July happens this week. A new month, a fresh page on the calendar, another Fresh Start. In Cleveland, the month of July represents the peak of summer fun. This week, OA’s Fresh Start has four must-do’s – all of which celebrate the best of summer. With the Fourth looming, we point you downtown for the best of the area’s Independence Day celebrations. Then we send you into the heart of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, follow it with a stroll down Cleveland’s largest art and antiques shopping district, and cap things with a real “Polka Varieties” in honor of the late Paul Wilcox. Many of us grew up with “PV” on Sunday afternoons and might not have found a certain Denton, Texas, quintet without him.
Red, White and Boom!
There is no better Fourth nod than the free Public Square Star Spangled Spectacular with the Cleveland Orchestra. Thousands will jam Public Square Thursday, July 1 for the festival-concert combo, which features youth ensembles, family activities and a powerful orchestral set with assistant conductor Tito Muñoz at the baton. Works by Bernstein, Copland, Gershwin and John Williams (Star Wars) make up the performance, with an Armed Forces Salute and a rendition of Tchaikovsky’s grandiose 1812 Overture rounding out this audio-visual delight, complete with choreographed fireworks to boot. Now that’s what we call “Hot in Cleveland.”
Park it Here
Not that anyone needs an excuse to venture into the gorgeous Cuyahoga Valley National Park, but the two installments of the Boston Mills Artfest are as good a reason as any. The ski resort offers a wide array of fine art and handcrafted wares from hundreds of regional artists every year; thousands come for everything from paintings, glass and ceramics, to furniture, jewelry and apparel, sculpture and mixed media. Great art, tasty food, live music and “a day on the green” – what could be better? Ever since the Richfield Coliseum closed, the BMA has been my favorite reason to get off of I-77 at Miller Road. The second and final fest of 2010 starts Thursday, July 1 and runs through the weekend.
More than 'Mere Art
If you can’t get enough of the art and creativity at Boston Mills, consider a stop at the ultra-cool and low-key Larchmere Flea Market & Festival, which takes place this Saturday, July 3. Art and antiques are the primary focus of this flea market/sidewalk stroll, which also offers the cheeky Bazaar Bizarre art-craft show, a local author book fair at Loganberry Books, the Larchmere Uncorked wine event and more.
Combo Pack
If you’re not tethered with a stroller at the Larchmere Flea Market & Festival, head to the Waterloo Arts District for the dynamite Brave Combo, performing at the Beachland Ballroom that night. They intermingle polka, salsa, zydeco, meringue and more, creating a truly global music journey in the process.
After a week like that, you’ll have plenty to talk about at your family’s annual Fourth picnic this Sunday.
