SummerFestivals2008

When summer comes to Northeastern Ohio, it’s time to forget about snow blowers and rock salt, get outside and PARTY! It’s festival time! There’s a party (or two or three) going on every weekend and just to prove it, we’ve listed some of the biggest, best and most offbeat festivals, one per weekend, for the next three months. All these events are kid friendly; some have an admission fee; others are free. For further information on each event, check out our Web site at www.neohiofamily.com.

On Fathers’ Day weekend (June 13-15), take a trip to Vermilion for the Festival of the Fish in downtown Vermilion. The festivities begin at noon Friday, June 13, with a pet parade emceed by Dick Goddard, and continue with a princess pageant, midway activities, a queen’s contest and musical entertainment in the evening. Sunday enjoy the Fathers’ Day Parade at 12:30 p.m. and the Firefighters’ Water Fight immediately afterwards.

Saturday’s activities make it the family pick. Beginning at 9 a.m., participate in a 5K walk and 1-mile run. When you are done, run over to the Main Street Beach for a sand castle contest until 11 a.m.

Eat lunch and enjoy gospel music until 1 p.m., when the crazy craft races begin at the public boat docks. The races are open to everyone, so expect to see unique floating creations. Or launch your own. See the festival Web site for details. Contest admission is $10 per craft. This year’s race will have a Vikings theme.

Kids’ games at the town’s Gazebo will keep the family occupied from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Round out the day with midway activities and supper before the lighted boat parade on the Vermilion River at dusk.

Your day in Vermilion could also include a stroll on the beach or a visit to the Inland Seas Maritime Museum, both within walking distance of the festival. For information, visit www.vermilionohioharbourtown.homestead.com and scroll down until you see the link for the festival.

For a fun, inexpensive nature-oriented fest, visit Mentor’s 10 th annual Festival on the Lagoons Saturday, July 12, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit Mentor Lagoons for a free waterfront family festival featuring boat rides, nature hikes, hay rides, a giant sand box, kayak rides and kids’ inflatable bouncy toys. The BB64, a U.S. Navy work boat formerly commissioned with the USS Wisconsin, will be taking guests on tours of the lagoons. A juried arts and crafts show takes place concurrently at the site.

The National Hamburger Festival takes place July 19-20 at Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron. Events such as the Dunking for Burgers competition, where contestants attempt to snag a burger floating in a vat of ketchup with their teeth; hamburger-eating championships and restaurant and amateur hamburger-cooking contests add a unique touch to this Akron food festival.

A kid friendly event, both days offer opportunities for children to enjoy arts and crafts, face painting and games with prizes. Top it off on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Baby Burger contest, when kids from birth to 4 compete to be named the one with the most “ Akron spirit,” and win a $100 savings bond.

Kids must be dressed with an Akron or hamburger theme. Pre-registration is required for the Baby Burger contest. To register or get more information, visit www.hamburgerfestival.com . Tickets are $5 for adults. For children younger than 7, admission is free. Saturday, noon – 10:30 p.m.; Sunday noon – 7 p.m.

Can your frog jump farther than 19’1”? If so, your family is a great candidate for a prize at the Valley City Frog Jump Festival Aug. 10, at Liverpool Mill Stream Park in Valley City . Actually, 19’1” is the record, made in 1988, at this 47-year-old festival that has put Valley City and its signature fest on the national map of quirky summer events.

The festival organizers have been faithful to its original concept, to provide a day of wholesome family fun á la Mark Twain’s “ Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”

Kids (or adults) bring (or rent at the event) a frog, register for a flight number beginning at 10 a.m., and take their turn in the ring with their frog when the flight is called. Get there early because the number of races is limited.

While you wait for your turn, enjoy the games tent, Corvette show, sack races, food, music and “ Frog School.” At 1 p.m., participate in the Great Rocky River Frog Race. Admission and parking for the festival are free. There are admission fees for the contests. No outside food and beverages are permitted. Festival closes at 6 p.m.

The 28th Annual Jim Klett Memorial Races, scheduled for Saturday, June 14 at the Howe Meadow Site of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park on Riverview Road, offer something for all runners, young and old.

Four races will be held, including a ?-mile Kids Fun Run, a 5K and a 10K race for grown-ups. This family-friendly event also has a family-friendly outcome with race proceeds used to purchase backpacks and other school supplies for children served by Summit County Children Services.

