CLEVELAND (Nov. 7, 2019) – Northeast Ohio will be brimming with holiday spirit over the next couple of months as several seasonal events complement the region’s year-round holiday-themed attractions. As festivities get underway, Destination Cleveland recommends that residents invite out-of-town family and friends to visit and explore all that The Land has to offer this holiday season.
TURKEY TIME
Thanksgiving at the Zoo
If the usual family Thanksgiving festivities are too tame, Clevelanders can channel their wild side and head to the
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to see their favorite animals feasting on treats. As a special thanks to the community, admission to the zoo on Thanksgiving Day is free.
- Thursday, Nov. 28, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Turkey Tech at the Great Lakes Science Center
Residents can feed their curiosity this November with family-friendly Thanksgiving fun at the
Great Lakes Science Center’s Turkey Tech event. Guests of all ages can nourish their brains with holiday-themed science shows, demonstrations and hands-on activities.
Larchmere Holiday Thanksgiving Stroll
Ten blocks of
Larchmere Boulevard will provide locals with opportunities to turkey trot their way through holiday shopping lists. Larchmere’s Historic Commercial District will open Thanksgiving weekend with carriage rides, caroling and holiday treats as well as shopping at local favorites like
The Dancing Sheep,
Loganberry Books and
Eclectic Eccentric.
- Friday - Saturday, Nov. 29 - 30, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
78th Street Studios Black Friday Event
Clevelanders can spend their Black Friday at Northeast Ohio’s largest art and design complex,
78th Street Studios, for an afternoon of shopping that supports small businesses. Various galleries and studios will be open, and 78
th Street Studios is pet-friendly, so locals can bring their four-legged friends along as they search for special presents.
- Friday, Nov. 29, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
DE“LIGHT”FUL DISPLAYS
Wild Winter Lights at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
New this year, residents can see their favorite animals in a festive light as the
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo transforms into a winter wonderland during Wild Winter Lights. Activities are available for making spirits bright with the whole family, including various interactive zones, a light show on Waterfowl Lake and photos with Santa.
- Fridays - Sundays, Nov. 22 - Jan. 5, 5:30 - 9:30 p.m. Wild Winter Lights will have additional weekday opportunities closer to Christmas. For complete schedule, visit futureforwildlife.org/lights
Glow at Cleveland Botanical Garden
This season, residents can join friends and family at
Cleveland Botanical Garden’s annual event, “Glow,” for a night of glowing homes and playful gnomes. The festive “Holiday Hollows” themed winter wonderland will give Clevelanders the chance to see decorated trees and gingerbread houses throughout the Botanical Garden. Visitors, with their eyes all aglow, can get creative with crafts, catch a ride on the Garden Express and maybe even finish their holiday shopping.
- Saturday, Nov. 23 - Saturday, Jan. 4
Wild Lights at the Akron Zoo
All will be merry and bright this holiday season at
Akron Zoo’s Wild Lights, where residents can “ooh” and “ahh” at displays decked out with animated lights set to holiday music. To ensure they are on the nice list this year, kids should be on their best behavior when they visit and take pictures with Santa. To avoid visions of sugarplums dancing in heads, visitors can stop by Mrs. C’s Sweets for s’mores and other sweet treats.
- Nov. 29 - 30, Dec. 1, 6 - 8, 13 - 15, 20 - 22, 26 - 30, 5 - 9 p.m.
Winterfest
Residents and their visiting family and friends can celebrate the start of the holiday season at the annual Winterfest holiday festival in Downtown Cleveland. This year’s event includes activities in Public Square like ice-skating at the Cleveland Foundation Skating Rink, live entertainment and the Winterfest Kids Village. Locals can continue to explore the city with additional activities at various locations throughout Downtown Cleveland including Tower City Center, the Cleveland Public Library, the 5
th Street Arcades and Playhouse Square. The day-long festivities will culminate with the tree-lighting ceremony, a visit from Santa and a fireworks show.
