It’s not unusual for people to go out of town during the holidays, whether to visit friends and relatives or to simply enjoy a little vacation. However, if your budget doesn’t permit spending the holiday week away, there are a lot of places you can go to right here in Northeast Ohio that offer fun and festive seasonal activities.
Going downtown to shop and see the lights was once a time-honored holiday tradition. Although the department stores are no longer there, the lovely Christmas lights on Public Square still remain. You could drive around the square, then go into Tower City Center and check out the charming decor, Holiday Express Train Ride, Bruce the Talking Spruce, and Kringle’s Inventionasium and the Toy Soldier & Fairy Godmother show. Cap off the day with a hot cocoa in the luxurious Renaissance Hotel lobby.
You could also check out the spectacular light display at Nela’s Park on 1975 Noble Road in East Cleveland. The light display has been drawing crowds from all over Cleveland since 1925–that’s more than 80 years! The theme at the 92-acre General Electric Lighting campus this year is “Merry & Bright,” and features almost 500,000 lights. Drop by anytime from 6pm to 11pm until New Year’s Day.
Of course, nothing screams “Cleveland!” more than a trip to the West Side Market, where you’ll find hundreds of stalls selling everything from Mexican salsa and tortillas to German sausages and cheese to funky gourmet popcorn. Wildly popular since the early 1840’s, the Market is the perfect place to get a taste of Cleveland, as all the city’s many different cultures come together under one roof. Outside, the Market District around West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue also hosts a wide variety of eateries and stores such as the restored Crop bistro and the trendy new Market Garden Brewery. Stop by Dragonfly for swanktinis and sushi, and pick up some last minute gifts at hip clothing store Room Service and chic shop Something Different. Don’t forget to drop by Great Lakes Brewing Co. to stock up on their famous Christmas Ale.
These places and many more around the city just go to show that you don’t need to go far from home to enjoy the holiday week.
