Despite the flaws mentioned in the other reviews, Burning River Fest is worth attending if you're…read moreinterested in beer (specifically Christmas Ale), music, and environmental organizations. The other reviews made a couple valid criticisms: they don't let you bring in your own water bottles (although you could have sneaked in your own utensils to eat - haha), forcing you to buy one of their own, costing $3 (not sure if they could be refilled and if so, their cost): I just downed my water as I walked in, natch. The beer cups, corn-based and compostable, weren't reused. A GLBRF volunteer told me cups aren't reused because they touch the ends of the beer taps. They did have plenty of recycling and compost bins around the fest. There were very few chairs, I stood without complaint. As for paper tickets, it may have not been the most environmentally friendly but the system allowed people to get their beer quicker instead of having to make change and ring up credit cards at each purchase. However, there was no signage that I had to get a wristband to buy alcohol once inside the fest. The lines didn't detract from my experience. I arrived at 6pm, right when it started, bought my admission ticket in advance and most of my beer tickets and wristband for beer as soon as I arrived, and waited no more than 10 minutes in any line although friends who arrived later had waited a bit longer than that. Although there were a few families there, I also wouldn't plan to bring young'uns here. As Steve mentioned, there was not much for kids to do here. The rain put a damper on the crowd and the overall experience. That being said, it's still worth attending if you're interested in hearing some music (mostly generic bluegrass, folk, and traditional country) and enjoying the views of Lake Erie amid friends and other people.

Went with husband last weekend on our weekend trip to CLE. First off, do NOT ask Google to get you…read moreto the location. We ended up walking through some projects, an industrial area and steel bridge to end up on the other side of freight tracks and a barbed wire fence from where we needed to be. Google Maps got us to within 20 yards but the last 20 were impossible. Ended up taking a cab to the access road. We were glad we did not drive as the cab got us much closer to the entrance than if we had to park. Long line to buy admission. Eco friendly festival sold us a paper ticket then took it back at the gate 10 feet away. Long line to get 21+ wristband then ANOTHER long line to purchase beer tickets ($5/beer = 5 tickets -- again, not eco friendly) and on the the NEXT long line for beer. Three choices available only -- Wright Plus, Burning River and Christmas Ale. In July. With 100% humidity. Okay..... Music was kind of lame. Only one of the stages had chairs so if you go, consider bringing one. Food choices were limited. I love the idea of this festival but it could be much better executed.

We are visiting from SoCal. Teachers have great Latin and American ballroom training. They do dance…read morewith students @ party. Great floor, just right, and safe for any knees. Friendly and attentive staff. People of all ages and dancing skills. We will be back!

Last night I dealt at the Nautica Charity Poker Festival Pavilion. Basically it's the old party…read moreroom of McCarthy's in the Flats, but painted up and with some cool looking old church windows in it and some quilts. Plus...LOTS of poker tables. Coming in there is the constant click of people playing with their chips and there is some confusion because there is always a new charity hosting. The charity supplies the door person, the main floor manager and dealers for all the tables. The full time staff are the cashier and the floating manager/dealer coordinator who helps train the charity staff. The people who go to Nautica are the same people, night after night. For some of them, it's their job. For others, it's just a good way to spend an evening. Lose, win...and hopefully win some more? The charity's assigned usually run the shop for two days. Considering most of the dealers are poorly trained and rather clueless about poker (ahem...me!), it's a good thing that the tables are understanding and instructive. Apparently you can't become a professional trainer after a 20 minute class...weird, huh!? So to keep this legal, the charity takes a rake after each game. Also many of the tables have set limits to minimize betting. Overall, it's an excellent charity benefit so long as you are SURE that you have enough volunteers. With the particular charity I was working for, there were a lot of desperate last minute calls for people because there were plenty of people to start another table or two but no more volunteer dealers. For real poker players: A lot of these guys (and gals) are regular tourny players. Some of them aren't. It all depends on your table. There is a snack/drink cart moving around and at least the tournament tables are nice and clean. Like I said though, your dealer may not be the most experienced because they're an unpaid volunteer so please be understanding. I fold.

This event was a lot of fun! Lots of delicious food and it was a beautiful atmosphere. I loved the…read moreChristmas music and the huge tree in the center of the lobby. It really got you in the Christmas spirit. There was a ton of gourmet food to go around all night long. 20 drink tickets was plenty since they were giving pretty good pours on the wine and beer. My only con would be that there was no coat check so we were stuck carrying around our winter jackets. Who knew since the day before it was 75 degrees, only in Ohio right?! Other than that, I had a great time!

I've been looking at all of the drink and food festivals happening around town the next few months…read moreso it was awesome to score tickets for this event. And to be hosted in the State Theatre at Playhouse Square, classy! My friend and I were dropped off and picked up so we didn't have to worry about drinking and driving especially since the snow hit that night, but how fitting for the Winter Fest! Tickets are $55 plus a $6 something fee. You get 20 alcohol samples and no restriction on food samples. Crowd seemed to be in the 30 and up club. Pros: -Lots of food samples and generous portion sizes for most. -Got to try drink and food samples from places I had not been to before. -Generous alcohol samples, they always filled my glass to the top. -Love the huge Christmas tree and other holiday decorations (I'm looking at you Mr. Reindeer man!) Cons: -Music kept getting shut off then turned off completely. Killed the mood a little as all you heard then was the loud humming of everyone talking. -No coat check so you had to hold onto your coat or secretly stuff it behind the Christmas tree and hope no one steals it. -Pretty crowded, lots of people sitting on the steps so you had to be careful squeezing past them. -Not enough high top tables to set your cup and plate on so you could enjoy things. Having to hold everything, try to consume it, and not bump into people was a little rough and awkward. I know for me, this caused some clumsy food spills a couple of times. -Would have preferred more wine options. I think there were only three wine tables? We only used 10 drink tickets because there wasn't much we wanted to try or keep going back to. All in all, glad I got the opportunity to check this event out! But, we ended up leaving before it was over, and unfortunately I would probably check out a different holiday food and drink event next year.

