1. Listen To Your Favorite Holiday Music: The holiday season in Cleveland isn’t the holiday season in Cleveland without Star 102 – Cleveland’s Christmas Station! Listen to our Christmas 102 mix of music all season long, and be sure to vote in our holiday poll to decide what songs we play and when. Take us on the go with the radio.com app!
2. Gift of Lights: Gift of Lights is a family friendly 1+ mile drive-thru holiday light display featuring nearly one million twinkling lights, a 200+ foot light tunnel, up to 40 full light static & animated displays and other holiday activities! More Info.
3. Visit I-X Christmas Connection: Kick off the Holiday shopping season at the 31st Annual I-X Christmas Connection! From November 18th thru the 20th at the I-X Center, explore over 600 booths filled with crafts and unique gifts, letting you find the perfect present for everyone on your list! Enjoy live festive entertainment, visit with Santa and reminisce with movies from Christmas past! More Info.
4. Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Get ready to light up the New Year’s with TSO at Quicken Loans Arena Dec. 31st at 3 and 9 PM. More info.
5. Help Light The Tree At Crocker Park: Every year Jen and Tim help kick off the holiday at Crocker Park – including lighting their beautiful, huge Christmas tree. Join us for a family-friendly celebration. More info.
6. The Cleveland Flea Holiday Maker Market: Fill the stockings, trim your tree, complete your gift list (not to mention your wishlist) with locally made magic by over 80 vendors! More Info.
7. Adult Swim Christmas Ales & Ciders: The Greater Cleveland Aquarium presents Captain Neo’s Adult Swim, a series of rambunctious tasting parties featuring a different theme each night. More info.
8. Holidays at Frostville: A special candlelight walk, luminaries, horse drawn carriage rides, food, drink and Father Christmas at a 19th century holiday village. More info.
9. Visit Castle Noel: Castle Noel is America’s largest year round Christmas entertainment attraction and houses the world largest privately held collection of Christmas movie props and costumes.They have millions of dollars of incredible animated New York city Christmas windows from Saks fifth ave, Lord and Taylor, Bloomingdales, and Macy’s More info.
10. Vegan Thanksgiving Feast: Feeling a little left out as a vegan on Thanksgiving? Visit the bar Now That’s Class in Cleveland and take part in their annual vegan Thanksgiving feast! More info.
11. Volunteer: Let’s not forget the focus of the holiday season – giving. Take some time to volunteer in your community – from donating food or toys to helping at a local institution. Be sure to give back in more ways that will fit under your Christmas tree.
12. Give Holiday Food To A Friend: If you’re making holiday treats this year for Thanksgiving or Christmas, why not make extra and bundle some up for a neighbor, coworker or friend?
13. Visit With Old Friends: – Nov 25 is the biggest bar night of the year – and that’s because so many people are in town for Thanksgiving that they go out the night before with old friends. Don’t let Facebook be the only connection with you and your past – reach out to a friend who might be in town and go out for a drink together.
14. Turkey Trot: Join more than 7,000 Pilgrims and Turkeys in downtown Cleveland for this Thanksgiving morning tradition. More info.
15. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Don’t miss this year’s parade! More info.
16. Celebrate Thanksgiving: Some think Thanksgiving gets lost in the holiday celebrations, but to us at Star 102, Cleveland’s Christmas Station we think Thanksgiving is a part of the celebrations. All the winter holidays together! Enjoy filling up on your favorite food with your family and friends today.
17. Cut Down Your Own Christmas Tree: – Forget the fake stuff, take the time to go out and cut down your own Christmas tree from one of the farms around Cleveland. It’s a fun – though pretty tiring – family event!
18. Glow: Cleveland Botanical Garden’s winter spectacular and one of Cleveland’s most celebrated holiday traditions returns. More info.
19. Black Friday Shopping: If you’re looking for holiday deals, everyone knows that getting in line and fighting the crowds on Black Friday is one way to do it. Be sure to read our tips on where to get the best deals!
20. Decorate Your Christmas Tree – Make it a fun family event and try something different this year!
21. Mannheim Steamroller: Mannheim Steamroller Christmas comes to PlayhouseSquare. More Info.
22. The Nutcracker: The Cleveland Orchestra presents George Balanchine’s The Nutcracke with the Pennsylvania Ballet at Playhouse Square. More info.
