The Cleveland summer festival season gets underway each year the weekend before Memorial Day when the Hessler Street Fair and the Cleveland Asian Festival are first out of the gate.
From then until mid-September, the calendar is stuffed with places to go and things to do.
We’ve assembled a list of major events in the area so you can plan your summer now. Hopefully, it will get warm — sometime.
Cleveland Asian Festival, Asiatown — May 18-19
http://clevelandasianfestival.org/2013/
Hessler Street Fair — May 18-19
http://www.hesslerstreetfair.org/
Blossom Time, Chagrin Falls — May 23-27
Rockin’ on the River, Cuyahoga Falls — Fridays May 24-August 30
http://www.rockinontheriver.com/
Great American Rib Cookoff & Music Festival, Nautica — May 24-27
http://www.marcs.com/Fresh-Savings/Promotions/Marc-s-Rib-Cook-Off-and-Music.aspx
Berea National Rib Cookoff, Berea Fairgrounds — May 24-27
Bessie-on-the-Lake Festival, Geneva on the Lake — May 24-27
Tremont Greek Fest — May 25-28
Hale Farm & Village opening weekend — June 1-2
http://www.wrhs.org/Properties/category-35717e6f-bb5e-4267-87b8-b8ed6b7227d3.aspx
Bellaire-Puritas Arts Festival — June 2
http://bpdc.org/events/annual-arts-festival/
Parade the Circle, University Circle — June 8
http://www.clevelandart.org/events/special-events/parade-the-circle/about
Party in Gordon Square — June 8
North Coast Harbor Boating & Fishing Festival, E. 55th Street Marina — June 8-9
Art by the Falls, Chagrin Falls — June 8-9
http://valleyartcenter.weebly.com/art-by-the-falls-june-8-9.html
Wade Oval Wednesdays, University Circle — Every Wednesday June 12-August 28
http://www.universitycircle.org/events/2012/06/wow-wade-oval-wednesdays
Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival — June 14-16
http://www.ducttapefestival.com/
Cleveland Wine Festival, Voinovich Park — June 14-15
Clifton Arts Fest — June 15
http://www.cudell.com/artsfest.asp
BayARTS & Music Festival — June 15
http://bayarts.net/events/upcoming-events.aspx
Shaker Heights Art & Music Festival — June 15-16
http://shakeronline.com/news-and-events/shaker-heights-arts-music-festival
Downtown@Dusk, Akron Art Museum — Thursday June 20-August 15
http://akronartmuseum.org/calendar/list/idowntowndusk-i/34/
Larchmere Porchfest — June 22
http://larchmereporchfest.org/
International Folk Festival — June 23
http://www.internationalfolkfestival.org/
66th Annual Italian Festival, Berea Fairgrounds — June 28-30
http://www.italianamericansummerfestival.com/
Boston Mills Art Fair — June 28-30 and July 5-7
http://bmbw.com/boston_mills_artfest.html
Cleveland Pride Parade & Festival, Voinovich Park — June 29
Waterloo Arts Fest — June 29
http://waterlooartsfest.com/new/
Star Spangled Spectacular with the Cleveland Orchestra, Public Square — July 1
http://www.clevelandorchestra.com/index.aspx
Red, White & Blue Akron Rib Festival, Lock 3 Live — July 3-6
http://www.akronribfestival.org/
Tall Ships, North Coast Harbor — July 3-7
Italian American Festival, Lock 3 Live — July 12-14
Cain Park Arts Festival — July 12-14
http://www.cainpark.com/index.aspx?page=676
Painesville Party in the Park — July 19-21
Cleveland Irish Festival, Berea Fairgrounds — July 19-21
http://www.clevelandirish.org/
African American Festival, Lock 3 Live — July 21
http://www.lock3live.com/events.aspx
Taste of Tremont — July 21
http://www.tasteoftremont.com/
Parma Russian Festival — July 26-28
http://clevelandrussianfestival.org/
Burning River Festival — July 26-27
http://www.burningriverfoundation.org/
Headlands Beach Fest, Mentor Headlands — July 27
http://cityofmentor.com/visit/headlands-beachfest/
Family Unity in the Park, Luke Easter Park —July 27
http://www.thefamilyunityinthepark.com/
Rock City Festival, Sheffield — July 26-27
http://rockcityproject.com/rock-city-festival/
LKWD Music Festival, Lakewood — July 28
http://mahalls20lanes.com/?page_id=124
Twins Day Festival, Twinsburg — August 2-4
Lakewood Arts Festival — August 3
Puerto Rican Festival, Municipal Lakefront Parking Lot — August 3-4
Warehouse District Street Festival — August 4
Cuyahoga County Fair, Berea — August 5-11
Midwest Reggae Fest, Nelson Ledges Quarry Park — August 9-11
http://www.midwestreggaefest.com/
Feast of the Assumption Little Italy — August 15-18
Weapons of Mass Creation, Gordon Square — August 16-18
Raccoon Music Festival, Burton — August 17
http://centuryvillagemuseum.org/events
8th Annual Hamburger Festival, Lock 3 Live — August 17-18
http://www.hamburgerfestival.com/
Cleveland Pagan Pride, Bedford — August 24-25
http://clevelandpaganpride.org/
Celtic Feis, Geneva-on-the-Lake — August 24
http://www.oldfirehousewinery.com/documents/celtic_feis.pdf
Great Geauga County Fair, Burton — August 29-September 2
http://www.geaugafair.com/geauga_county_fair.html
Oktoberfest, Berea Fairgrounds — August 30-September 2
http://clevelandoktoberfest.com/index.php
Taste of Hudson & Art Fair — September 1-2
11th District Caucus Parade & Picnic, Luke Easter Park — September 2
Thunder on the Strip Motorcycle Rally, Geneva-on-the-Lake — September 5-8
http://www.thunderonthestrip.com/
Cleveland Garlic Fest at Shaker Square — September 7-8
http://www.clevelandgarlicfestival.org/
Skunkfest in North Ridgeville — September 14
http://www.skunkhaven.net/SkunkFest.htm
Sparx City Fest — September 21
http://www.downtowncleveland.com/events/sparx-city-hop.aspx
Tremont Art & Cultural Festival, Lincoln Park — September 21-22
Ripe! — September 21-21
https://www.cbgarden.org/calendar-of-events.aspx?eid=12&ModuleId=221
Cleveland Dragon Boat Festival — September 21
http://www.clevelanddragonboatfestival.com/
Chalk Festival, Cleveland Museum of Art — September 21-22
http://www.clevelandart.org/events/special-events/chalk-festival/about-chalk-festival
Ingenuity — September 20-22
http://ingenuitycleveland.com/