No, it’s open year-round . . . Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (not on ”T” days and not Sunday). For close to 100 years, Clevelanders and visitors, have flocked to the West Side Market, making it the oldest outdoor market in the nation. Located in the near west Ohio City neighborhood (at the corner of West 25 and Lorain Road) just minutes from downtown, it’s easily accessible. Because of it’s rich history, the West Side Market is one of the most well-known landmarks in the city.

The walls are lined with more than 100 vendors offering fresh produce, dairy and meat as well as prepared foods like crepes from Crepes De Luxe, pizza from Frickaccio’s and even side dishes at Side Show. 

Visiting simply to enjoy the atmosphere isn’t uncommon and the balcony overlooking the market is a popular spot for eating and visiting. Although busy all year, holiday shopping is especially exciting. With dozens of ethnicities represented, it’s easy to try special holiday eats from different cultures without having to crash anyone’s party.

Positively Cleveland recently spent some time at the market to take it all in. We talked to 15 vendors (see them here) about their products, histories and what they love most about Cleveland (for which the most common answer was ”the people.”) Watch the video to learn more about the West Side Market experience:

Here’s a complete list of the West Side Market vendors we visited:
Crepes De Luxe – Sweet and savory crepes
Grandma Freda’s Fresh Bakery – Try the strawberry cupcake (actually try them all!) 
Michelle’s Bakery – Breads, muffins, cookies and other baked goods. 
Irene Dever - Fresh cheese, yogurt (Irene Dever’s strawberry yogurt is always on my market list), cottage cheese, eggs and salads
Turczyk’s / Bistricky’s – Meat (whole heads of several varieties, just not sure which ones)
Boutros Brothers Produce – Fresh vegetables
Campbell’s Popcorn Shop – Popcorn, chocolate covered everything, candied and caramel apples and other sweets
City Roast Coffee and Tea – Any kind of coffee or tea you could ever want, although their most popular is the house blend
Frickaccio’s Pizza Market – Homemade pizza hot or to go, pizza bagels and other Italian delights
Juice Garden – Fresh juice and smoothies
Kim Se Cambodian Cuisine – Fresh homemade Pad Thai, egg rolls, sushi etc. 
Mediterranean Imported Foods – Meat, cheese, cookies, crackers, candy and the things you’re dying to try but can’t buy at the regular grocery store
Ohio City Pasta – Their handcrafted fresh pasta is in restaurants across the US and available for purchase around Cleveland
Side Show – A variety of take-with-you side dishes
The Olive and the Grape – Oils and spices including a sampling of 17 original Cleveland spices –answered by Corinne Allie, Social Media Specialist

The Cleveland Plus Official Visitors Guide (OVG) is the official visitor publication showcasing Cleveland Plus and is the first publication sent to visitors upon request before their arrival.  The guide features vibrant imagery and enticing editorial highlighting the assets of our community. The OVG provides a comprehensive source of information for visitors on area accommodations, restaurants, events, attractions, museums, entertainment, family fun, shopping, sports & recreation, sightseeing & tours, neighborhoods, multicultural activities, transportation, maps and visitor services. 

Published in-house by Positively Cleveland’s Marketing Department, we print two issues annually. 180,000 copies of the Spring/Summer OVG are distributed May-September and 70,000 copies of the Fall/Winter OVG are distributed October-April.  The publication is circulated through local hotels, downtown Cleveland Plus Visitors Center, CLE and CAK airports, the Ohio Turnpike and ODOT Visitor Centers, regional AAA offices, other Ohio CVBs and fulfilled and mailed to visitors via website and toll-free phone requests.

It truly takes a team effort to go from 84 blank pages to the finished product. We start by verifying membership listings. With more than 725 published listings we go through a process with our members to make sure that every listing is as accurate and up-to-date as possible. On the editorial side, the Publications Manager and Communications Director draft an editorial outline featuring articles and sidebar stories that keeps with Positively Cleveland’s advertising campaign, “Discover The Unexpected Side of Cleveland Plus.” The majority of the copy is then written by local freelance writers. On the design side, the Publications Manager (me) works with the in-house Creative Director, a freelance designer and freelance photographers on crafting a design that reflects the energy and excitement of the city.

We are proud to say that the Cleveland Plus Official Visitors Guide is an award-winning publication and recipient of the 2006 OTA Ruby Award in category of Guides and Planners and 2009 OACVB Middy Award, First Place for Excellence in Group Travel & Meeting Planner.  If you’d like to read the most recent OVG online or request a copy be mailed to you, click here.

If you’re a business reading this blog entry and wondering how you can be listed in the Official Visitors Guide, click here and one of our Business Development Sales Representatives will give you a call. These same sales reps also sell advertising space in our publications. Click here to view the media kit for advertising opportunities. –Answered by Mark Schutte, Publications Manager

No other city celebrates the holiday season quite like Cleveland.  Enter Positively Cleveland’s Facebook-based contest and you and a guest could win a trip for two to experience the holidays in Cleveland Plus. Already here? Enter to win and bring home two friends or family members to celebrate with you.