Registration begins at 7 a.m. The kid’s run begins at 8:15, the 10K at 9 and the 5K at 9:05. The races are directed by Summit Athletic Running Club, supported by the Freemasons of Summit County, and sponsored by Benjamin & Trevorrow certified public accountants.

For more information, call 330-472-1177 or e-mail info@summitathletic.com. Information also is available at www.summitathletic.com, and online registration is available at www.active.com.

Memories to last a lifetime. Looking for a trip back in time to the Civil War or the Wild West? Then hop aboard the Ashtabula, Carson and Jefferson Scenic Line. The Civil War Train Raid “A Journey in Time” will be at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday, July 12 & 13 and includes a soldier battle and encampment. The Wild West Weekend “An American Adventure” at 1, 3 and 5 Saturday, Aug. 16 & 17 and includes a robbery and a stop at a saloon. Cost for these events is $12 for adults and $7.50 for children, under 2 free when held. Paid reservations are recommended. Kids Magic on the Train is June 28 & 29 - regular fare and departs 1 & 3 p.m. No reservations needed. Train Bandit Weekend is Aug 2 & 3 - regular fare and departs 1 & 3 p.m. No reservations needed. For more information, call 440-576-6346, e-mail info@acjrscenic.net or visit www.familytrainrides.com. Boarding site located at 161 E. Jefferson Street.

With gas prices soaring and everyone planning close-to-home day trips this summer, why not add a visit to Adventure Zone to your calendar? Located at 5600 Lake Road in Geneva-on-the-Lake, “The Zone” offers near-by fun for “kids” of all ages.

With go-karts and climbing walls for those seeking excitement, batting cages for the athletically inclined, a restored Herschell Merry-Go-Round, a huge, crawl-through, soft play for the kiddies, lazy-water bumper boats, adventure golf and a challenging arcade for wanna-be casino aficionados, Adventure Zone is the perfect family destination.

We offer very attractive rates for group outings and can plan some of the best birthday parties in the tri-county area. Summer hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. weekends.

So save some gas this vacation season, take the short drive to nearby Geneva-on-the-Lake and discover Adventure Zone, the region’s affordable family entertainment destination. For more information, call the park phone (in season) at 440-466-3555 or visit www.AdventureZoneFun.com.

The 29th annual Akron Arts Expo Weekend returns to Hardesty Park (1615 W. Market St.) with fun-filled events for the family. It’s presented by the city of Akron and Time Warner Cable.

The Taste of Akron will be from 6-10 p.m. Thursday, July 24, with more than 20 restaurants serving delicious samples for $2, $4 and $6.

The Wine Tasting & Silent Auction takes place from 6-8:30 p.m. Friday, July 25. Taste more than 150 wines, and enjoy hors d’ oeuvres by Glenmoor Country Club. Bid on spectacular auction items from Akron Arts Expo artists and local businesses. Tickets are available for $50 and can be purchased by calling 330-375-2836.

The Akron Arts Expo will be from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, July 26, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, July 27. This family-friendly festival is open to the public and features fine arts and crafts from 160-juried exhibitors throughout the nation.

The jellyfish exhibit coming to the Akron Zoo this summer will be the zoo’s first ever saltwater exhibit and the largest jellyfish exhibit in the state. “Jellies: Rhythm in the Blue” will open to the public on June 7.

The new jellyfish exhibit will be located in Komodo Kingdom in the exhibit hall and will be at the Akron Zoo for three years. The space was designed around the movement and rhythm of jellyfish.

The exhibit will become home to seven different species including moon jellies, Pacific sea nettles, blue blubbers, umbrella jellies, Japanese sea nettles, upside down jellies and comb jellies.

The exhibit will also feature a touch tank that will include crabs, starfish and sea urchins. In the interactive section of the gallery, visitors will enjoy under the sea fun with a touch tank, pipe organ, which will allow visitors to create the sounds of the sea, an underwater mural, which kids can climb on and learn about the different depths of the ocean, and an area where kids can dress up and dance like a jellyfish.

The Alive Festival is a four-day, contemporary Christian music festival held annually in the rolling hills of Northeast Ohio at the 500-acre Clay’s Park in Canal Fulton. Every June for the past 20 years, thousands of people from more than 40 states and Canada attend.