JACK Cleveland Casino’s Holidays at the Higbee
Continuing a longtime Cleveland tradition,
JACK Cleveland Casino will decorate its display windows as part of the casino’s “Holidays at the Higbee” celebration. The “Enchanted Winterland” themed windows along Ontario Street and Public Square will be decorated in partnership with other Cleveland businesses, highlighting holiday cheer and the community.
- Thanksgiving – New Year’s
WINTER WONDERLANDS
Ice Rinks at Public Square and Wade Oval
Locals can lace up their skates and hit the ice at either the Cleveland Foundation Skating Rink in Public Square or The Rink at Wade Oval in the University Circle neighborhood. Both rinks will be open throughout the holiday season for locals to show off their figure eights, jumps and spins.
Tobogganing at The Chalet at Mill Stream Run Reservation
Clevelanders looking to sleigh all day can experience thrills and chills at
The Chalet at Mill Stream Run Reservation in the
Cleveland Metroparks. Families and friends can spend the day laughing all the way down the twin, 700-foot refrigerated ice chutes (no snow necessary!). For a post-run warm-up, they can pop inside The Chalet for food and a cup of holiday cheer.
A Christmas Story 5K/10K Run
2019 is the year of THE word. The big one. That’s right, 2019 is the year of “Oh Fudge” for
A Christmas Story 5K or 10K. Participants are encouraged to dress like Ralphie, wear a leg lamp costume or jog in a bunny suit through the streets of Cleveland. Four-legged friends can even channel the Bumpus hounds by participating in the “Running of the Hounds.”
‘TIS THE SEASON FOR TOURS
Christmas Cleveland Walking Tour
Tours of Cleveland will offer a special Downtown Highlights Christmas tour throughout the winter season. This walking tour is a stroll down Euclid Avenue, beginning at Public Square and ending at Playhouse Square. Residents will learn fun Christmas facts about Cleveland as well as the history and holiday traditions of legendary department stores in the city. Participants on this Christmas-themed outing can keep warm with hot chocolate from Pour Cleveland, which is included with the tour.
Lolly the Trolley Holiday Lights Tour
For a dazzling display of holiday lights, Clevelanders can choose between the Silver Bells CLE tour or A Christmas Story House tour aboard
Lolly the Trolley. Residents will journey through the Tremont neighborhood and Downtown Cleveland to see festive sights like A Christmas Story House and the lights of Public Square, JACK Cleveland Casino and Playhouse Square as their favorite seasonal tunes play throughout the expedition.
Ghost of Christmas Past Candlelight Tours at Cleveland History Center
Clevelanders can channel Charles Dickens’ classic, “A Christmas Carol,” in the
Cleveland History Center’s Hay-McKinney Mansion during the “Ghosts of Christmas Past Candlelight” tour. As dusk settles around the historic mansion, guests can embrace the Christmas spirit and explore beautifully decorated rooms in an immersive tour experience.
- Every Friday and Saturday from Nov. 29 - Dec. 14; Thursday - Sunday Dec. 19 - 22
GIFT GIVING
I-X Christmas Connection at I-X Center
The
I-X Center will kick off the season of giving with a weekend-long Christmas shopping event. Guests can peruse more than 650 stands and fill their stockings with goodies ranging from crafts, specialty foods, home décor and jewelry. At the Christmas Connection’s Breakfast with Santa, families can sing and dance with ice princesses and snowmen as Mrs. Claus and her helpers help Santa find his way to the I-X Center.
- Friday, Nov. 22 - Saturday, Nov. 23, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 24, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Breakfast with Santa: Saturday, Nov. 23 and Sunday, Nov. 24; tickets required
Destination Cleveland Holiday Pop-Up at Crocker Park
Destination Cleveland will be adding to the seasonal festivities at Crocker Park with a holiday pop-up. Residents can stop by and learn more about what is happening in The CLE and experience special activities each weekend of the holiday season. As a part of the Visit Me in CLE campaign, locals can also send postcards to out-of-town family and friends, encouraging them to visit The Land.
