Akron is once again on the national map, but this time it’s not thanks to LeBron James. Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens’ Birch Tree Allée, a 550-foot-long alleyway of trees is one of 10 gardens from around the country featured in the American Gardens Forever Stamps, a collection that was released by the U.S. Postal Service May 13. The collection of more than 100 gray birch trees join gardens such as North Carolina’s Biltmore Estate Gardens, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and more. The stamps can be purchased on the USPS website. stanhywet.org
VeloSano Goes Digital
The pandemic can’t stop the VeloSano’s Bike to Cure weekend from riding along. The nonprofit and its annual citywide bike ride fundraiser has brought in more than $21 million for cancer research at the Cleveland Clinic since its inception in 2014. This year, in the spirit of social distancing, its annual biking weekend will be held virtually starting July 17 due to safety concerns over COVID-19. Participants can connect from all over the globe by using the #VirtualVeloSano hashtag and will have until Oct. 1 to complete their activity, which can also include walking or running. velosano.org
Cleveland Metropolitan School District Virtual Graduations Hit the Small Screen
The Class of 2020 from all Cleveland Metropolitan School District high schools will walk across the stage and straight into the living rooms of their families, thanks to the magic of television. CMSD and CW 43 WUAB are partnering to broadcast the virtual high school graduation ceremonies so families can celebrate their accomplishments from the safety of their own living room. A complete broadcast schedule of each school’s graduation ceremony will be published on the 19 News website. cleveland19.com
The Rock Hall Spreads More Musical Joy
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame may be closed to the public, but that doesn’t mean the music has stopped. Launched April 30, its Joy Ride van cruises around to food distributions and celebratory events in Northeast Ohio blasting tunes such as Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” a-ha’s “Take on Me” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Someboy (Who Loves Me).” The Joy Ride hits Fairhill Partners this weekend, Warrensville Heights High School May 20, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank (at the Muni Lot) May 21 and more. rockhall.com
Drive-Ins Top Entertainment Lists
Drive-in theaters are all the rage right now. Maybe you didn’t expect to read that in 2020, but the retro spots are built for social distancing and may be the hottest (and only) ticket in town. Grab the family, hop in the old station wagon (or SUV) and head to spots such as Chardon’s Mayfield Road Drive-In or North Ridgeville's Aut-O-Rama Twin Drive-In Theater, which are both screening the kid-friendly Trolls World Tour and Dolittle.