From June 18-22, Alive will have more than 60 nationally known artists and speakers, including Casting Crowns, Toby Mac, Chris Tomlin, Sixpence None the Richer, Skillet, David Crowder Band, Hawk Nelson, Thousand Foot Krutch, Paul Baloche, Family Force 5, Salvador and Jaci Velasquez.

Alive includes camping, swimming, sandy beaches at the 12-acre, spring-fed lake, basketball and volleyball courts, an inflatable attractions area, a skate park, paddleboats, diving boards, playgrounds and miniature golf. You can bring your own food, but the festival has food vendors on site all week such as Pizza Hut, Chick-Fil-A, Maui Wowi Fresh Fruit Smoothies, Schloneger’s Home Made Ice Cream and many others.

Camp together with your youth group, church group or your family and friends in the free, primitive campsites. RV sites with water/electric and sewer are available at Clay’s Camping and RV Park directly adjacent to the festival grounds.

Alive has daily seminars for teens, parents, youth pastors, worship leaders and singles, plus a children’s ministry called the Family Fun Tent with two daily shows for kids and the young at heart. Also added in 2008 is the Alive Sports Zone where you will be able to participate in a variety of sports challenges and culminating on Saturday, June 21 with Joe Savage of Winners Influence; Phil Savage, GM of the Cleveland Browns, and NFL players including Brady Quinn and Jason Wright of the Cleveland Browns.

American Hot Rod Racer is celebrating its first anniversary at Beachwood Place as a new entertainment and retail concept that fulfills parents’ desire to spend time with their children while engaged in an activity that is collaborative, active and exciting.

Once inside the store, which feels like being at a real racetrack, racers can build remote-controlled cars and pinewood derby cars. They then race them on the large, in-store race tracks, while large plasma screens around the track constantly display each racer’s speed and place alongside a photo of the racer and their car.

This makes an ideal setting for birthday parties. The track-side party room, called the “press box,” is frequently full of happy children eating pizza and cake and building cars.

Be sure to check out the full line of merchandise celebrating the open road, skies and sea, including all the Speed Racer toys you’re looking for. For more information, call 216-831-1817 or visit www.americanhotrodracer.com.

Imagine the party coming to you, complete with young, energetic, college-age party leaders. Imagine that all you have to do is open the door and let the fun begin. Imagine your child choosing the theme, like a Rockin’ Dance Party, Princess Party, Girlie Spa Party, Super Heroes or Safari.

Imagine that setup and teardown are all done for you, the relaxing parent who can actually enjoy the party. All a parent needs to do is provide a guest list, and Andy’s Parties does the rest.

Andy’s Parties provides hassle-free planning for children’s parties, taking care of the games, music, activities, a themed craft project, themed party favors, stuffed goodie bags and paper products, piñatas, invitations, all food and beverages, and set up and clean up.

Packages start at $350 for 15 children and run an average of 1 1/2 hours. The event is at your home or in our store near Chapel Hill Mall. Call 330-497-3FUN.

Back to the Basics Camps include swimming in our junior Olympic-size pool, hiking, cave exploration, waterfalls expedition, campfires, rock climbing, canoeing, making new friends, hayrides, a ropes course, crafts, games, caring for animals and more. Camp Buckeye is an interdenominational camp in the northeast corner of Tuscarawas County and has been serving children and families for 24 years.

Our smaller camp size promotes greater connection between campers and counselors. Counselors are well-trained and dedicated, and a registered nurse is on duty at all times. Enjoy our home-cooked meals, and get a chance to visit our Amish neighbor’s goat farm.

Close proximity to state parks and Muskingum Watershed lands enhances the outdoor experience. Check our Web site at www.campbuckeye.org, e-mail info@campbuckeye.org or call 330-756-2380 for more information. Facilities also are available for rental for family reunions, retreats and business meetings.

Case Western Reserve University’s Center for Science and Mathematics education offers two unique camps this summer.

Shipwreck Camp from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. July 28-Aug. 8 is hands-on science and exploration for 12- to 15-year-olds. Virtually search for shipwrecks in Lake Erie, build an ROV and learn about SCUBA. Cost is $425, including lunch and a non-refundable application fee of $25.

Environmental Heroes, from August through June 2009, do what matters. Learn how in this free, after-school program for 12- to 15-year-olds that is a joint program with the Cleveland Metroparks at the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation-Canalway Center. Self - motivated participants will engage in real science with naturalists and scientists, collect and analyze environmental data, and develop plans to solve environmental problems.