- Destination Cleveland Holiday Pop-Up at Crocker Park: Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 23 - Dec. 22; Saturdays, noon - 8 p.m.; Sundays, noon - 5 p.m.
Cleveland Bazaar Shopping at 78th Street Studios
If residents are looking for one-of-a-kind gifts, they can make their way to the Cleveland Bazaar’s largest event of the holiday season at
78th Street Studios. Clevelanders can find handmade gifts for everyone on their nice list from both Bazaar makers and resident art studios.
- Saturday, Dec. 14, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 15, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
Scuba Claus at Greater Cleveland Aquarium
Santa Claus is comin’ to town this holiday season, and he’s stopping at the
Greater Cleveland Aquarium where families can see him dive with sharks. Guests can take pictures with Scuba Claus and ask questions about diving and marine life.
- Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 29 - Dec. 24., 1 - 2 p.m.; Monday, Dec. 23 and Tuesday, Dec. 24 will also feature Scuba Claus
Kringle’s Inventionasium Experience
Clevelanders don’t have to make a trip to the North Pole to see Kris Kringle’s workshop; instead, they can pay a visit to
Kringle’s Inventionasium Experience at Tower City Center in Downtown Cleveland. This interactive experience lets kids become honorary elves and help Mr. Kringle prepare for the holiday season by creating and testing toys in the top-secret inventing lab.
- Nov. 23 - Dec. 24
- To schedule a visit to Kringle’s Inventionasium Experience, visit www.mrkringle.com
Deck the Hall at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
Less than an hour from Downtown Cleveland, residents and their visitors can travel to
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens where the annual “Deck the Hall” will showcase the 65-room historic Manor House decorated in magnificent holiday décor. This year’s theme will feature classic comic heroes. While marveling at the grounds, guests can see the traditional poinsettia tree, a nightly tree lighting and a giant interactive snow globe.
- Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 5 - 8, 12 - 23, 26 - 30; for special holiday hours, visit www.stanhywet.org
Holidays at the Cleveland Museum of Art
For a holiday experience with art at the heart, the
Cleveland Museum of Art is extending its hours on select Saturdays. Evenings will feature a pop-up bar in the atrium with themed cocktails as well as a prix fixe menu at Provenance restaurant that is inspired by the “Michelangelo: Mind of the Master” exhibition.
- Saturday, Nov. 30, Dec. 28 and Jan. 4
Tea Time at The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland
If a fancy outing is a local’s cup of tea, an afternoon at one of
The Ritz-Carlton’s tea times is a must-attend. The Teddy Bear Tea will delight the young and young-at-heart with a kid-friendly tea menu, teddy bear gifts and story time with Mrs. Claus. The Holiday Tea serves up festive teas, sandwiches and sweets.
- Teddy Bear Tea: Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 8, 14, 15, 22, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.; tickets required
- Holiday Tea: Dec. 16, 17, 19, 27 - 29, 1 p.m.; tickets required
Light Up the Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake
Over the river and through the woods from Downtown Cleveland,
The Lodge at
Geneva-on-the-Lake is hosting an entire weekend of holiday fun. From a Christmas Ale tasting to a sip and paint session to a Christmas tree lighting with Santa and story time with Mrs. Claus, there’s an activity for Northeast Ohioans of all ages to get into the holiday spirit.
University Circle Holiday CircleFest
Residents can walk through the winter wonderland of
University Circle’s Holiday CircleFest. This holiday festival includes ice skating at Wade Oval, shopping for gifts, riding in a horse-drawn carriage, musical performances, ice carving demonstrations and other activities in the neighborhood’s gardens, galleries, museums, churches and schools. The Cleveland Art Museum will also join the fun with its
winter lights lantern workshop and procession.
- Sunday, Dec. 8, 1 - 7 p.m.
