Keith Urban, Tri-C JazzFest, Parade the Circle & more

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Entertainment | Music | Events

THIS WEEK'S TOP PICKS

Keith Urban at Blossom

The Austrialian-American, singer-songwriter-guitarist-Mr. Nicole Kidman brings fresh tunes from his 2024 album “High” to Cuyahoga Falls with openers Chase Matthew, Alana Springsteen and Karley Scott Collins. Tickets start at $67.20 and are available at livenation.com. Blossom Music Center. 7 p.m., June 27.

Tri-C JazzFest

Summer wouldn’t be the same without it! Catch Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave., Dianne Reeves, Kirk Whalum and Jonathan Butler, Stanley Clarke, the Sun Ra Arkestra and Cleveland’s own Dominick Farinacci & Friends! What could be better? Various times and venues, Thursday, June 26 – Saturday, June 28. Playhouse Square, 1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. tri-c.edu/jazzfest

Parade the Circle Rain Date

Parade is back on! Stroll the scenic Fine Arts Garden, take in creative costumes, giant puppets and handmade masks made by artists, families, schools and community groups. OK, Wade Lagoon folks, take two! Free to all visitors. And if you’re that close, don’t miss the Murakami exhibition! 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday, June 29. Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland. clevelandart.org/events/parade-circle

Ohio Scottish Games & Celtic Festival

From traditional dance and music to athletics of the ancient highlands, dig into this cultural celebration of the Celtic nations – “for the enjoyment of all Scots and friends!” – and learn about the arts and traditions across a two-day stretch. 5 p.m. – 11 p.m., Friday, June 27; 10 a.m. – 11 p.m., Saturday, June 28. Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, 19201 E Bagley Rd., Berea. ohioscottishgames.com

Lorain International Festival

The 57th annual Lorain International Festival is a celebration of the global community right in Northeast Ohio. Aside from live entertainment and other planned events, the Lorain International Bazaar is open for three days for folks to literally eat their way around the world. Admission is $3 at the gate, free for childrens 12 and younger. Black River Landing, 421 Black Rive Lane, Lorain. 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., June 27; Noon to 11 p.m., June 28; Noon to 5 p.m., June 29. loraininternational.com

Guardians v. Cardinals

Your Guards have a three-game, interleague homestand against St. Louis. Great promos: “Free Shirt Friday,” Cleveland Buckeyes Cap (to the first 15,000 fans) on Saturday and a Kids’ Fun Day for the Sunday matinee. 7:10 p.m., Friday, June 27; 4:10 p.m., Saturday, June 28; 12:05 p.m., Sunday, June 29. mlb.com/guardians

Akron RubberDucks v Harrisburg Senators

The rubber meets the road in the middle of this five-game homestand at Canal Park. The Senators are playing .500 ball, while your Ducks seem to have theirs all in a row. Now through Saturday, June 28. Canal Park, 300 S Main St., Akron. milb.com/akron

"Hamilton"

The classic, definitive musical of American history is playing in Cleveland. As Lin Manual-Miranda says: It’s the story of America then, told by America now. So take your shot and be in the room where it happens. Ticket prices vary. KeyBank State Theatre, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Through Sunday, July 6. playhousesquare.org

Forest Forms

Holden Arboretum’s Forest Forms is billed as an artful exploration of nature’s lines, rhythm and movement. The traveling outdoor exhibition is from artist Huelani Mei. $13 to $19 (free, ages 2 and under). Through Sunday, Sept. 7. holdenfg.org

Larchmere PorchFest

Cleveland’s Larchmere neighborhood might host one of the most creative events in town. Porchfest features dozens of several local musicians performing on various porches in the neighborhood. It’s also a great place to stop for a snack in between sets, with street vendors, a food court, and local restaurants on Larchmere Boulevard and Shaker Square participating. Free admission. Larchmere Boulevard, Cleveland. 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., June 28. larchmereporchfest.org

