Northeast Ohio is a virtual Mecca for the arts, with artists, museums, dance companies, classical and modern music, and theatre companies all across the region. And with the arts comes lots of fun, free things to do and see with family and friends during the last warm days of summer. We scoured the net to find a wonderful selection of outdoor events featuring visual arts, dance, music, theatre, and glass blowing. (Yeah, that’s right, glass blowing!) So stow those lawn chairs in the car, fill up your tank, grab your sunglasses and the kids, and get goin’!
10 am to 2 pm
685 Main Street, Vermilion, Ohio
This fab festival offers fresh seasonal produce, herbs and flowers, home baked goods, quality artwork and crafts, and more with plenty of free parking. Find it in downtown Vermilion just a few blocks south of Main Street Beach!
10 am to 3 pm
421 Spicer St, Akron, OH 44311
Watch free glassblowing demonstrations, meet some local businesses and organizations, even make a glass flower during this safe, family friendly community event!
11 am to 6 pm
Market Square at Crocker Park, 239 Market St., Westlake, OH 44145
This handmade festival features live music (three bands!), food trucks and a large handmade market! Located in the square at Crocker Park so you can spend the day shopping the handmade fair while enjoying a bite to eat and live entertainment!
Free parking on site.
10 am to 6 pm
Detroit Avenue between Arthur and Belle, Lakewood, OH
The 44th Annual Lakewood Arts Festival returns this Saturday! The festival is a juried exhibition of all media in fine arts and crafts and will feature over 100 artists from across the country including painting, prints and works on paper, photography, ceramics, art glass, sculpture, fiber, wood, jewelry and more. The Festival will also include community booths offering food, sweets, beverages, activities for children and live music will be performed throughout the day.
10 am to 5 pm
Big Creek Park, Geauga Park District, 9160 Robinson Rd, Chardon, OH 44024
Take in this 30th annual favorite featuring more than 30 exhibiting Nature artists, a farm market with locally produced/handcrafted goods, plus a variety of free family entertainment and food trucks! Parking at Big Creek Park is limited, so you may like to take a FREE bus ride from Chardon Square, where the Chardon Arts Festival will also be ongoing.
5 pm - 7 pm
Lincoln Park, Tremont, Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Shakespeare Festival is coming to Tremont’s Lincoln Park as part of the Arts in August weekend series. This is a FREE event.
Noon - 6pm
Clifton Boulevard between W. 115th & 117th Streets, Cleveland, OH, 44102
FREE and open to all! The Edgewater Sidewalk Fest is a summertime day full of outdoor activities, shopping, and dining for all ages along our beautiful Clifton Boulevard in Cleveland’s Edgewater neighborhood. Come unwind with volleyball, face painting, and oversized tabletop games. Take snapshots at selfie stations, bring your puppy for a stroll, or keep your hands free for treats from Cleveland Cookie Dough, Scoot! Cold Brew and other food pop-ups.
6 pm to 6:45 pm
Exchange House Akron, 760 Elma Street, Akron, OH 44310
ArtSparks is a series of engaging outdoor pop-up dance classes for children and families in locations across Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, and beyond. This event is FREE, but pre-registration is required in order to reserve a spot and receive updates regarding weather cancellation/reschedules. Be sure to register to save your spot!
7 pm
Lincoln Park, W. 14 and Starkweather, Cleveland, OH 44113
Guests are invited to bring blankets and/or a chair. Verb Ballets has brought the beauty of dance to the neighborhoods of Cleveland in this signature parks performance.
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
685 Main Street, Vermilion, Ohio
Fresh seasonal produce, herbs and flowers, home baked goods, quality artwork and crafts, food cart and more With plenty of free parking next to and near the Market. The market is in downtown Vermilion just a few blocks south of Main Street Beach.
10 am to 4 pm daily through October 5, 2021
9465 Kinsman Road (Rt. 87), Russell & Newbury Townships
Come out to the park for this annual show, now in its 15th year. A reception to meet some of the artists on opening night is scheduled for Friday, August 20, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Youth dance class 6:30pm | Interactive Story time 6:30pm | Performance 7:30pm
The Dealership, 3558 Lee Rd., Shaker Heights, OH 44120
Verb Ballets welcomes the community into Verb Ballets’ Center for Dance with the original series, Ballet Under the Stars. The evening will begin at 6:30pm with a free dance class for youth ages 5-14 or an interactive story time for little ones and caregivers in collaboration with the Shaker Library. At 7:30pm, the company will perform a highlight of works in the studio performance space with garage doors open to for guests to bring chairs to watch. During the performance, the students from the school’s Dance for Youth Division will make a special appearance. Classes are free to the community, but registration is required.