We try to make it to Ingenuity Fest every year. It is a huge area full of bands, activities and art…read moreinstallations. It makes me happy they are putting an older building to good use. It is also very family friendly and offers tons of activities for kids. There are things to do both inside and outside. It is not for the faint of heart. To see everything it involves lots of walking. There are some food trucks. I feel like there could have been more. Also the drink vendors inside did not have water available. The building is so large air is not an option and it gets very warm. If you want to learn about fun resources we have in Cleveland this is the place for you. Did you know Cleveland has a Ghostbusters team? It is a shame it only happens once a year, but the planning that goes into this event has to start when the last event ends.

What is wrong with me that I forgot to update my review a longggg time ago? The 2019 IngenuityFest…read morewas simply exceptional. It was one of the best experiences I have had at a Cleveland arts event in recent history. I felt such a deep connection to every activation in every nook and cranny at this zany and wonderful event. At the 2019 festival, I was so thrilled at the commitment they made to accessibility. There were clear accessibility markers on their maps, accessible seating opportunities and just a general heightened awareness that felt palpable. It says so much to me about a business or organization that takes the time to live up inclusivity values and not just use them as buzzwords. As always, the immersive art, hands-on activities, music, dance and off-the-beaten-path installations were amazing. There was always something to see, do, touch or listen to. Everything is an intersection of science, technology and creativity. Ingenuity can be hard to describe if you've never been. Do yourself a favor and get there, explore and fall in love with Cleveland arts. You won't regret it!

I attended a happy hour event Thursday at Map Room on W. 9th street. This summer, Sparx is…read moresponsoring live music and entertainment every Thursday in a few areas around town. When I arrived on W.9th I was immediately shocked to see 3 women dressed alike dancing with big red balls. Street performers! I couldn't believe my eyes. I have always thought Cleveland was the sort of town that would never accept the creativity, craziness, and the gutsiness it takes to put yourself out there and make such a statment. The women, all young adults, were wearing black jumpers, red tanks, and striped B/W tights. Their moves were slightly choreographed, but usually it appeared that they were free forming until one decided to syncronize. My second thought was that my bff coming to meet me was going to be horrified. I didn't specifically know that she had a fear of mime-like creatures, but given all her other fears, I knew it was a safe bet. Sure enough the first words out of her mouth were "I AM NOT STAYING HERE WITH THOSE THINGS." You know it is bad when someone refers to a performer as a "thing." Somehow, she let us stay and we really enjoyed them. It is just cool to see people on the street united around a common interest. The dancers gave strangers a reason to feel connected and that is always cool in my book.

Old Brooklyn, what ?! As the token Old Brooklyn yelper, I forgot to promote here on yelp what's…read morebecoming the quintessential introduction to the Old Brooklyn neighborhood: Pedal For Prizes. Pedal For Prizes is an annual free event open for participants to bike to 22 places throughout Old Brooklyn including famous-on-yelp businesses Jack Frost Donuts and the Sausage Shoppe and lesser known entities like the community garden at Benji and the nice houses on South Hills. Beginning at Loew Park, you're given a map of the locations and a card to be stamped at each of the locations. You or a group of your friends can visit as many or few as you want, in any order, as you explore Old Brooklyn. 3 hours later, return to Loew Park and exchange your stamp card for Chinese raffle tickets to be used on some cool prizes (gift certificates to Old Brooklyn businesses, bike stores, and other random items like Ambiance gift cards - haha). In 2010, PFP's first year, I won a bike helmet. This year's turn-out of nearly 400 [of all ages, it's kid-friendly] was impressive, only 60 did last year. With the overwhelming turn-out, the event ran relatively smoothly although the staff had to push back the raffle a half hour to accommodate all of the returning riders. I had a warm, fuzzy feeling in me all day by seeing so many people in Old Brooklyn and seeing what it has to offer. In only its 2nd year, Pedal For Prizes is becoming the signature event of Old Brooklyn.

First time here this season. It was a rainy one, but the Browns won and played well. The staff were…read moreencountered were really nice and helpful. We had seats in section 341 and it was a nice view. The stadium was nice and most of it appeared well maintained. The rain was intermittent and we had ponchos so there's that. Food was expensive as expected but we did find lower cost options. The lines moved at a good pace. All in all, great experience.

For my 250th review I'd like to pay homage to two things I love. The Midwest and the Green Bay…read morePackers. First off shout out to the Dawg Pound!!! Really great friendly fans. The tailgating scene there was a lot of fun. We parked in the municipal lot , which is located on the other side of the freeway from the stadium. Entry fee was fifty dollars , but with a carload of people , it makes it very reasonable. The party there was next level. People set up bars with couches , stripper poles, d j booths , and anything else you can think of. They get going way before game time. Alcohol is allowed in this lot. If you park in the lot associated with the stadium , alcohol is not allowed. I don't think grills are allowed either.But I'm not sure. Stadium is really decent also. Easy in and out the walk from the municipal lot takes about ten minutes and is not strenuous. Packers ended up losing the game and the fans were very nice about it. That's not always the case in other stadiums. I took at least 50 photos with opposing fans after the game. Rock and Roll hall of fame is also located right next to the stadium. If you're heading there for a game , you have to combine that with your visit. Pro football hall of fame is only an hour away.And also a really great experience. Appreciate the love and kindness shown by the people of Cleveland. GO PACK GO!!!!!