We’ve already had a pretty intense winter, one of those snow- and ice-bound ones with the lake in a rare state of almost total freeze, that makes spring and summer a little hard to picture. But it is coming, with a packed schedule of festivals and special events.
But the festival season starts — now! For the last couple of decades, the season has kicked off with a pair of outdoor winter events: Kurentovanje, which takes place this weekend, and Brite Winter, which happens next weekend. And for music lovers and cold haters, the Lake Erie Folk Festival (indoors at Case Western Reserve) is celebrating its tenth annual event this weekend as well.
We’re hard to work putting together our annual festivals guide. Many haven’t firmed up their dates yet, but many others have. So we’re giving you a sneak peek at events you might want to put on your calendar.
Sat 2/14: Kurentovanje
https://www.clevelandkurentovanje.com
Sat 2/14: Lake Erie Folk Fest
https://www.lakeeriefolkfest.com
Sat 2/21: Brite Winter
Tue 3/17: St. Patrick’s Day Parade
http://www.stpatricksdaycleveland.com
Mon 4/6: Dyngus Day
Thu 4/23-Sun 4/26: Geauga Maple Festival
Sat 5/16-Sun 5/17: Cleveland Asian Festival
https://www.clevelandasianfestival.org/2026/
Sat 5/16: Street Art Jam
Fri 5/22-Mon 5/25: Berea National Rib Cook-Off & Beer Fest
Sat 5/23-Sun 5/24: Cleveland Reggae Fest
https://reggaefestcleveland.com
Sat 6/6: Pride in the CLE
https://lgbtcleveland.org/events/pride-in-the-cle-2026/
Sat 6/6: Kent Art and Wine Festival
https://mainstreetkent.org/2026-art-wine-festival/
Sat 6/6: Pride in the CLE
https://lgbtcleveland.org/pride/
Sat 6/6-Sun 6/7: Art by the Falls
https://www.valleyartcenter.org/artbythefalls.html
Sat 6/6-Sun 6/7: Art in the Village, Legacy Village
https://www.artfestival.com/festivals/art-village-craft-marketplace-cleveland-ohio
Sun 6/7: Bath Art Festival
Sat 6/13: The Hooley at Kamm’s Corners
https://westparkkamms.org/hooley/
Sat 6/13: Larchmere Porchfest
http://larchmereporchfest.org/
Sat 6/20: Island Wine Fest
https://www.visitputinbay.com/events/ohios-island-wine-festival/
Fri 6/19-Sun 6/21: Vermilion Festival of the Fish
https://www.vermilionohio.com/festival-of-the-fish/
Sat 6/20: BAYArts Art & Music Festival
https://bayarts.net/events/annual-art-music-festival/
Thu 6/25-Sat 6/27: Tri-C Jazz Fest
https://www.tri-c.edu/jazzfest/
Fri 6/26-Sat 6/27: Ohio Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
Fri 6/26-Sun 6/28: Put-in-Bay Pyrate Festival
https://www.visitputinbay.com/events/put-in-bay-pyrate-fest-xvii/
Sat 7/4: Boom at the Bay
https://putinbay.com/events/fourth-of-july-fireworks/
Wed 7/8-Sat 7/11: BorderLight Theatre Festival
https://www.borderlightcle.org
Fri 7/10-Sun 7/12: Jeep Invasion/World’s Largest Rubber Duck, Putin-Bay
https://putinbay.com/events/annual-put-bay-jeep-invasion/
Fri 7/10-Sun 7/12: Cain Park Arts Festival
https://cainpark.com/arts-festival/
Sat 7/11: Middle Bass Island Music Fest
https://millerferry.com/event/middle-bass-island-music-festival/
Sat 7/11-Sun 7/12: Garden Walk Cleveland
https://www.gardenwalkcleveland.org
Fri 7/17-Sun 7/19: Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival
Sun 7/19: Taste of Tremont
https://experiencetremont.com/featured-events/taste-of-tremont/
Tue 7/28-Sun 8/2: Lake Country Fair
Tue 7/28-Sun 8/2: Summit County Fair
Sat 8/1: Lakewood Arts Fest
Sat 8/1 & Sun 8/2: Puerto Rican Parade & Cultural Festival
https://www.puertoricanparade.org
Mon 8/3-Sun 8/9: Medina County Fair
https://www.medinaohiofair.com
Wed 8/5-Sun 8/9: Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend
https://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/
Fri 8/7-Sat 8/8: Vintage Ohio
https://www.visitvintageohio.com
Fri 8/7-Sun 8/9: Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg
Sat 8/8: Cuyahoga River Rally
https://www.canalwaypartners.com/events/2026/08/08/cuyahoga-river-rally
Sun 8/9: Akron Picklefest
https://www.oddmall.info/akron-pickle-fest/
Tue 8/11-Sun 8/16: Cuyahoga County Fair
Thu 8/13-Sat 8/15: Ohio Burlesque Festival
https://www.ohioburlesque.com/ohio-burlesque-festival-2026.html
Thu 8/13-Sun 8/16: Feast of the Assumption
https://holy-rosary.org/feast-info
Fri 8/14-Sun 8/16: Cleveland Pagan Pride
http://clevelandpaganpride.org/
Sat 8/15: Highland Square Porch Rockr
https://www.highlandsquareakron.org
Sat 8/22: Akron Pride
https://www.akronpridefestival.org/home
Sat 8/22: Bike Cleveland Fundo
https://www.bikecleveland.org/events/fundo/
Sun 8/30: One World Day
https://clevelandoneworldday.org/2026/
Thu 9/3-Mon 9/7: Great Geauga County Fair
Fri 9/4-Sun 9/6: The Made in Ohio Festival @ Hale Farm
Fri 9/4-Mon 9/7: Cleveland Taco Festival
Mon 9/7: 11th Congressional District Labor Day Parade & Festival
https://www.facebook.com/groups/91399258396/
Thu 9/10-Sun 9/13: Thunder on the Strip
http://www.thunderonthestrip.com/
Sat 9/12: Fresh Fest
https://www.freshfestcleveland.com/
Sun 9/13: Berea Arts Fest
Fri 9/18-Sat 9/19: Crocker Park Wine Festival
https://crockerparkwinefestival.com
Thu 9/24-Sun 9/27: Ravenna Balloon A-Fair
https://www.ravennaballoonafair.com/
Thu 10/1-Sun 10/4: Ohio Mart
https://stanhywet.org/events/exhibit-ohio-mart-2026
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One Response to “Here’s a First Look at Some of 2026’s Festivals and Special Events”
Carolyn Birchenall
2026 Peninsula Flea, Saturdays from 10-4 at Heritage Farms, 6050 Riverview Road, Peninsula, Ohio
Live music, food trucks, Vintage and Handmade shopping
June 6, 2026
June 27, 2026- first weekend of Boston Mills Art Fest
July 25, 2026 – Our “Christmas in July!” market
August 8, 2026 – Autumn Colors