23. The Santaland Diaries: Produced by Cleveland Public Theatre, The Santaland Diaries by acclaimed author David Sedaris is the semi-autobiographical story of a 33-year-old out-of-work actor who takes a job as “Crumpet,” a Macy’s Christmas Elf, in 1989. More info.
24. Festival of Trees: Get into the spirit of the season with the Cleveland Play House’s beloved annual holiday tradition, Festival of Trees. The Allen Theatre Lobby spaces will shine brightly with the twinkling light of trees masterfully decorated by local designers. More Info.
25. Behind-the-Scenes of A Christmas Story: The pink-bunny-suit world of our holiday favorite A Christmas Story doesn’t just show up in the mailbox like a Little Orphan Annie decoder pin! It takes planning, coordination, and organization. More info.
26. Festival Of Trees: Visit the Cleveland Play House lobby will showcase more than 20 different trees that are decorated by local designers, with each tree adorned based on a different theme or style. More info. Nov 27 – Dec 19
27. Go Ice Skating At Wade Oval: – Wade Oval has an outdoor ice skating rink all through the season and free events. More info.
28. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Before Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, and Phantom of the Opera, there was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, still one of the top 5 most performed musicals in the world. Get your tickets early for Near West Theatre’s 2016 Holiday Extravaganza. More info.
29. Small Business Saturday Shopping: One of our favorite trends of the holiday shopping season is the day after Black Friday, which has been dedicated to shopping locally. Be sure to visit locally owned and operated stores all over our Cleveland community and get holiday gifts that support our neighbors! Nov 28
30. See The Star 102 Tinsel Team: Our Star 102 Tinsel Team will be on the streets spreading holiday cheer all season long. Click here to see where they’ll be next.
31. Downtown Cleveland Winterfest: Downtown Cleveland is your prime destination for kicking off the holiday season! On the Saturday following Thanksgiving, bring your family Downtown as Huntington presents Winterfest, an all day holiday celebration! Take in the magic as you experience Downtown’s vibrancy through horse and carriage rides, the tree-lighting ceremony at Playhouse Square, a fireworks show and more! More info.
32. Cleveland Pops Orchestra: Let the merry bells, horns, strings, flutes, and drums of the Cleveland POPS Orchestra bring a sparkle of magic to the most wonderful season of all. More Info.
33. Cleveland Orchestra It’s A Wonderful Life: Experience Frank Capra’s cherished holiday film classic as you’ve never seen it before – with Dimitri Tiomkin’s heartwarming score performed live by The Cleveland Orchestra! More Info.
34. Forest City Singers: Enjoy a free holiday performance from Forest City Singers. See Schedule.
35. Send Christmas Cards: Don’t wait until it’s too late! Break out the address book and send holiday cards to those near and far.
36. Cleveland Orchestra Christmas Concert: Check out one of the Cleveland Orchestra’s Christmas performances this holiday season! Schedule.
37. Cyber Monday Shopping: Don’t want to leave your computer to holiday shop? That’s a popular trend! The Monday after Thanksgiving is called Cyber Monday, and there are a ton of online holiday deals!
38. Bake Holiday Cookies: Get the family together and get out your favorite recipes – there’s no better time to share the love of baking than during the holiday season.
39. Watch 25 Days Of Christmas: Freeform (formerly ABC Family) has a history of playing holiday favorites every single day in the month of December!
40. A Christmas Carol: Charles Dickens’ classic tale comes to life at the Great Lakes Theater fon Playhouse Square. More info.
41. Toy Mania: A fun-filled look at toys from the past at the Cuyahoga County Library. Check upcoming schedule.
42. Walking Around Downtown: – Whether you’re downtown every day or only once in a while, it’s a whole new sight to see during the holidays. Bundle up and check out all the decorations, lights and shops around downtown!
43. 17th Annual Holiday Tour: – The 17th Annual Holiday Tour in the Warehouse District is scheduled for Wednesday, December 7th. More info.
44. Downtown Willoughby Tree Lighting Ceremony: – Kick off the Christmas Season in Downtown Willoughby with the Annual Tree Lighting! More info.