Sign up at https://verbballets.org/stars21/
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
685 Main Street, Vermilion, Ohio
Fresh seasonal produce, herbs and flowers, home baked goods, quality artwork and crafts, food cart and more with plenty of free parking next to and near the Market. The market is in downtown Vermilion just a few blocks south of Main Street Beach.
11:00am to 8:00pm
1055 Old River Rd, Cleveland, OH
The Flats East Bank is more than Cleveland’s best place to eat, drink, play and live. It’s flat out electric. Rising at the union of the Cuyahoga River and beautiful Lake Erie, the Flats East Bank is a lifestyle all its own, with cutting edge waterfront living and a combination of dining and entertainment options you won’t find anywhere else.
11:00am to 5:00pm
1055 Old River Rd, Cleveland, OH
The Flats East Bank is more than Cleveland’s best place to eat, drink, play and live. It’s flat out electric. Rising at the union of the Cuyahoga River and beautiful Lake Erie, the Flats East Bank is a lifestyle all its own, with cutting edge waterfront livingand a combination of dining and entertainment options you won’t find anywhere else.
7 pm
Lincoln Park, Tremont, Cleveland, OH
The Ensemble is a brass sextet consisting of two trumpets, horn, trombone, euphonium (baritone) and tuba. They perform a wide variety of music ranging from baroque and classical to the contemporary and popular including jazz and swing.
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
685 Main Street, Vermilion, Ohio
Fresh seasonal produce, herbs and flowers, home baked goods, quality artwork and crafts, food cart and more. With plenty of free parking next to and near the Market. The market is in downtown Vermilion just a few blocks south of Main Street Beach.
10:00am-5:00pm
Solon Community Park, 6679 SOM Center Rd., Solon, OH 44139
This pop-up festival is a community favorite! This large event will feature a variety of local artisans, crafters, delicious eats, food trucks and farmers’ market type vendors. Admission and parking are free in the park or at the middle school. As part of this year’s festivities, enjoy complimentary community fitness classes at the event!
7 pm
Lincoln Park, Tremont, Cleveland, OH
Papo Ruiz y la Dulzura de la Salsa was formed in the summer of 2006. They are a 13 Piece Salsa band whose primary music style is Salsa and Latin Jazz.
7 pm
Dunham Tavern Museum in Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Opera Theatre’s long-standing tradition of Opera for All Free Summer Concerts will be outdoors and Social-Distance-Safe for summer 2021.
7 pm
Lincoln Park, Tremont, Cleveland, OH
Cavani String Quartet: Annie Fullard and Catherine Cosbey, violin; Eric Wong, viola / Kyle Price, cello Amici String Quartet: Takako Masame / Miho Hashizume, violin; Lynne Ramsey, viola / Ralph Curry, cello
8 pm
Cain Park Evans Amphitheatre, 14591 Superior Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
Inlet Dance Theatre with live performance of the Cleveland Chamber Collective.
Noon to 3 pm and 7 to 9 pm Weekdays; 1 to 5 pm Weekends through September 12
This popular art show is one of Northeast Ohio's premier exhibits of painting, drawings, graphic prints and sculpture. The show features the creative expressions of talented artists residing in Northeast Ohio communities.
8 pm
Cain Park Evans Amphitheatre, 14591 Superior Rd., Cleveland Hts, OH 44118
For over 15 years, Verb Ballets has brought the beauty of dance to the Cain Park stage hosting this special annual tradition for residents. This performance is free to the community. Please help Verb know how many fans are attending by registering online at https://verbballets.org/cainpark21/.
10:00am-4:00pm
Emerald Event Center, 33040 Just Imagine Dr. Avon, OH 44011
Don’t miss this outdoor pop-up handmade market featuring 30 handmade artisans and crafters selling their items. Shop local, shop small and support your local makers!
1 pm to 4 pm
Art House Inc., 3119 Denison Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44109
Art House, a community arts center located on the West Side of Cleveland in Brooklyn Centre, is hosting a fun and inspiring Kick Off Event for the National Endowment of the Arts Big Read Project. The Big Read is a national program that promotes cultural exchange through literacy and art. This year’s book, The House on Mango Street by Susan Cisneros, is the story of life as a Mexican immigrant in the US. In partnership with Comité Mexicano de Cleveland and Cleveland Libraries, this event has something for everyone: Mexican dance, music, and readings from the book by local actors, a collaborative art project to be displayed throughout the year, free copies of the book, and, of course, a Taco Truck!
