One common phrase that will come out of your kids mouth during their summer vacation will be “I’m bored!”
Have no fear, we’re here to help with 102 suggestions on what to do when you hear those dreaded words.
Local Events:
Berea’s National Rib Cook-Off – May 27-30 – Over the past 17 years, residents from all over Northeastern Ohio have come to Berea to enjoy Memorial Day Weekend’s annual symbolic summer kick-off: Berea’s National Rib Cook-Off presented by the Berea City Club. This year will mark the festivals 18th year at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds.
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Canton Blues Fest – June 10-11 – Northeast Ohio’s premier free blues festival, Canton Blues Fest, will take place on two stages over two days. It’s all happening on Market Square in downtown Canton.
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Volunteer at the RNC – July 18-21 – The GOP is looking for enthusiastic peopl who can help them by providing operational support throughout Cleveland. Some of these duties might include, but are not limited to, runners, greeters, transportation, Americans with Disabilities trained volunteers (ADA), drivers, and event wayfinders.
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Ride in VeloSano – July 29-31 – Bike to cure. VeloSano is more than a fundraising event. It’s more than simply a bike ride. VeloSano is a movement that will unite an entire community to help one another. The goal is to bring sustainable funding to support cancer research by enlisting the passion and energy of thousands of people who wish to give back. Whether you are an avid cyclist, a compassionate crusader, or a spirited fan, YOU can participate in VeloSano.
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Host an Olympics Watch party – August 5-21 – The 2016 Summer Olympics is a major international multi-sport event in the tradition of the Olympic Games due to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Wade Oval Wednesdays – June 15 – August 31 – Enjoy a FREE concert each Wednesday night in Wade Oval from 6:00-9:00 p.m. in the heart of University Circle. Movies start at 9:00 p.m. on select nights.
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Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom – July 2 – September 4 – Festival highlights include Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Franz Welser-Möst conducting Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”) as well as works by Adès and Strauss; Blossom’s traditional, star-spangled celebration with the Blossom Festival Band, A Salute to America; Michael Feinstein with The Cleveland Orchestra performing Broadway hits and classic songs by Ellington, Berlin, and Gershwin; The Silk Road Ensemble with cellist Yo-Yo Ma; the Blossom Festival Orchestra in a concert featuring The Music of Led Zeppelin: A Rock Symphony; and the Blossom Music Festival debut of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra performing Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 2, 3, 5, and 6.
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Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival in Canton – August 6 – The Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival department of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce enjoys a huge level of support from members, volunteers, sponsors, governmental services, and especially, from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A team of more than 4,200 volunteers works year-round with the professional staffs at the Hall and Chamber to plan and stage 19 events over a two and a half week period for the enjoyment of nearly 700,000 people.
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Lake Erie Crushers game – Now through Sept 4 – Grand-Slam Family Fun! Affordable tickets with an even better view of the ballpark and great promotions.
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Lake County Captains game – Now through Sept 5 – Classic Park, located 15 minutes from downtown Cleveland, is the home of the Lake County Captains Professional Baseball Club, the Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The state-of-the-art facility features a variety of event spaces that can accommodate events of all sizes, including concerts on the playing field, fundraisers, meetings and parties.
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Akron RubberDucks game – Now through Sept 5 – This beautiful facility was designed by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc. out of Kansas City, Missouri. The steel-framed edifice was built in 14 months, between January, 1996 and March, 1997. HOK is the same company that designed other baseball gems like Progressive Field in Cleveland and Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.
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Indians game – Now through Sept 25 – Progressive Field is a world-class facility that was created expressly for baseball, specifically for Cleveland. This urban ballpark and Cleveland landmark offers a fan-friendly facility within an intimate environment.