Only serious Environmental Heroes willing to make a commitment for the 2008-2009 academic year need apply. Twelve to 15 youth will be selected in a competitive process.

Spend your time enjoying the sights and sounds of summer at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

CIM also offers summer music lessons to students of all ages and abilities at five locations. Programs for children start as early as age 3 and continue through high school and beyond. Music lessons are proven to aid a child’s success in school, society and life.

Join us at lunchtime the first four Thursdays in July for Lunch & Listen. Bring your brown bag lunch to the University Circle campus for lunch on the terrace at noon. Stay for a concert performed by CIM alumni at 12:30 in Mixon Hall. Lunch & Listen is free, and everyone is welcome.

Keep your mind in shape this summer at the Cleveland Institute of Music. CIM is enrolling for summer and fall lessons. Call 216-791-5000 or visit cim.edu to apply online.

Cleveland Metroparks has another fun-filled season of great, free summer events. Whether children want to be “knee-high naturalists” (June 8) by exploring, learning and playing, or experience all things trains with model trains, a “hobo trail” and more at Train Day (June 21), or spend a summer evening enjoying nature and listening to local bands at BrookStock (July 12), or are curious to discover what the nocturnal animals are doing and more at Nature at Night (July 19), Cleveland Metroparks is the place to be.

Don’t miss out on the fun at Summer Beach Party on July 26, Bug City on Aug. 9 and Bat Gala on Aug. 23. Plus, cool off this summer and make a splash at the Dive-In Movie series: three great movies shown outdoors at night at Ledge Pool in Hinckley Reservation (“The Sandlot” June 27, “Home Alone” July 18 and “High School Musical” Aug. 8).

Whether you prefer warty toads from Puerto Rico, portly pigs from Africa or crooning canines from Australia, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has something for you with the Frogs, Hogs and Dogs attraction through Sept. 28. The exhibit features rare species of animals never before seen at the zoo, including endangered amphibians, red river hogs and singing dogs.

See all your favorite Aussie animal friends, including kangaroos, wallabies, cockatoos, kookaburras and koalas with the return of Australian Adventure. Hop aboard the Boomerang Express to tour Australian Adventure’s eight acres of animals and fun.

Zoo hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, with hours extended to 7 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is at 3900 Wildlife Way in Cleveland. $10 adults, $6 children, free younger than 2. For more information, visit clemetzoo.com or call 216-661-6500.

The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of Planet Earth, and NASA is celebrating 50 years. With all the celebrations, Cuyahoga County Public Library had to join in the fun.

This year our Summer Reading program is challenging readers to “imagine & explore.” From June 7 through Aug. 9, kids, teens, individuals, families and organizations can play for a chance to win “stellar” grand prizes from NASA, Great Lakes Science Center and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. When you play our summer reading game, you can win prizes each week.

To learn more about all the exciting things happening at your county library this summer, visit cuyahogalibrary.org. In addition, check with a local branch near you to find out all the great summertime events and activities we have for families and children. At Cuyahoga County Public Library, browsing is just the beginning.

Climb aboard for an historic, educational and fun-filled adventure traveling through the heart of Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP), along the Cuyahoga River within the Ohio & Erie Canalway.

Combine a train ride through CVNP with a visit to the Canal Visitor Center and view the history of the canal era and the historic Village of Peninsula for shopping and dining. Head to Akron to see the Akron Zoo, the Akron Art Museum or one of the other many attractions. Travel through the urban countryside to Canton to enjoy their venues.

Bike aboard. Cyclists can bike the Towpath Trail in one direction and ride the rail in the other direction for only $2. Flag down the train at one of the boarding stations when you want to explore more of the park by train.

Early Steps Learning Center in Richmond Heights is a premier, quality learning center servicing children between the ages of 6 weeks and 10 years. It offers a warm and nurturing environment with a focus on education.

All programs offering early childhood curriculums are enhanced with sign language and Spanish. Partnered with the Ohio Department of Education, Early Steps offers quality preschool programs with degreed teachers and low student-to-teacher ratios.

The state-of-the-art facility has computerized entry for parents. Extracurricular activities include Dalcroze movement and story telling by Hasan. Feel secure in having your child come to a center “where every day is a fun day.”

Early Steps Learning Center is at 27027 Chardon Road and can be contacted at 440-944-2223.