45. Help Us Help The Kids During Our Rainbow Radiothon: Our annual Rainbow Radiothon returns, a live fundraising broadcast to help the kids at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital hosted by Jen and Tim. More info.
46. Best Party Of The year: – 27th Annual Best Party of the Year to benefit the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland—a gala event complete with fabulous food featuring local restaurants, delicious drinks including a signature Martini Bar, exciting entertainment and endless dancing. More info.
47. Light Up Lakewood: Returning for its 8th year, this event drew 15,000 people last year. It features holiday vendors, live music, food, a parade, a holiday light display and fireworks! More Info.
48. Winter Lights Lantern Festival: A bright and innovative way to warm up your holiday season. Inspired by centuries-old, cross-cultural traditions of ceremonial lighting displays, the Winter Lights Lantern Festival features lantern displays inside the museum and the Environment of Lights installation on Wade Oval. More Info.
49. Visit The Christmas Story House: One of the best holiday movies of all time was shot right here in Cleveland and yes you can visit the classic home seen in the movie! Visit both Ralphie’s house and the museum across the street and don’t forget to get your picture with the leg lamp. More info.
50. Downtown River Holiday Walk: Don’t miss the fun and festivities at Downtown River’s Annual Holiday Walk! More info.
51. Cleveland Bazaar On Coventry A holiday shopping bazaar on Coventry! More info.
52. Visit Santa: – Each of our wonderful local malls have their own take on Santa’s workshop – either way it’s great to take your kids to visit Santa and let him know what they want for Christmas!
53. Jack Frost Festival of Lights & Light Up Berea Parade: Skating rink, ice sculpture, meet Santa, tree lighting ceremony, cookies and hot cocoa, fireworks and more! More info.
54. Reindeer Run 5K: The 17th annual event is held in Lakewood and involves a dash around Lakewood Park. More info.
55. Light Up the Lake This family-friendly event where people can enjoy a walk around Brunswick Lake and view holiday lights, listen to Christmas Carols, enjoy hot cocoa and sweets, a craft and photos with Santa all for FREE. More info.
56. Pet Photos With Santa: Bring your furry friend to meet Santa Claus at Crocker Park. More info.
57. Holiday Circlefest: University Circle institutions present a family event which includes music, exhibits, shopping, food and holiday cheer. More info.
58. Have A Snowball Fight: As soon as the first snow falls – no matter how old you are, make sure you take the chance to hit someone you love with a friendly ball of snow.
59. Q104 Holiday Show: Our sister station Q104 hosts a holiday show you won’t want to miss! More Info.
60. Cleveland Jazz Orchestra Christmas with Guest Artist Nia Drummond: CJO comes to Playhouse Square. More info.
61. Have A Christmas Movie Marathon: Everyone has their favorite holiday films! A great family tradition is snuggling up on the couch together, hot chocolate in hand, and watching your favorite films.
62. Ride A Toboggan: – The Metroparks offer great opportunities to ride a toboggan, just make sure you bring someone strong with you!
63. Santa Paws: Get an adorable picture of your pet to help benefit the animals of Lake Humane Society in Mentor. More info.
64. Ohio City Christmas Bar Crawl Crawl though Ohio City for the 4th Annual Christmas Bar Crawl.
65. Watch A Christmas Story: It’s a holiday classic with a few of the scenes shot right here in Cleveland!
66. Watch Bolshoi Ballet: The Nutcracker: Watch the timeless holiday classic, The Nutcracker, captured from the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, at the Cedar Lee Theatre Dec. 11. More Info.
67. Santa’s In Tremont: Get into the holiday spirit and join thousands of Santas in
Tremont for a fun and festive holiday run…jog…walk…and crawl! More info.
70. Drink a Christmas Ale: – The holidays aren’t the holidays without a Christmas Ale from Cleveland’s own Great Lakes Brewery.
71. Decorate A Gingerbread House: – You can bake your own or get a kit from the store – either way it’s more fun to do with a group and create your own little village!
