The Best of My Summer in the CLE

Labor Day marked the official winding down of summer, & the weather here in Cleveland has been surprisingly cooperative & appropriately autumnal. As we make the switch to a new season - with plenty of new things to lok forward to, including Mike's & my wedding! - I wanted to pay homage to a great summer. Here's a look at some of the best of the season.

Cleveland Flea

I only made it to the Flea twice this summer - once with my mom & once with friends - but I've got one more chance before the event shutters until next year. My mom & I scored a vintage typewriter that will make an appearance in November's wedding decor - & cost under $100!

Night Market

Unfortunately, the first Night Market of the summer was canceled due to rain, which means I only made it to one Night Market all year. I did, however, get to try red bean sesame balls for the first time, & they were delicious, so I'm going to call it a win.

Indians games

I hadn't been to a Tribe game since I was about 10 years old - & then, this summer, I went to three! Once was just Mike & me, once we went with his parents, & once we met up with a gaggle of friends. I can't remember if the Indians won 'em all, but root, root, root for the home team!

Harry Potter Fest

Unfortunately, this event wasn't what we hoped it would be - we ended up spending most of our time waiting in a very long line - but it was some awesome people watching. All the costumes! All the HP swag! Those terrible Jelly Beans!

Literary Cleveland Workshop

My friend Marchae & I taught a two-session workshop on building a better blog, held at Loganberry Books & attended by about a dozen enthusiastic potential bloggers. I was terrified to do this, but it turned out to be such a great professional experience.

Pennsylvania Getaway

Mike & I made the drive out to the middle-of-nowhere, PA, to spend two nights at the cabin in the woods where my cousin is a member of a hunting club. It was a slightly unorthodox vacation, but it was a good time. Beer darts, anyone?

Billy Joel concert

I've long dreamed of seeing my favorite musical artist live, & my mom & I finally made that dream a reality when we saw the Piano Man play at a jam-packed Progressive Field as a birthday gift to ourselves. An incredible show, as expected!

Cleveland Scene AleFest

Rescheduled for the end of July to the weekend of my birthday, this turned out to be a perfect way to welcome 33. We had (free!) VIP tickets, so we spent most of the day chillin' in the shade & drinking a variety of our favorite local beers.

Feast of the Assumption

While our partners were together at a bachelor party, a few ladyfriends & I got together for an afternoon at Little Italy's most delicious annual event, complete with cannoli, tortellini, & some serious stromboli.

Cleveland Asian Festival

This event was a lot like the Night Market, except during the day - & fortunately, far less crowded, which meant more food options for us. I gorged on noodles & pork buns, cleansing my palate with coconut water... straight out of a coconut.

Rooms to Let

This beautiful but controversial art installation featured artwork from dozens of local artists, done in & on the property of abandoned houses in Slavic Village. I blogged about my feelings about it, but I also really loved the art itself.

Newsies at Porthouse Theater

As a birthday gift, my mom got us tickets to see my favorite movie-turned-musical playing on the local stage. We started the evening with a boozy picnic on the Porthouse grounds, then enjoyed a little bit of outdoor theater on a beautiful, cool August night.

My bridal shower

I admit it, I didn't want to have one - but I'm so glad I did. Thanks to my wonderful Aunt Sarah for hosting the perfect little brunch-time event, attended by about 20 or so friends & family members. Hashtag blessed, indeed.

Jimmy Eat World show

In my first & only Blossom concert of the summer, some friends & I scored tickets to a Jimmy Eat World & Incubus show at Cleveland's outdoor venue (located 40 minutes away, in my hometown). I loved seeing my favorite band for a fourth time.

Tremont Polish Festival

This event was less festival & more food-in-a-church-basement, but when the food is this good, who's complaining? Mike & I visited twice, breaking our no-carbs-before-the-wedding promise in favor of a plate of pierogis & a bowl (or two) of Sokolowski's cabbage & noodles.

Taste of Tremont

This fun annual festival takes place on the street where we now live, & though Mike was out of town, some friends & my mom came over to enjoy the festivities.  After having our fill of food, we skipped the beer garden & enjoyed our own beer on the front porch.

Cleveland Blogger Meetup

I've been a Cleveland blogger for awhile now - & a regular old blogger for even longer - but this summer marked my first time meeting up with other Cleveland bloggers. We had a great time schmoozing & boozing at the new Hi & Dry in Tremont.

Labor Day cookout

Marking the unofficial end of summer, if not the calendar's end, this was the perfect day to have a few friends over for a low-key cookout with burgers & hot dogs on the grill in our jungle of a backyard - even if we did almost lose our cat.

I feel like this roundup still doesn't skim the surface of all the fun things we fit into this summer - lots of days of just hanging out or grabbing appetizers on a patio or checking out new breweries - but this is a pretty solid look at what my summer looked like. It was a great one - & now, onto autumn!