This summer, Fieldstone Farm TRC once again will hold four sessions of its Equine Adventure Club. This is a great volunteer opportunity, especially for younger volunteers who are looking to spend more time at Fieldstone Farm TRC during the summer. Activities include riding, ground lesson activities, arts and crafts, nature walks and demonstrations.

The sessions: Session I, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. July 28-Aug. 1; Session II, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 4-8; Session III, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Aug. 11-15; Session IV, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 11-15. Call Julia at 440-708-0013, ext. 124.

Start your summer break with a trip to The Fine Arts Association in Willoughby (38660 Mentor Ave.) to see Disney’s mega-hit movie, “High School Musical,” brought to the Corning Auditorium stage. The Fine Arts Association’s production of this Disney classic runs from June 6-29 for 12 performances Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the four-week run.

Join Gabriella, Troy, Sharpay and Ryan as they vie for the leads in their high school musical and turn their worlds upside down. Discover how the cheerleaders, thespians, jocks and geeks try to “Break Free” and learn not to “Stick to the Status Quo.”

Tickets are $20 for students and seniors and $22 for adults. Discounted rates are available for groups of 16 or more. For tickets, call 440-951-7500 or visit www.fineartsassociation.org. The Corning Auditorium is barrier free. Safe, secure onsite parking is free.

Garfield Memorial Church, 3650 Lander Road, in Pepper Pike will hold vacation Bible school (VBS) from July 28-Aug. 1 for various ages.

Power Lab is an exciting VBS for pre-K through fifth grade from 5:30-8 p.m., with dinner included. The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything (from Veggie Tales) will be offered on the same dates for preschool children only from 9:30-11 a.m.

Power Lab is full of science-themed surprises loaded with deep-impact Biblical principles. Music, crafts and outdoor play add to the fun. Cost is $15 per child or $45 per family max.

The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything takes preschool children on a wild ride on the high seas of adventure through Bible stories, games and crafts. Cost is $10 per child or $20 per family max.

To enroll or for more information, e-mail vbs@garfieldchurch.org, call 216-831-1566 or visit www.garfieldchurch.org.

Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights offers several camp options this summer.

Broad Horizons serves girls in grades K-8. From June 23-July 31, this Monday-Thursday camp meets from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. with before, after and Friday camp options.

Broad Horizons for Beginners serves boys and girls ages 3 and 4 from 9-noon, with after care available from 12:30-3.

Offered March 17-March 28 during spring break and Aug. 4-22, Vacation Camp provides adult-supervised activities from 8 to 6 weekdays.

For more information, contact program director Siva Grossman at 216-320-8085 or sgrossman@hb.edu, or visit www.hb.edu.

Are you thinking about which camp or program to put your child into this summer? The Karate Institute (www.mentorkarate.com) has an outstanding martial arts program for your child to learn and have fun in safe environment.

Our success-enhancement program will guide children through fitness, sports and martial arts games, self-defense, personal safety, mastering the basics of martial arts sports weapons, sport sword/padded weapons sparring and learning how to break boards. All help build children’s self-esteem and pride. Your child will have the opportunity to train safely with high-ranking, experienced and professional instructors.

Summer programs and camp dates will be announced. To make your RSVP, call the Karate Institute at 440-951-0463. To hold your RSVP, pay $25, and you will receive a Child Safety ID Kit. Karate camps are in high demand, so call today or visit the Karate Institute at 7667 Mentor Ave., Suite 102, in Mentor.

Inspire your child’s love of learning in a Kindermusik summer camp. Choose from a variety of camp themes created with your child and your lifestyle in mind. Join us this summer and discover why so many families recommend Kindermusik.

The Kindermusik Adventures Camps pack fun and learning into one class, plus get a fully interactive set of At-Home Materials that research has proven to help your child develop lasting learning skills.

Experience music, instruments, storytelling and more during the eight-week session that offers once-a-week, 45-minute classes for newborn to 1 1/2 years (with caregiver), 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 years (with caregiver) and 3 to 5 years (caregiver joins in the last 15 minutes). One-week camps, two hours per day for five days, is for ages 4 ? to 7 years (caregiver joins in the last 15 minutes).

See our schedule online at www.kindermusikofcleveland.com. Kindermusik of Cleveland can be reached at 216-991-1063 or cathy@huser.org.

See farm animals up close and learn about agriculture and how it affects our daily lives. Enjoy a day at the farm discovering what farmers do. Milk a cow, make ice cream, make bread, and see how cheese is made.

