CLEVELAND (Sept. 1, 2021)— Days are getting shorter, pumpkin spice everything is back on the menu and fall fun is just beginning for Clevelanders and their visiting friends and family. With ways to celebrate Cleveland’s Hispanic heritage and an abundance of additional autumn activities, the time is right for residents to Roam the Land and experience all the city has to offer during the change in seasons.
HONORING HISPANIC HERITAGE IN THE LAND
Celebrated from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, Hispanic Heritage Month honors the history, traditions and contributions of Hispanic culture in the United States. In Cleveland, the heart of the Hispanic community is La Villa Hispana, an inclusive Latinx cultural district in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood. Whether it’s by taking a historic tour or experiencing the neighborhood’s art and cuisine, there are plenty of ways for Clevelanders to immerse themselves in local Hispanic heritage and honor the community’s cultural and economic contributions.
Explore the history
Locals can take a deep dive into the history of Cleveland’s Hispanic community through the Cleveland History Center’s
driving tour of the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, which boasts the densest Hispanic and Latinx population in Ohio. The self-guided tour is the perfect way for residents to learn something new and celebrate the culture that’s rooted in the neighborhood.
Taste Hispanic flavors
Residents can taste Hispanic flavors during
Latino Restaurant Week, Oct. 3-9. Latinx-owned restaurants will serve their specialties and help foodies find new favorites with customized restaurant week menus. From arepas to tacos and everything in between, it’s the perfect – and most delicious – way to experience an important part of Hispanic culture.
The city’s Hispanic food scene includes these favorites:
- Half Moon Bakery, at 3460 W. 25th St., offers a selection of baked goods for any appetite. With 12 varieties of empanadas on the menu, Latin-inspired breakfast items and incredible desserts including tres leches cake and flan, there’s something for every craving throughout the day.
- For over 20 years, Caribe Bake Shop has brought a taste of Puerto Rico to Cleveland. What started as a bakery focused on providing bread for Puerto Rican home cooks and restaurants, today is a restaurant offering cafeteria-style hot and cold food stations and Cubano sandwiches made with that same fresh-baked bread that spurred the business’ success.
- It’s one-stop shopping for locals at La Plaza Supermarket, located at 13609 Lakewood Heights Blvd. on Cleveland’s West side. After enjoying lunch from the taqueria known for its tacos, fresh salsas and other authentic Mexican fare, residents can take home a taste of Latin American with a shopping trip in the attached supermarket.
- Owner Lalo Rodriguez’s Mexican American heritage shines at Café Social Latinoamericano in Tremont. Coffee and espresso-based drinks are made with beans sourced entirely from Latin America. The baked goods for sale are a mix of Rodriguez’s family recipes and classic coffee shop selections. The café also serves as a place for local Hispanic artists to display and sell their work.
Take in the art
- So realistic that locals taking a quick look might mistake it for a real streetscape, the “It’s Up To Us” mural at the corner of West 25th Street and Clark Avenue reflects the Hispanic community’s experiences and the changing dynamics of the Clark-Fulton neighborhood. The mural, which spans an entire block and took Puerto Rican native John Rivera-Resto two years to complete, showcases the diversity of the community and merges social, political and economic stories.
- Clevelanders can celebrate the local arts scene with a visit to the new Pivot Center for Art, Dance and Expression, located in the former Astrup Awning Building at 2937 W. 25th St. The center is home to a number of local arts organizations, including the Inlet Dance Theatre and Ohio’s first independent Latino theater company, LatinUs Theater Company. Residents can also visit Cleveland Museum of Art’s Community Arts Center, which features murals created by local artists, offers community events and hosts special exhibits from the museum collection.
CULTURAL FESTIVALS & FUN
What do bratwurst, live jazz, an urban farm and a documentary about the Mrs. New Jersey United States pageant have in common? They’re all part of this fall’s lineup of festivals in The Land.
Cleveland Oktoberfest
Locals have double the chance to don their lederhosen this year as
Cleveland Oktoberfest, the celebration of the area’s Eastern European heritage, expands to two weekends. Attendees can prove how well they can hold their beer – literally – during the stein lifting competition, or they can watch some four-legged friends battle it out for bragging rights during the wiener dog race. There’s also live music, authentic German goods for sale and plenty of beer and food ready to be devoured.
- Friday, Sept. 3 - Monday, Sept 6. & Saturday, Sept. 11 - Sunday, Sept. 12; times vary by day
- Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, 19201 East Bagley Rd., Middleburg Heights
- Tickets ($15-$75) available online or onsite
Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival
As it marks ten years of celebrating Black film, life and culture, the
Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival returns this year with a hybrid event. Movie lovers can buy tickets for in-person showings, watch a film from home or travel back in time during the festival’s 90s Night at the Mayfield Road Drive-In. With over 60 films on the schedule including documentaries, dramas and short films, there’s something for all Cleveland cinephiles.
- Thursday, Sept. 9 - Friday, Sept. 17
- Passes for in-person events and online screenings available online
Welcoming Week
Residents can learn more about the many cultures that make up Cleveland’s population and build new connections during
Global Cleveland’s Welcoming Week, Sept. 10-19. There’s a variety of virtual events to enjoy, including ethnic cooking demonstrations, panel discussions and raffle drawings. The week also includes
Connect in the City on Sept. 11, a free event that invites new residents and established young professionals alike to experience Downtown Cleveland. It will feature food trucks, live music and a
downtown scavenger hunt with Cleveland-centric prizes for the winners.
