The Weekender: 5 Things To Do Dec. 1-3
Take a tour of the city with a holiday bar crawl, a run dedicated to A Christmas Story, a comedy festival, a traveling memorial and an intergalactic burlesque.
Celebrate 10 years of gut-busting laughs with the Cleveland Comedy Festival. A decade since its inaugural year, this year’s festival will feature a special anniversary show at Playhouse Square’s Outcalt Theatre on Dec. 2. Performances will include sets from Bill Squire, Marc Jaffe and Jasmyn Carter. A special evening on Dec. 1 will celebrate the career of Fred Willard, a Shaker Heights native, who will be in attendance. Additional shows include a women’s showcase (each ticket comes with two glasses of wine) and the final round of the festival’s annual comedy contest, where 12 comedians from around the country compete for a top prize of $2,000. Free to $25, Dec. 1-2, 1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevelandcomedyfestival.com
12 Days of Christmas Bar Crawl
Add City Tap, East End, Velvet Dog and Victory Alley to your Christmas list during this 12 Days of Christmas Bar Crawl. Starting at Dive Bar, the 12 Days of Christmas Bar Crawl will stop at all four bars before wrapping up the trail at Wild Eagle Saloon. Each ticket comes with a 16-ounce Bad Santa Stadium Cup and a commemorative Santa hat. In keeping with the holiday spirit, participants are encouraged to don their best holiday outfits, including Santa Suits, ugly sweaters and Christmas onesies and each bar will serve up special holiday-themed drink specials. $25, Dec. 2, 12 – 8 p.m., 1214 W. 6th Street, Cleveland xmasbarcrawl.com
A Christmas Story Run
Get your pink onesie ready for this Christmas Story-themed race. Starting at the old Higbee's Department Store, this 5- or 10K is a run through Cleveland’s favorite holiday movie, with the finish line at the Christmas Story House & Museum. Runners are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters up as their favorite characters from the iconic film. All proceeds go to A Christmas Story House Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to restoring and maintaining the museum’s surrounding area. $55, Dec. 2, 9 a.m., 36 W. Superior Ave. (Public Square), Cleveland achristmasstoryrun.com
AIDS Memorial Quilt
The world’s largest community art project makes its way to Cleveland. Currently on display in the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center’s atrium, the AIDS Memorial Quilt was started 30 years ago in San Francisco with a single panel. Designed to memorialize the more than 96,000 lives lost to AIDS, the quilt now consists of more than 49,000 panels and weighs 54.5 tons. On display in the VA’s atrium until Dec. 8, the quilt includes panels from every state in the country, creating the sprawling memorial. Free, On display from Nov. 29 – Dec. 8, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., 10701 East Blvd., Cleveland, cleveleads.org/event/see-aids-memorial-quilt/
Star Wars Burlesque
Ohio Burlesque's latest show comes to us from a galaxy far, far away. Returning after a sold out Star Wars-themed performance last year, “The Return of the Tease” will showcase a cast of Cleveland favorites including headliners Bella Sin as Darth Vader and May Hammer as Lando. Additional performances will come from Veranda L’Ni, Dottie Comma and Noella DeVille, among others — all taking on the roles of their favorite Star Wars characters. Comedian Ken Schneck will serve as host for the evening. $20, Dec. 1, 8:00 p.m., 15711 Waterloo Road, Cleveland beachlandballroom.com/events/star-wars-burlesque-the-return-of-the-tease-cleveland-2017-12-01