Take a wagon ride and meet more than 50 breeds of farm animals. Visit a variety of farm animals and watch the border collie herd sheep.

Learn about plant life and hydroponics exhibits. Discover renewable energies like wind and solar power. Experience special events and seasonal activities year-round.

Lake Metroparks Farmpark is open year-round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for ages 60 and over, $4 for ages 2 to 11 and free for under 2 years and for Farmpark members.

Lake Metroparks Farmpark is at 8800 Chardon Road in Kirtland, just east of U.S. 6 and SR 306. Call 440-256-2122 or 800-366-3276 or log onto lakemetroparks.com.

For train lovers of all ages, join us in the Willoughby Historic District as we recall the days of steam engines and electric trolleys Aug. 9-10. Learn about the Cleveland, Painesville and Eastern Railroad (the CP&E), Willoughby’s own electric trolley line that ran from 1895 to 1926.

Visit the Interurban Club, to be headquartered at the Masonic Lodge, where you can grab a snack and watch rail videos. View model-train layouts at City Hall and the Willoughby-Eastlake Tech Center. Let Lolly the Trolley transport you to Willoughby Coal for live steam exhibits.

Enjoy free parking throughout the city, and Lolly will make convenient stops at shops and restaurants. We look forward to welcoming you from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9 and noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10. Sponsored by Heart of Willoughby (www.heartofwilloughby.com, 440-488-5660.

Loyal Oak is a beautiful summer destination with safe, well-maintained grounds. Loyal Oak offers a swimming beach area with diving boards and slides, picnic shelters and grills, a playground area and recreation room equipped with pool tables, ping pong, electronic games and a juke box.

The park also provides sports equipment such as baseball pitching machines and batting cage, horseshoe courts, a jogging track, and tennis and basketball courts. Miniature golf is also available for $1 for 18 holes. You can’t beat the price.

Loyal Oak opens May 28 and closes Labor Day for the season. Operating hours are 10:30 a.m. to dusk Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to dusk on Saturday and Sunday. The beach opens at 10:30 a.m.

Memphis Kiddie Park is Ohio’s only amusement park dedicated to little people. With 11 kiddie rides to choose from and a championship miniature golf course with game arcade, families can entertain themselves in our park like setting. There is no entrance fee, no parking fee, and tickets never expire. Come for an hour or come for the day. We welcome birthday parties and other group outings. Call 216-941-5995 for details and reservations.

A child’s imagination opens the door to new worlds, ideas and experiences. It’s that openness and lack of preconceived notion that makes contemporary art so easily accessible for children.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA) helps families explore contemporary art and enjoy creative time together. MOCA offers free admission for ages 12 and under everyday, and our wide-open floor plan allows for exploration for families with active youngsters and strollers. Plus, each exhibition has a family guide with games, activities and thought-provoking questions to make the most of your visit.

MOCA also has free programs throughout the year that are family-friendly. Mark your calendar for our summer programs:

Family Art Studio, 7-9 p.m. Friday, May 30, an art studio to gather and create offered during our opening celebration.

Family Fun Day, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, June 29, a fun-filled day featuring an artist visit, activities and gallery exploration.

When you think of the ideal vacation, what comes to mind? Is it the simple pleasures of spending time with the family? Or is it sneaking away on a romantic getaway for two? Whatever your intentions, Ohio State Parks let you spend precious time with those who mean the most to you.

At Ohio State Parks, the accommodations are as unique as the beauty that surrounds them. All of the lodges have their own architectural influence. Some are more historical, with quaint Victorian and colonial-style design. Others are more family-oriented, with game rooms and modern luxuries.

With seven unique parks open year-round, planning a vacation in Ohio is easy. From the rolling hills of Salt Fork to the forests and lakes of Shawnee, Ohio State Parks are giant playgrounds. So make an appointment with your children, or come to get reacquainted with the child inside you.

Top of any family’s must-do summer list is a visit to Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier, voted No. 2 Best Kid’s Park in the World. Take the kid’s to Fort Necessity, where they can play on the colonial playground and see where George Washington’s first battle began.

Sign up with an outfitter at Ohiopyle State Park and go for a whitewater adventure on the spectacular Youghiogheny River, recently named Pennsylvania’s “river of the year.” Bring your bikes for an amazing biking excursion like none other along the Great Allegheny Passage.