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Cedar Point – Now through Oct. 30 – This summer, The Roller Coaster Capital of the World!® does it again with the introduction of Valravn, the TALLEST, FASTEST & LONGEST dive coaster in the world! Climb 223 feet into the sky before you’re held over the edge for 4 seconds. Then, it’s a 75-mph, 90-degree dive straight down toward the midway. Flip upside-down three times and plunge into a second dive during this 3-minute journey. But it doesn’t end at Valravn – there’s more to see and do in 2016, from new food offerings to spectacular live entertainment. Pick up a 2016 Season Pass and enjoy the fun all summer long!
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Twins Festival – August 5-7 – “TWINS DAYS: Twinfinity and Beyond!” The Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio is the largest annual gathering of twins (& other multiples) in the world! 2015 marked a major milestone for the Twins Days Festival and its twin family… its 40th festival!
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Cleveland Gladiators game – The Cleveland Gladiators are an arena football team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, who play in the Arena Football League as part of the AFL National Conference.
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Browns Training Camp – Dates TBA – The Browns have held training camp practices at their home site in Berea since 1992. More than 111,000 fans have attended Browns training camp over the past three years.
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Local Hot Spots To Visit
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad – cvsr.com
Kelleys Island – kelleysisland.com
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo – clevelandmetroparks.com/Zoo
PlayhouseSquare – playhousesquare.org
Marblehead Lighthouse – parks.ohiodnr.gov/marbleheadlighthouse
Cleveland Museum of Art – clevelandart.org
Cleveland Botanical Garden – cbgarden.org
Castle Noel – castlenoel.com
Lake View Cemetery – lakeviewcemetery.com
Wildwater Kingdom – wildwaterfun.com
Holden Arboretum – holdenarb.org/home
Great Lakes Science Center – greatscience.com
JACK Casino – jackentertainment.com/cleveland
National Inventors Hall of Fame – invent.org
Malley’s Chocolate – malleys.com
William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum – mckinleymuseum.org
Nature Center at Shaker Lakes – shakerlakes.org
Preston’s H.O.P.E. Playground Park – prestonshope.com
Ohio State Reformatory – mrps.org
West Side Market – westsidemarket.org
USS Cod – usscod.org
Hale Farm and Village – wrhs.org
Little Italy – clevelandlittleitaly.com
Lolly The Trolley – lollytrolley.com
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum – rockhall.com
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens – stanhywet.org
Greater Cleveland Aquarium – greaterclevelandaquarium.com
Memphis Kiddie Park – memphiskiddiepark.com
Edgewater Park – clevelandmetroparks.com
e55 on the Lake – clevelandmetroparks.com
Merwin’s Wharf – clevelandmetroparks.com
A Christmas Story House – achristmasstoryhouse.com
Canton Classic Car Museum – cantonclassiccar.org
Cleveland Museum of Natural History – cmnh.org
Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland – mocacleveland.org
Fun FREE Activities
Fly a kite
Go to an open mic night
Garage sales
Visit Amish country
Set a new world record
Have a yard sale
Volunteer
Test drive the newest cars
Host a wine tasting
Play golf
Go on a hike
Plant a garden
Go window shopping
Try a new brew at a local brewery
Try something new at a local restaurant
Grill
Watch a sunrise/sunset
Have a bonfire and make s’mores
Enjoy a cold bowl of ice cream on a hot summer day
Have a water balloon fight
Go skydiving
Blow bubbles
Have car wash
Have a picnic
Host a luau
Play Frisbee
Enjoy a day at the playground
Play tennis
Set up a lemonade stand
Horseback riding
Go for a run
Take a road trip
Build a birdhouse
Go to a concert
Make your own cornhole boards and have a tournament
Have an outdoor movie party
Go to a drive-in
Go to a farmers market
Feed the ducks
Watch a fireworks display
Get your face painted
Go camping
Go canoeing
Go swimming
Rollerblade around your city
Sail on Lake Erie
Go to a local fair/carnival
Just sit outside and enjoy the nice weather
Create a scavenger hunt
Enter an eating contest
Eat healthier
Go fishing
Star gaze on a clear night