I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road

A full production of Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford’s 1978 musical about a cabaret singer who creates a new act in life. It ran for 1,000 performances in New York and has been produced everywhere. The first female writing team in musical theater will be on hand! 7:30 p.m., Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28 (a Sunday performance is sold out). Dobama Theatre, 2340 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights. musicaltheaterproject.org and dobama.org

“Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow”

The Cleveland Museum of Art’s blockbuster new exhibit celebrates one of the most influential artists in modern pop culture with colorful, never-before-seen installations and exclusive new works. Tickets $15-$30. Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland. Through Sept. 7. clevelandart.org

Opening Night at moCa Cleveland

Five new exhibitions: Clotilde Jiménez presents “Shapeshift,” Kelli Connell’s “Double Life,” Erykah Townsend’s “Happy Holidays,” Maggie Menghan Chen’s “Body Building Exercise” and Beverly Semmes’ “The Dresses.” Bites and sips, free admission. 6 p.m., Friday, June 27. Museum of Contemporary Art (moCa) Cleveland, 11400 Euclid Ave. mocacleveland.org

Pete Lee

In an era of “you can’t say that anymore!” Lee is one of those clean comics who wins a crowd over with bits on “Ghosting” and more. A semi-finalist on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” he performed at over 500 colleges across the country after shooting his own Comedy Central special. 7 p.m., Thursday, June 26; 6:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., Friday June 27 and Saturday, June 28. Hilarities 4th St. Theatre, 2035 E 4th St., Cleveland. hilarities.com

Golden Flame Invitation

The “fierce physicality, moving acapella song and poetry” of this three-act poetic theater exposition comes to an end with four final shows. Dreams, contemplation and shared humanity as conceived by executive artistic director Raymond Bobgan. 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 26 and Sunday, June 29; 8 p.m. Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28. Cleveland Public Theatre, 6415 Detroit Ave., Cleveland. cptonline.org/performances

"Beautiful: The Carole King Musical"

“Beautiful” tells the true story of Carole King’s remarkable rise from a teenage songwriter in Brooklyn, New York, to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It’s billed as a “powerful and moving story of self-discovery, perseverance, and triumph.” Ticket prices vary. 7:30 p.m. Weathervane Playhouse, 1301 Weathervane Lane, Akron. Thursday, June 19 to Sunday, July 13. weathervaneplayhouse.com

Row & Recover at the Foundry

Ever wanted to try rowing as a sport? Watched oarsfolk, sullers and coxswain glide across the Cuyahoga and wished it was you? Learn the finer points in a state-of-the-art Indoor Tank House. Meet new friends, give it a try and enjoy a cold one or glass of wine afterwards. 5:30 p.m., Friday, June 27. Cleveland Foundry Community Rowing & Sailing Center, 1831 Columbus Rd., Cleveland. clevelandfoundry.org

John Grabowski: My Life & Times

Part of “Cleveland History Days,” this tête-à-tête between historian and Case professor with Music Box owner Mike Miller promises to shed light on the first-gen Clevelander’s life and times in Slavic Village – and how it led to documenting regional history. Free with RSVP. 5 p.m. (doors); 7 p.m. (start), Thursday, June 26. Music Box Supper Club, 1148 Main Ave., Cleveland. musicboxcle.com/event/john-grabowski-my-life

Cedar Point Amusement Park

Cedar Point is now open for the 2025 summer season. Check out more than 150 rides including rollercoasters like Millennium Force and Steel Vengeance. Enjoy fresh-cut fries and stroll the mile-long Cedar Point Beach. Opening day tickets are just $40. For future dates save money buying tickets online. Cedar Point Amusement Park, One Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky. May 3, opening day. cedarpoint.com

FOOD & DRINK

2025 Pierogi Fest

The Holy Trinity Ukrainian Church is bringing back its pierogi fest to celebrate Cleveland’s favorite Polish food. Savory and sweet pierogi, with fillings like potato, sauerkraut, blueberry and sweet cheese will be available. Other dishes include potato pancakes, shish kabobs, borscht, stuffed cabbage and kielbasa. Free admission. Holy Trinity Church, 9672 State Road, North Royalton. June 28-29. facebook.com/holytrinity.church.7/

