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Christmas Events in Cleveland

Wonderful lighting in Cleveland Botanical Garden

If you’re searching for fun events that can add more holiday cheer to your Christmas season, we’ve rounded up some family-friendly events and activities for you to check out. Here are several Christmas events happening in Cleveland this year:

Glow at Cleveland Botanical Garden

Photo courtesy of Cleveland Botanical Garden
Photo courtesy of Cleveland Botanical Garden

Select evenings from Nov 25 to Dec. 31, 2016

11030 East Blvd.,
Cleveland, OH
216-721-1600

One of Cleveland’s signature holiday events, Glow delights visitors with an impressive light display that turns the gardens into a surreal glowing landscape filled with countless lights.

Visitors of all ages get to enjoy a variety of different activities, such as a train ride on the Garden express, caroling at the town square, shopping at The Garden Store, and many more.

Visit this page to purchase tickets.

Winter Wonderland Holiday Art Walk at Little Italy

Dec. 2 to 4, 2016

Mayfield Rd,
Cleveland, OH
216-421-1717

Prepare your shopping list and head to Cleveland’s historic Little Italy neighborhood for Winter Wonderland Art Walk! Be there to support local artists and browse through an amazing selection of handcrafted gift items, jewelry, sculptures, and other unique items.

The annual event also presents a great opportunity to sample some of the region’s best Italian cuisine and visit over 25 galleries, a few of which are only open to the public for this special holiday event. It’s also a great idea to visit Little Italy on Saturday, 5pm as there will be a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in front of the old Mayfield Theater.

Winter Waterland at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium

2000 Sycamore St.
Cleveland, OH
216-862-8803

Enjoy a one-of-a-kind holiday experience at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium! During the Christmas season, the aquarium turns into a Winter Waterland, with lights, holiday-themed decorations, special performances, new animal displays, and appearances from “SCUBA Claus.”

The Greater Cleveland Aquarium is open from 10am to 4pm every day, and is open up to 7pm on Wednesdays. Winter Wonderland does not require a separate ticket – it’s free with regular admission.

Christmas at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens

Select evenings from Nov 25, 2016 to Jan. 2, 2017

714 N. Portage Path
Akron, OH
330-836-5533

Each year, the Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens is changed into a dazzling winter wonderland filled with lights, trees, floral decorations, and Christmas tunes. The theme for this year is “Dazzle and Gingerbreadland.”

Be sure to visit the gardens to see thousands of lights, drop by the museum shop to grab gift items, and enjoy some cookies, hot chocolate, and other holiday treats at the café.

Cleveland Orchestra 2016 Holiday Festival

Dec. 8 to 11 and 15 to 18, 2016

Severance Hall
11001 Euclid Avenue,
Cleveland, OH
216-231-7300

Enjoy masterful performances brought to you by the Cleveland Orchestra, as they perform a series of Christmas classics such as The Nutcracker and other favorites.

One of the special events in store this year is a screening of Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” accompanied by a live performance of Dimitri Tiomkin’s score from the Cleveland Orchestra. Enjoy this event on Dec 8, 2016 at 7:30pm.

To see the complete schedule, visit this page.

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