The festival began 21 years ago when a parishioner of Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church, the late Mary Jacko stated to then Mayor Tony Sinagra that the Eastern end of Lakewood, where Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church is located, seems to a forgotten part of town by the rest of the city. She suggested an ethnic festival at Madison Park and immediately received the blessing of the mayor...

Two locally based bands, “Back for More", from Berea,” and “A Fabulous Waste of Time, from Lakewood, are featured in this month’s edition of ConneXions, a 30-minute monthly show produced by Cox Communications. The bands performed as a part of Band2Gether, a free outdoor summer youth concert series, showcasing young musicians in middle school and high school...

The Winchester Tavern & Music Hall located at 12112 Madison Avenue is welcoming FIVE time Grammy Award winning guitarist Steve Lukather and his band to the stage on Friday, August 22nd. Steve is best known as the guitarist and sometime lead vocalist/songwriter for the group TOTO, but there is so much more. The set and band are truly amazing. Steve will be performing some hits that he wrote for other artists and covered on tribute releases along with highlights form his entire solo career. Also included are tracks from his new Ever Changing Times release and some "deep track"
Toto gems...

Music should be like any satisfying thunderstorm: a combination of thunder and lightning. The lightning sparks the interest and the thunder delivers the long awaited for and much relished BOOM!

The Lakewood Summer Concert Series presents the Men of Independence barbershop chorus on Sunday, July 27th at the Lakewood Park band shell, 7 until 8:30pm. The chorus will perform “A Night at the USO”...

Band2gether, a free, outdoor summer youth concert series will present its inaugural show on Friday, July 11 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the municipal parking lot next to Sinagra Park in the heart of downtown Lakewood. Youth rock bands, Little Known Fact and Back for More, will be featured at the Band2gether concert series debut...

Check out the update at www.walkroll.com

Lakewood is one of the most walker-friendly communities in the Cleveland area. Detroit Avenue is lined with shops, restaurants, bars and coffee shops- not to mention downtown also houses the award winning Lakewood Public Library, the post office and anything else a pedestrian could need within a radius of a few blocks. It is virtually a pedestrian’s playground; the perfect solution for the environmentally conscious and the sticker-shocked, gas guzzling general public...

If, as their band name suggests, Smiley Baldazar was trying to be odd, then they certainly and undeniably succeeded in that endeavor on their album “Relax, It’s Out of Control”.That is not to say that bands that tout their oddness aren’t successful because in an age where originality in the music industry pays off, the weirder the better. However, there is such a thing as too strange for one’s own good. Smiley Baldazar might fit into this category. It is worth mentioning that many groups are lauded for their ability to transcend the genre barrier and create a sound that fans of different kinds of music would enjoy...

“Workin’ Man”, the latest record from Cats on Holiday is a mellow amalgamation of country and classic rock with a hint of jazz...

"Hotel, Hotel", a band from Texas, played a short set at Bela Dubby on June 7th. Unfortunately, there were only about 8 people there to hear it. I hope you will support your local venues--there is a lot of great music to be found in Lakewood! What follows is my review of the Bela Dubby show in poem form:..

A dapper Scott Weiland and fellow Stone Temple Pilots members took the stage on Saturday, relaxed and comfortable in front of 30,000 people, as if they have been on tour for months. What fans came to see was STP’s first show in eight years...

The Winchester Tavern & Music Hall, right here in Lakewood, has been receiving national attention for years now, including multiple mentions on VH1 and XM Radio, and is currently in the middle of more national exposure. The current edition (May 23) of Goldmine Magazine, which is a bi-monthly national music and record collector's magazine, on newsstands across the country, features a glowing review of the Kim Simmonds show that took place at the Winchester on January 26th, 2008. Kim Simmonds is the founder, lead guitarist, and vocalist of British blues/rock band Savoy Brown, and was named one of the top 10 guitarists EVER by Musician Magazine. This was his fifth time at the Winchester; the first four of which were with Savoy Brown. This is the second time that Goldmine has covered the happenings at the Winchester...

The Lakewood Observer recently caught up with local author, Ron Ciancutti, about the release of his new book, “A Step Ahead; Collected Essays.” Ron has published several articles in our paper in the last several years and each time, his direct, heartfelt message generated substantial response from our readership...

Two new Jazzercise dance-fitness classes opened in Lakewood the week of March 31st. Jazzercise instructor Karen Kilbane has added the classes to accommodate new participants and to provide current participants with a greater choice of convenient class times...

Brittany Reilly will be coming to Cleveland, OH on April 12th performing at The Winchester with the Almost Acoustic Band supporting her new CD release “Good Old Country Sound”. Their music is described as Old-Time Country, Bluegrass/Reggae Acoustic Roots Music. They will be on a three week national tour throughout the month playing shows in FL, OH, TN, MO, CO, NM, & AZ...

The Lakewood Early Childhood PTA is proud to announce an upcoming event that is sure to be enjoyed by all. As the snow melts and the days get longer, are you starting to think about your family’s summer road trips? There are great memories just waiting to be made along the open roads of Ohio. Before you make your plans, come hear Neil Zurcher, travel author and long-time TV travel reporter (you may be familiar with his "One Tank Trips" series), who will present Ohio Road Trips for Families with Young Children...

Like the title of one of her new songs, singer-songwriter Anne E. DeChant is indeed getting out of dodge. After 18 years on the local music scene, one of Cleveland’s favorite musicians is making tracks for Nashville. Her last pre-move show will be right here in Lakewood at the Winchester, one of the West Side’s best music venues...

Are the kids making you crazy? Does the weather have you blue? You say there’s nothing to do; I say be creative! Quit complaining that it’s too cold to take your kids outside and take the family Bumper Bowling at Mahall’s Twenty Lanes!

Dear Lakewood Residents and Friends: We hope you and your family and friends will come out to ring in the holiday season at Light Up Lakewood on Friday, November 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. You will be treated to a spectacular community holiday lighting ceremony and celebration...

Brighten up your weekend and start the holiday season with a bang! Join in the overflowing holiday cheer at Light Up Lakewood, our city’s own old-fashioned community lighting ceremony and celebration...

For the health-conscious among us, it may seem impossible to maintain a weight-controlled holiday, without putting a damper on the festive occasion. After all, who wants to eat brussel sprouts in place of mashed potatoes and gravy?

I know nearly nothing about sports—I’ve just recently come over to the Dark Side—so, naturally, the ALCS playoffs puzzled me. Apparently, it helps to know the rules. After much confusion, I finally found something I could focus on and comprehend: the intriguing variety of spitting techniques among the players. Here is what my research has uncovered thus far.

Planning for a spectacular community event is well underway. Be sure your calendar is marked for Friday, November 30th, when the city’s holiday lighting ceremony returns to downtown Lakewood.

On September 28th – 30th, Recycled Rainbow, a temporary autonomous zone, will emerge at the Hide-A-Way campground in Leavittsburg, Ohio.