2025 Lebanese Food & Music Festival

Parma’s 11th annual Lebanese Food and Music Festival is set for the last weekend of June. Authentic dishes like hummus, shawarma, kibbie, tabouli salad and Lebanese beer and wine will be available. Live music, including belly dancing performances, are also planned. Free admission. 2300 West Ridgewood Dr., Parma. Noon to 9 p.m., June 28; Noon to 7 p.m., June 29. nolaa.org

TOP PICKS

The Barrelhouse

The Barrelhouse is always a cool place to hang out, grab a bite and have a beer or wine from well-culled lists. But the menu gives power to YOU the customer. You get your own pad of paper listing options to check for everything you want on a burger, but the other cool feature is customizable salads. Choose from multiple protein options on a handful of different salads. On a recent trip I enjoyed a Caesar with sea bass. Bonus: Very dog-friendly patio. It’s at 1682 W. Market St., Akron. – Marc Bona DETAILS

Mount Granita

There’s no better way to beat this heat wave in Northeast Ohio than with fresh-made Italian ice. Mount Granita in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood is a destination for the frozen treat made with real fruit. Flavors like Amarena cherry, grapefruit, raspberry and lemon are a few favorites, with new flavor additions like chocolate and matcha latte debuting this season. Mount Granita is at 2024 Murray Hill Road in Cleveland – Alex Darus DETAILS

TV & MOVIES

“A Minecraft Movie”

La-la-la-lava, ch-ch-ch-chicken, Steve’s lava chicken is now streaming on HBO Max, as is the rest of “A Minecraft Movie.” A box office phenomenon with over $950 million in worldwide ticket sales and counting, this movie adaptation of the popular game stars Jack Black and Jason Momoa. DETAILS

“The Bear” Season 4

All 10 episodes of season four of FX’s “The Bear” drop Wednesday on Hulu. Viewers will find out if Michelin-starred chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) can successfully run an acclaimed and profitable fine dining restaurant in Chicago. The series has led to acting awards for White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Liza Colón-Zayas. DETAILS

“Nosferatu”

Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp and Bill Skarsgård lead the Robert Eggers-directed update of the 1922 silent vampire classic “Nosferatu,” streaming on Prime Video starting Friday, June 27. DETAILS

“The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie”

The Porky Pig and Daffy Duck movie is coming to HBO Max on Friday, June 27 (it will also broadcast on HBO on June 28 at 8 p.m. ET). Reviews were a little mixed, but mostly positive for the full-length animated feature. DETAILS

“My Mom Jayne”

Mariska Hargitay’s documentary about her mother Jayne Mansfield will also be streaming on HBO Max on Friday, June 27. The Hollywood bombshell died in a car accident at 34, when Hargitay was only 3. DETAILS

“Countdown”

Jensen Ackles (“Supernatural,” “Tracker”) stars in a new crime thriller series for Prime Video called “Countdown.” Ackles plays a LAPD detective assigned to a task force investigating the murder of a government official. Eric Dane of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria” also stars. It premieres Wednesday. DETAILS

“Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together”

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s second shot at love didn’t work out but there’s another celebrity couple who has rekindled a past flame. Recording artists Nelly and Ashanti were an item for more than 10 years before their breakup in 2013. They got back together in 2023 and are now married with a son. The pair are the subject of their own reality show that debuts Thursday on Peacock. DETAILS

“Smoke”

Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett star in the new thriller for Apple TV+ as investigators working together to catch two serial arsonists. It was created by Dennis Lehane and based on a true story where an arson investigator turned out to be a serial arsonist. John Leguizamo and Greg Kinnear also appear in “Smoke,” out Friday. DETAILS

“Nautilus”

A reimagining of Jules Verne’s novel “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas” comes to AMC+ Friday, June 29. It’s an origin story of the character known as Captain Nemo and portrayed by Shazad Latif. Nemo is an Indian prince whose birthright was stolen from him and he’s on a mission for revenge. DETAILS