72. Go Snow Shoeing: – Have you ever strapped on snow shoes before? You can rent them from the Cleveland Metroparks!
73. Ride A Trolley: – Downtown Cleveland offers FREE trolley rides as long as you get on with a smile! Bring a group of friends downtown and experience the magic of downtown Cleveland in this historic way.
74. Do A Random Act Of Kindness: – It’s what the holiday season is all about, after all. Clean snow off someone’s car, pay for their coffee, give them a thank you card…just do something nice for the sake of being kind!
75. Jim Brickman: Comfort & Joy: – This year Jim Brickman will bring together the sounds of the season with Comfort & Joy, the 2016 Holiday Tour. More info.
76. Make A Snow Angel: – There’s something relaxing and satisfying about dropping to your back and making an angel out of the snow in your yard.
77. Straight No Chaser – 20th Anniversary Tour: If the phrase “male a cappella group” conjures up an image of students in blue blazers, ties, and khakis singing traditional college songs on ivied campuses… think again. More Info.
78. Go Caroling: – Get a group of friends together and take part in this long time holiday tradition. No matter how good or bad your singing voice is, holiday cheer sounds good to everyone.
79. Go Skiing: – We’re lucky to have some wonderful ski resorts near by – grab your skis or your snowboard and hit the slopes with your family and friends.
80. Watch Christmas Specials: Check out holiday central on CBS to see what’s airing this year! More info.
81. Frosty 5 and Mistletoe Mile: Escape from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season by donning the ugly sweater your Aunt Marge knitted for you last year and running Western Reserve Racing’s 4th annual Frosty 5 Mile or Mistletoe Mile Fun Run. More info.
82. 24 Hours Of A Christmas Story: Every Christmas Eve you can watch 24 hours straight of our favorite holiday film on TV! Just don’t shoot your eye out.
83. Put Out Cookies For Santa: Whether or not you have little ones, why not keep the tradition going with cookies and milk on the fireplace.
84. Celebrate Christmas With The Ones You Love: Christmas Day is the reason for the season – be sure to share with family, friends – or whoever it is that means the most to you. Happy Holidays, everyone! Dec 25
85. Take A Family Picture: Forget about perfect selfie angles or lighting – just get your family together and take a photo. These are the memories you REALLY want to remember.
86. Watch The Cavs Beat The Warriors: The NBA Champion Cavaliers play the Warriors for a rematch of the NBA finals December 25.
87. Eat Leftovers: Christmas day may be over, but you know your fridge is full of leftovers. Enjoy your day off, make a sandwich out of everything and have another day’s feast.
88. Watch Elf: A new holiday classic, Elf is sure to be playing during the holidays this year.
89. Clean Out Your Stuff: Take down the holiday decorations, recycle all the boxes and wrapping paper and use the post-Christmas slow down as an opportunity to organize and get rid of things you don’t need. Consider donating!
90. Mr. Kringle’s Inventionasium Experience: Kringle’s Inventionasium® is more than just a visit with Santa, it’s an adventure all to its own – a fully immersive hands-on experience where guests take an active role inventing toys for the holiday season. More Info.
91. Sugar Plum Tour: This year’s tour goers will again enjoy a day touring five great Akron area homes decked out in holiday finery! More Info.
92. Make Christmas Ornaments: Nothing’s better than putting ornaments up on the tree years from now and remembering when you or your family made that yourselves.
93. Watch A Charlie Brown Christmas: Another can’t miss Christmas classic!
94: Decorate Christmas Cookies: A great holiday tradition.
95. Take An Ugly Christmas Sweater Family Photo: Ugly Christmas sweaters have become the norm in stores now so why not have something fun to send to friends and relatives.
96. Visit A Tree Farm: Choose and cut down your own tree.
97. Read Polar Express: A great holiday classic, then you can watch the movie too.
98. Ride On The Polar Express: Get tickets for the annual Polar Express from the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad! More Info.
99. Make Time To Visit: Christmas can be a tough time for some so make time to visit someone who needs encouragement.
100. Start Working On New Year’s Resolutions: Take the time to start the new year off right!
101. Have A Christmas Party: Have friends, coworkers and relatives join up for a potluck.
102. Listen to Star 102 Cleveland’s Christmas Station: Besides hearing your favorite holiday classics, you could win prizes, gift cards and more to help out with the holidays!