North Ridgeville
magicoflights.com
Wild Winter Lights
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s annual holiday display features over 1.5 million lights illuminating themed areas such as the Enchanted Forest, Swan Lake, Candy Lane, Polar Pathway and Santa’s North Pole Lodge. Tickets $24-$30.
Through Dec. 30
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland
clevelandmetroparks.com
Deck the Hall
It’s the most wonderful time of the year at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron. The historic estate has been decked out for the holidays, with multiple Christmas trees inside and more than a million lights outside. Tickets start at $28.
Through Dec. 30
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron
stanhywet.org
Kwanzaa
Greater Cleveland Kwanzaa Alliance Kwanzaa! Celebrating 60 years of Nguzo Saba. The celebration starts on Friday, Dec. 26 and continues through the week. Free
6 p.m., Friday, Dec. 26
East Cleveland Public Library, 14101 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland
facebook.com
Kwanzaa Celebration of Ujima at the Cleveland Public Library
The Cleveland Public Library offers immersion in the African and African-American cultural traditions of Kwanzaa. Clevelanders are invited to learn about the third principle of Kwanzaa: Ujima, a commitment to active and informed togetherness, where community problems are solved together. The event will include soulful music, storytelling and audience engagement. Free
Noon, Saturday, Dec. 27
Martin Luther King Jr. Branch of the Cleveland Public Library, 10601 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
cpl.libcal.com
A Night of Holiday Soul
Will Downing, Leela James and Avery*Sunshine perform together at KeyBank State Theater. Tickets start at $70.
7 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 28
KeyBank State Theater, 1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
playhousesquare.org
Home for the Holidays at Hilarities
Eight to 10 of Cleveland’s favorite comics, both old and new, will perform at Hilarities this weekend. Tickets $24
6:30 p.m. & 9:15 p.m., Friday, Dec. 26
Hilarities, 2035 E. 4th Street, Cleveland
hilarities.com
“The Hobbit”
Dobama Theatre transforms its intimate Cleveland Heights stage into Middle-earth for an imaginative staging of J.R.R. Tokien’s classic novel. Follow Bilbo Baggins as he leaves the shire and joins a band of dwarves on a quest filled with trolls, goblins and a fire-breathing dragon. Tickets $30-$48.
Through Jan. 4
Dobama Theatre, 2340 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights
dobama.org
Candy Land: It’s Wild in Ohio
Lake Metroparks turns the Candy Land board game into a nature-themed adventure, with crafts, scavenger hunts, exhibits, hot chocolate and weekend programs. Free.
Through Jan. 4
Penitentiary Glen Reservation, 8668 Kirtland-Chardon Road, Kirtland
lakemetroparks.com
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Phoenix Suns
Celebrate New Year’s Eve Day with the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the Phoenix Suns. Fans get a Cavalanche beanie. Tickets start at $62.
3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 31
Rocket Arena, Cleveland
nba.com/cavaliers
Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Browns takes on their favorite rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers in Cleveland this weekend. Tickets start at $75.
1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 28
Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland
clevelandbrowns.com
Cleveland Monsters vs. Rochester Americans
Cleveland Monsters face the Rochester Americans on the ice at Rocket Arena. Tickets start at $21
6:30 p.m., Dec. 29
Rocket Arena
clevelandmonsters.com
Cleveland Monsters vs. Toronto Marlies
Cleveland Monsters take on the Toronto Marlies. It’s Superman promotion night. The first 2,500 kids ages 14 years old and under receive Superman Monsters Capes. Tickets start at $21
6:30 p.m., Dec. 30
Rocket Arena
clevelandmonsters.com
The Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their ball-handling wizardry to Rocket Arena. The crowd will marvel at their skill and laugh at their comedy. Tickets start at $52
3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 28
Rocket Arena, Cleveland
rocketarena.com/events
Cleveland Metroparks Toboggan Chutes
Find your thrill in the chill at the Chalet in Strongsville, whooshing down twin 700-foot refrigerated ice chutes on an old-timey toboggan. Reservations required. Tickets, $13-$15.
16200 Valley Parkway, Strongsville
Through Feb. 22
clevelandmetroparks.com
Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses
The Cleveland Museum of Art’s largest fashion exhibition to date explores how Italy’s artistic past influences modern design. Pieces from Versace, Valentino, Armani, Ferragamo and Gucci are displayed alongside Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces. Tickets $8-$17.
Through Feb. 1
Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland
clevelandart.org
LeRoy Neiman: A Keen Observer of Style
LeRoy Neiman (1921-2012) was for his brilliantly colored, expressionist paintings and screenprints of athletes, musicians, and sporting events. A special exhibition at the Kent State University Museum looks at his early work as a fashion illustrator and how it influenced his his interest in capturing the clothing, gesture and style of his subjects.
Through June 27
The Kent State University Museum, 515 Hilltop Drive, Kent
kent.edu