Who says cooling temperatures are a signal to put festival season on ice for the year? Not us! In fact, Northeast Ohio's fall festival calendar is packed full of action-packed events, no matter whether your speed is bicycling or beer.
Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, Aug. 3 - Sept. 2, Sept. 6-7
Dubbed "Northeast Ohio's Largest Annual Outdoor Festival," Cleveland Oktoberfest is an exuberant bacchanalia devoted to beer, brats and family-friendly fun. Besides music that includes tribute bands Wanted (Bon Jovi), Diamond Project (Neil Diamond) and U2 Desire (U2), polka enthusiasts and Oktoberfest big bands, the Labor Day weekend event boasts shopping, art, children's activities and a belly-busting menu.
Crocker Park, Sept. 13-14
Sip on a selection of 150 wines (or craft beers and spirits, if that's more your thing) while noshing on food and enjoying art and music outside Crocker Park's South Main Street. Best of all, the festival is a benefit for Northeast Ohio-based health, wellness and military support organizations.
Rid-All Farm + Otter park, Sept. 14
Get ready to groove and grub at Fresh Fest, Cleveland’s annual bash celebrating arts, urban agriculture and healthy living. This year, the legendary Big Daddy Kane, a Grammy-award-winning hip-hop icon, will be headlining the festival along with other local artists. Expect live music that'll get you dancing, a mouthwatering lineup of food trucks, arts and crafts that'll unleash your inner Picasso, workshops that make wellness fun and activities galore.
Lake Metroparks Farmpark, Kirtland, Ohio, Sept. 14-15
Chances are, one of the 175 vendors at this annual two-day marketplace will have something you'll like — whether your tastes run toward furniture, home décor and jewelry, or delicacies such as produce, maple syrup and sweets.
Tremont, Sept. 21-22
Located in Lincoln Park, the 25th annual Tremont Arts & Cultural Fest highlights the enduring arts community in one of Cleveland's most beloved neighborhoods.
St. Clair-Superior, Sept. 27-29
One of the longest-running celebrations of the city's cutting-edge creative community, IngenuityFest, will take place at the community hub Hamilton Collaborative in late September. This year's festival theme, “Era of Ascent,” celebrates the 100,00 square foot expansion of IngenuityLabs and will feature half a dozen stages with hundreds of musicians, dancers, poets and performances of all types, maker and innovator exhibits, fine art and so much more.
Vermilion, Sept. 29
As any Clevelander will tell you, the woollybear is a type of caterpillar that's said to predict how harsh winters might be in a given year. The annual festival, which has been spearheaded for decades by beloved local meteorologist Dick Goddard — who will be on hand this year — pays tribute to these fuzzy prognosticators. Not only is there a huge parade, but the all-day festival boasts the Woollybear 500 Race, a King & Queen Woollybear Costume Contest and a Woollybear Animal Look-A-Like Contest.
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, Akron, Oct. 3-6
Art aficionados, rejoice: The 57th annual Ohio Mart is a well-curated shopping paradise boasting sculptures, jewelry, textiles, ceramics, glass, dried flower arrangements, books and clothing. Best of all, Ohio Mart is also a fundraiser for Stan Hywet — so you can scarf up some hot gingerbread and cider without guilt.
Various Neighborhoods, Oct. 4-13
Sure, every week feels like beer week in Cleveland, thanks to the many breweries that have opened here in recent years. However, Cleveland Beer Week — which actually runs 10 days this year — is especially an action-packed festival with tastings, dinners, unique keg tappings and tons of other beer-centric events.
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