If you’re hungry, a cool place to eat is the new Big Mac® Museum and Restaurant on Route 30 near the Irwin Interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The Big Mac® was invented right here in the Laurel Highlands, and this cool museum and restaurant pays tribute with the World’s Largest Big Mac statue and other fun memorabilia.

Cleveland-area toddlers through sixth-graders can anticipate a real treat this summer at The Lillian and Betty Ratner School’s distinctive and fun-filled cultural immersion camp. Conveniently scheduled in two-week sessions that span the summer from June 17-Aug. 7, Around the World in 80 Ways will be in the school’s unique and spacious facility and new gym.

Campers will learn about France, India, Mexico and China through art, theater, dance, music, food and language. The camp will be from 8:30 a.m. to noon weekdays.

Offering a program that is exciting and useful, children will be introduced to everything from mehndi (hand painting) to Mayan hieroglyphics to experiencing a bit of Beijing Summer Olympics in addition to enjoying citron pressé. Imagine the thrill of adventure in traveling “around the world in 80 ways.” For more information, call the Director of Admissions at 216-464-0033.

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens hosts Treemendous Treehouses through Oct. 31. The exhibit has 11 distinctive treehouses designed by Northeast Ohio architects specifically for this American Country Estate and installed throughout the landscaped gardens and grounds. The treehouses are interactive, and visitors will be able to walk through all of them, an unusual feature for multiple treehouse exhibits. More than half of the treehouses are ADA-compliant and handicap-accessible.

Treehouses can be a place for make-believe and adventure for children, a place for retreat and reflection for adults, a place to enjoy a new perspective on a familiar landscape. Located on a 1.5-mile loop that winds through the property, each treehouse is site-specific and uniquely designed to take advantage of a particular natural setting or garden area of the Stan Hywet property. Tree art in the shape of a giant spider and spider web completes the exhibit.

Known as the proud partner of the Cleveland Indians and the deliciously different ice cream at Progressive Field, Cleveland East-Siders can enjoy the great taste of Stricklands that has been a staple in Akron since 1936 without leaving their home town. Recently voted first place for ice cream in the Akron/Canton area by myfoxcleveland.com, Stricklands opened in May in Mentor at 9175 Mentor Ave., across from Super K.

Stricklands is that delicious homemade ice cream you long for on a hot summer day. Made on the premises, there are 43 flavors that rotate two at a time every three to four days. Check out the Mentor location for the flavor of the day and upcoming flavors at www.mystricklands.com.

Summer just wouldn’t be summer without a trip to the ice cream store. Give us a call at 440-974-3583 and take Stricklands home with you in a pint, quart or as a fresh ice cream cake or pie.

At Summer Wind Stables, Tack and Gift Shoppe in Chesterland, our goal is to foster a life-long love of horses and to teach respect and proper care of our equine friends in a safe setting. Students will learn every aspect of horseback riding and caring for the horse.

Camp runs Monday through Friday all summer. Our campers are divided into two or three ability groups. They ride two times each day for at least an hour each time. We have an educational hands-on ground lesson and lunch. Students also may swim in an in-ground, heated pool.

Our camp instructors are our full-time, year-round riding instructors who have been with us for many years. Parents are invited to our special activities on Fridays to see their rider’s accomplishments each week. Our regular students, boarders and campers receive a discount regularly in our tack shoppe.

For more information, call 440-729-1849 or 440-729-7430, or log on to www.summerwindstables.com or www.summerwindtack.com.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and the spirit of Pittsburgh’s own Mister Rogers can be felt in this special North Side neighborhood. After all, it’s home to Pittsburgh’s Family District, where there’s something fun for everyone.

Fly on over to the National Aviary, which houses more than 600 exotic and endangered birds. Come face to face with a penguin, dance with a flamingo and stroll through an amazing indoor rainforest.

Don’t miss the Carnegie Science Center’s limited engagement of “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” a blockbuster family attraction. Experience more than 400 interactive exhibits, star gaze at a planetarium, go aboard a Cold War submarine and be amazed at the world-renowned model railroad display.

Feeling more adventurous? Experience the city from an extraordinary perspective with Kayak Pittsburgh, near PNC Park, where you can canoe or kayak the three rivers.

With the Mattress Factory, The Children’s Museum and much more, there’s plenty of excitement in Pittsburgh’s Family District.