Since 1868, with the end of the Civil War still fresh in their minds, Americans have dedicated a day to honoring the men and women who died serving in the military. Held annually on the last Monday in May, Memorial Day is both a solemn occasion and a day when patriotic parades, complete with marching bands and waving flags, serve as family-friendly events in Cleveland. Picnics often follow the parades, ushering in the unofficial first day of summer with grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, a cornucopia of salads, and tall cool glasses of homemade lemonade.
Here are some activities the whole family can love while celebrating the start of summer and honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for American ideals.
Parades Around Greater Cleveland
In Cuyahoga County, people can choose from numerous parades, including ones in Bedford, Brecksville, Broadview Heights, Brook Park, Chagrin Falls, Cleveland, Euclid, Independence, Mayfield Village, North Royalton, Parma Heights, Shaker Heights, South Euclid, Strongsville, University Heights, and Westlake. Northeast Ohio Family Fun shares details about each one; note that some communities host more than one Memorial Day Parade, and the publication also lists parades in surrounding counties. Although many parades take place on Monday, some are scheduled for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
Cleveland Metroparks
Families can picnic in the wide range of parks in the Cleveland Metroparks with a special free family event taking place at the Watershed Stewardship Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Children can make crafts, listen to stories, and participate in an indoor I-Spy Nature Quest. Naturalists will lead hikes every hour from the Monarch Bluff Picnic Area, and families can spend time with a naturalist with wetland macroinvertebrate netting to explore a unique natural niche.
Northeast Ohio Festivals
Families can head to the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds from Friday, May 22 through Monday, May 25 to enjoy Berea’s National Rib Cook-Off. Families can taste the most flavorful barbecue ribs in the region while listening to live entertainment. Children under the age of twelve get admitted for free while adults pay $10 apiece.
Children can bounce on Euro bungee trampoline and an inflatable bounce house with parents deciding which ones are capable of riding a mechanical bull. Because the food is so delicious, with sauce dripping off the ribs, festival organizers suggest that you dress your kids in “rib sauce colored clothing.”
In nearby Port Clinton, people flock to the Walleye Festival at the lakeside Waterworks Park. This event includes a parade, a kid’s fishing derby, live concerts, carnival rides, educational programs and activities, and plenty of good eats with an emphasis on fresh seafood. All told, the Walleye Festival boasts more than 130 vendors.
Ohio History Is American History
If you’d like your children to understand the impetus for Memorial Day, and you don’t mind driving about thirty miles from Cleveland, head to the Century Village Museum in Burton. At the Civil War Encampment, people play the fife and drum in period costumes, offer family-friendly foods, and put on a historic battle reenactment. Your family can stroll the grounds, observe the campgrounds, and talk to people who might answer as if it was still the nineteenth century.
We are also planning to participate in additional summer events, including local parades and festivals, details coming soon.
Introducing the Horizon Ice Cream Truck!
And now, for the big scoop: Horizon now has an ice cream truck, coming to events throughout the Greater Cleveland region this summer and fall!
This truck will make weekly visits to our center during Summer Camp and will also be featured at select community events throughout the season. Keep an eye out—you may spot Horizon’s Ice Cream Truck at some of the following events:
Lorain Memorial Day Parade - Monday, May 25th
Pride in Cleveland Parade/Festival - Saturday, June 6th
Hooley Festival - Saturday, June 13th
Lorain's International Festival/Parade - June 26-28
Lakewood Melt Down Festival - Saturday, July 18th
North Olmsted Homecoming Festival/Parade - August 13-16th
Lakewood Community Festival - Saturday, September 12th
Elyria Apple Festival - September 18-20th
Old Brooklyn Street Festival - Saturday, October 10th