MUSIC

George Thorogood and the Destroyers

A perennial Cleveland classic rock favorite who can make anyone bad to the bone – with or without one bourbon, one scotch and one beer. This is a 21-and-over only concert. MGM Grand Northfield Park. 8 p.m., June 27. mgmnorthfieldpark.mgmresorts.com

Tyler, The Creator: Chromakopia: The World Tour

The SoCal Rapper-producer hasn’t performed in Cleveland much (November 2017 at the House of Blues was the most recent show we could find) So, for area fans this will be a big darn deal. Lil Yachty and Paris Texas will open. Tickets start at $89. Rocket Arena, Cleveland. 7:30 p.m., June 28. rocketarena.com/events/

Diana Krall

The only jazz singer to have eight albums debut at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. Her “When I Look in Your Eyes” spent 52 weeks on that chart and won two Grammys. Krall delivers standards, originals and goosebumps – though not always in that order. 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 26. Mandel Music Center, 11001Euclid Ave., Cleveland. clevelandorchestra.com/dianakrall

Less Than Jake’s “Summer Circus”

Is it a summer circus or a Skalapalooza? Tomayto, tomahto. All we know is that we’d pay full freight to hear the almighty Fishbone tear through “Sunless Saturday” one more time. There’s no one “less than” Jake on the bill, but Fishbone’s rubberband man Angelo is decidedly Moore. Suicide Machines are on the bill, too, so get there early. 7 p.m., Friday, June 27. House of Blues, 308 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. houseofblues.com/cleveland

Dispatch & John Butler, G. Love & Special Sauce and Donavon Frankenreiter

Friends, this is quite a lineup. Not sure who we’re most excited to see, but we’d place bets on each of these triple-A format artists intermingling with others during their respective sets. A resplendent jam sesh, this could end up being the feel-good show of the season. 6 p.m., Friday, June 27. Cain Park, 14591 Superior Rd., Cleveland Heights. cainpark.com

Brent Kirby “On + On + On” CD Release

The singer-songwriter has famously helmed the 10X3 Songwriter and Band Showcase at the Bop Stop. He celebrates a new album with a full-band show. “On + On + On” was recorded and produced by Don Dixon (R.E.M., Smithereens, James McMurtry). 7 p.m., Friday, June 27. Bop Stop, 2920 Detroit Ave., Cleveland. themusicsettlement.org/bop-stop

“SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of Music”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s newest exhibit celebrates “Saturday Night Live”’s iconic musical moments with rare artifacts, never-before-seen footage and interactive displays. Tickets $29.50-$39.50. Open daily. 1100 Rock & Roll Blvd., Cleveland. rockhall.com/

Lorde “Virgin”

What will the next era of Lorde look like? “What Was That,” the singer’s first new single in four years, recalls the clever synth-pop of her 2017 album “Melodrama,” casting aside the folk detour of 2021’s “Solar Power.” The song that followed, “Man of the Year,” is stripped and spare – just Lorde and a sorrowful bass. Who knows what will come next? Listeners will have to wait until Friday, June 27, when she releases her fourth studio album, “Virgin.” DETAILS

“F1: The Album”

The “F1” movie, starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, is quickly gearing up to be a summer tentpole. Naturally, the filmmakers knew its sound had to be massive, too. That arrives via a score by the many-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer and a huge soundtrack with bespoke tracks from Chris Stapleton, Ed Sheeran, Myke Towers, Blackpink’s Rosé, Tate McRae and many more. DETAILS

“Every Time You Lose Your Mind: A Film about Failure”

On Friday, June 27, arty alt-rock legends Failure will receive documentary treatment in “Every Time You Lose Your Mind: A Film about Failure,” available to stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. The unorthodox and influential band finally gets their due in the project, directed by frontman Ken Andrews. And don’t worry if Failure isn’t a familiar name to you. Some of the featured voices in the documentary certainly will be. DETAILS

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