Wintertide at Gordon Square
For a day of winter fun, residents can take part in the activities of
Wintertide in the Gordon Square Arts District. From a screening of “A Christmas Story” at the Capitol Theatre to pop-up performances throughout Gordon Square’s storefronts, theaters and streetscape to crafts and photos with Santa at the Kids Zone at Near West Theatre, Clevelanders of all ages can join in on the holiday fun.
- Saturday, Dec. 14, 2 - 6 p.m.
Chanukah Candle Lighting at Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage
The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage will celebrate Chanukah by inviting Clevelanders of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights. Guests will enjoy learning about the story of Chanukah, singing traditional songs, making holiday crafts and touring special exhibits throughout the museum.
- Sunday, Dec. 22, 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Winter Wonder Days at Great Lakes Science Center
The experts at the
Great Lakes Science Center are forecasting a mix of science and fun over winter break! At Winter Wonder Days, the whole family can participate in science demonstrations, hands-on activities and other programs to beat the winter doldrums. Guests can also check out the new “Curiosity Carnival” exhibition while they are there.
SEASONAL SHOWS
Playhouse Square
Playhouse Square will be bustling with holiday cheer as guests check out the Festival of Trees and performances throughout the winter season.
Black Nativity at Karamu House
For a retelling of The Nativity Story – performed in gospel style and with popular Christmas carols – residents can enjoy
Karamu House’s presentation of Langston Hughes’ "Black Nativity." This annual favorite tells the story of Mary and Joseph's journey using song and dance, culminating in an inspiring finale surrounding the birth of Christ.
- Dec. 5 - 29; For showtimes, please visit karamuhouse.org
A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage at The Agora
Christmastime is nearly here, and the whole Peanuts gang will come to town to bring happiness and cheer. Clevelanders can see Charlie Brown, Snoopy and all of their friends in “A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage” at the
Agora Theatre and Ballroom. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s story of the spirit of Christmas, this production features the music of Vince Guaraldi and holiday carols performed by the Peanuts characters.
Cleveland Orchestra
Locals can hear the magic of the holidays unfold at Severance Hall during several performances. Residents can choose from the classic
Cleveland Orchestra Christmas Concerts, the
Christmas Brass Quintet performances and “
It’s A Wonderful Life in Concert,” where the Orchestra plays the score live in conjunction with the holiday favorite film. If locals can’t make it to one of the holiday concerts, they can still see
Severance Hall in its holiday splendor during a free public tour on select dates.
- It’s a Wonderful Life in Concert: Thursday, Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m.
- Christmas Brass Quintet: Friday, Dec. 13 - Saturday, Dec. 14
- Christmas Concert: Friday, Dec. 13 - Sunday, Dec. 15; Wednesday, Dec. 18 - Sunday, Dec. 22
- Public tours: Saturday, Nov. 23, Tuesday, Dec. 17 and Thursday, Dec. 19; For more information on tour times, please visit, www.clevelandorchestra.com
Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Clevelanders won’t want to miss the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” tour this holiday season at
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The concert, complete with a light and laser show synchronized to holiday music, will have residents rocking out in their seats.
- Friday, Dec. 27, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
For more holiday events or to learn more about Destination Cleveland or new attractions and activities, please visit
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DON’T FORGET: Destination Cleveland’s Concierge Team is also available to help residents and their visiting family and friends explore the region. Contact our team through email at
[email protected], live chat at
thisiscleveland.com or stop in the Cleveland Visitors Center (334 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 44114) Mon. – Sat., 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. to plan your adventure.
PLEASE NOTE: The Cleveland Visitors Center will operate under special hours the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Week of Thanksgiving: Wednesday, Nov. 27, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Thursday, Nov. 28, and Friday, Nov. 29, closed.; Saturday, Nov. 30, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Week of Christmas: Tuesday, Dec. 24, and Wednesday, Dec. 25, closed.
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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. Cleveland welcomes 19.2 million visitors annually. For more information, visit www.thisiscleveland.com.