- Full schedule of Welcoming Week events & registration for virtual events available online
- Pre-registration for Connect in the City scavenger hunt required; available online
Tri-C Jazz Festival
The sounds of live jazz will fill the air in Cleveland Heights as the
Tri-C Jazz Festival takes up residence at a new home – the Cain Park Evans Amphitheater. While the location may be different, this year’s event promises all the excitement of festivals past including artist talks, street performers, local vendors and a full schedule of live music. Residents can catch local talent on stage during Saturday night’s “A Moment in Cleveland” performance, celebrating jazz artists who hail from The Land.
- Saturday, Sept. 11 & Sunday, Sept. 12
- Cain Park Evans Amphitheater, 14591 Superior Rd., Cleveland Heights
- Advance passes available here
Fresh Fest Cleveland
Music, art and agriculture collide when
Fresh Fest Cleveland takes over Rid-All Farm in Cleveland’s Kinsman neighborhood. The event celebrates the fresh and local food being grown on the 26.5-acre urban farm while aiming to break down barriers within the neighborhood surrounding it. Festivalgoers can get a firsthand look at the farming operation and enjoy live music, local food, art installations and family-friendly activities.
- Saturday, Sept. 11; noon - 9 p.m.; free admission
- Rid-All Farm & Otter Park, 8129 Otter Ave., Cleveland
BRIGHT LIGHTS ARE BACK
The stage is set, and more live theater is ready to return to The Land. Whether it’s gathering the family for a night out or coming together with the community at the country’s oldest, producing African American theater, locals have ample opportunity to get their theater fix this fall.
Playhouse Square
Broadway lovers, rejoice! “The Lion King” is roaring back to town for two weeks in October. The audience will feel like they’ve been transported to the Serengeti as animals strut, swoop and leap around them in
Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theater. The family-friendly favorite serves as a primer to November’s kickoff of the
KeyBank Broadway Series.
- “The Lion King” runs Oct. 1-15
- 1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
- Tickets available online
Karamu House
The curtain will rise at
Karamu House’s Jelliffe Theatre for the first time since March 2020 as the nation’s oldest, producing African American theater opens its new season in October. Four shows are slated for the 2021-2022 season, starting with “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which tells the story of the artist widely known as the “Mother of the Blues” as she fights to regain control of her own music.
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” runs Oct. 8-31
- 2355 E 89th St., Cleveland
- Season subscriptions available now; individual tickets on sale Sept. 7
Cleveland Public Theatre
For those seeking a more hands-on theatrical experience, Cleveland Public Theatre’s
“Pandemonium” promises to deliver. After holding a virtual event last year, this year the CPT campus will again be transformed into an immersive choose-your-own adventure event, giving attendees the chance to experience live music, dance, theater and visual art while enjoying food and drink.
- Saturday, Sept. 18; 7:00 p.m.
- 6415 Detroit Ave., Cleveland
- Benefit tickets ($180) are available online
- All guests must be vaccinated against COVID-19
FALL FAVORITES RETURN
Before Clevelanders break out their parkas, there’s lots of perennial autumn excitement to enjoy. With leaf peeping, pumpkin patches and plenty of natural beauty, fall in the Forest City can’t be beat.
Ride the rails
Clevelanders can climb aboard and take in the fall foliage with a ride on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Special autumn excursions include the Fall Flyer, an Edgar Allen Poe-centric “Quoth the Raven” ride for Halloween and, for the 21+ crowd, an Oktoberfest-themed “Ales on the Rails” beer tasting ride. Locals can also travel back in time through the annual “Steam in the Valley” rides as the train is powered by a historic steam locomotive.
- Rockside Station, 7900 Old Rockside Rd., Independence or Akron Northside Station, 27 Ridge St., Akron
- Full schedule of events and tickets available online
Fall fun on the farm
It’s not really autumn without apple picking, and residents looking to find fresh produce have their pick of places. Locals can stock up on apples and pumpkins and enjoy a corn maze and wagon rides at
Patterson Fruit Farm’s Family Fun Fest. An afternoon of live entertainment, orchard tours and fresh fruit is offered at
Mapleside Farm’s Pumpkin Village.
- Patterson Fruit Farm: 8765 Mulberry Rd., Chesterland; Family Fun Fest hours & details online
- Mapleside Farms: 294 Pearl Rd., Brunswick; Pumpkin Village hours & details online
Take a hike
Options abound for getting back to nature or showing visitors the natural beauty of the region in the fall. Whether it’s taking a hike in the
Cleveland Metroparks, biking through
Cuyahoga Valley National Park or walking among the trees on the
Holden Arboretum Murch Canopy Walk, residents and visitors alike can leaf peep until their heart’s content.
DON’T FORGET: Destination Cleveland’s Concierge Team is also available to help residents and their visiting family and friends explore the region. Contact the team through email at
cleconcierge@destinationcle.org, live chat at
thisiscleveland.com, or stop at the Cleveland Visitors Center (334 Euclid Ave., Cleveland) Tues. - Sat., 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. to plan your fall adventures.
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ABOUT DESTINATION CLEVELAND: Destination Cleveland is Cleveland’s destination marketing and management organization. This private, non-profit organization’s mission is to drive economic impact and stimulate community vitality for Greater Cleveland through leisure and business travel. In 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic reduced visitation by 30 percent, with 13.8 million visits occurring. Prior to the pandemic, Cleveland hosted 19.6 million visits annually, with the County experiencing annual visitation increases that surpassed the domestic travel growth rate for nine consecutive years. For more information, visit www.thisiscleveland.com.