The trip includes two Continental Airline vouchers* to fly to Cleveland and a two-night stay at the Cleveland Airport Marriott, a newly-revitalized hotel minutes from the airport with updated guestrooms and the new AMP 150 restaurant by celebrity chef Dean Max that highlights “America’s Modern Palate” with local artisan products and handcrafted cuisine. 

The contest winner of this festive trip for two also receives two (2) tickets to A Christmas Story House, the actual home used in the filming of the cult classic Christmas movie, as well as tickets to a stage production of “A Christmas Story” at The Cleveland Play House.  Also included in this celebratory prize pack are two (2) passes for  “Holly”wood Christmas Movieland, a comprehensive display of holiday movie memorabilia, and tickets for two (2) to explore the “Deck the Hall” display included a gaily decorated mansion and estate at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens.  In the University Circle area, the winners get to enjoy the outdoor ice skating rink and the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s Winter Show.  And, in the Cleveland Metroparks, they have the option of experiencing the thrill of riding a toboggan as speeds of 20 to 50 miles per hour down the only public ice chutes in Ohio. And, the duo can see Great Lakes Theater Festival’s production of the story of a miser seeking redemption in “A Christmas Carol” or board jolly Lolly the Trolley for the holiday city lights Silver Bell Tour.

To enter, become a fan of the Positively Cleveland’s Facebook fan page.  Tell us on our wall about the best holiday gift you’ve ever given and include the tag #clefortheholidays between Monday, November 2, 2009 and Sunday, November 15, 2009 (11:59pm EST).  You are then entered in the drawing to win a trip for two to experience Cleveland Plus and our holiday season cheer.  The winner will be announced on our Facebook fanpage Monday, November 16, 2009.  (*some restrictions apply, see rules) –Submitted by Corinne Allie, Social Media Specialist

Photo: Scott Meivogel

Yes!

A four-day weekend in Cleveland Plus in the summer typically comes in at an expense of 30– 40 percent less than what one might pay in cities like Philadelphia or Boston. That’s right. If you visit all the same types of attractions (including a city bus/trolley tour, zoo, science center, art museum, natural history museum and stay in a high-end hotel) in Cleveland Plus, you could save more than one third on costs. What does this mean? It equates to more cash for a longer or, better yet, a more luxurious vacation – something we all could use.

And, Cleveland Plus has no shortage of luxury style attractions and accommodations. Here are our tips for a true luxury vacation:

While it might seem like a stretch to stay at the Ritz-Carlton while on a budget, we can assure you that Cleveland’s version offers very affordable rates without losing that “Ritz experience.” The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland recently completed a major renovation of the 206-room hotel located in the heart of the city’s downtown. They offer amazing views, spacious guestrooms, uncanny service and the kind of luxury accommodations one might expect would come with the name. It’s a historic hotel with classic beauty and the kind of affordability that we can all enjoy.

Of course, if luxury is the name of your game, then University Circle is your playground. As the nation’s most concentrated square mile of arts and cultural institutions, this Cleveland neighborhood is home to more than 20 unique venues including the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Botanical Garden, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Institute of Music and Severance Hall, winter home of the renowned Cleveland Orchestra. On the budget side, a visit to University Circle means you pay one price for parking, as most venues are within a short walking distance.

While the Cleveland Orchestra is one of the world’s most renowned, we can’t help but to point out all that is the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM). During the day, CIM is a music school attended by some of the best musicians in the world (and often taught by members of the Cleveland Orchestra). But at night, it comes to life with various free concerts put on by CIM students throughout the year.  It’s like a smaller, more intimate orchestra experience that is remarkably moving – and free.

You can’t travel luxuriously without a stop at one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in Cleveland – The Cleveland Museum of Art.  As one of the United States’ most important art museums, this enormous artistic venue is the only major museum in the country to still offer FREE admission to its permanent collection. Located in University Circle, the museum is still undergoing a multi-million-dollar renovation, but has opened select wings periodically. The most recent wing to open, the east wing, features an incredible collection of art that spans centuries. Now through April 2010, you can also view the only American exhibition of Paul Gauguin: Paris, 1889.

Sometimes cooking the turkey at Thanksgiving is for the birds. Here’s a starter list (by no means comprehensive) of area restaurants serving up the holiday meal. If you know of others, please add them by commenting on the blog entry.

John Q’s Steakhouse 
• Thanksgiving buffet from 12-5pm. $28.95 for adults and $11.95 for children ages 12 and under.

Brasserie at the Renaissance
• Thanksgiving brunch from 6:30-11am. $15.

Mallorca
• Serving its regular menu plus a turkey dinner.

Ritz-Carlton
• Muse open regular hours serving its regular menu
• Brunch buffet served in the ballroom from 11am-3pm. $60 for adults and $28 for children.

Maggiano’s Little Italy
• Family-style dinner including turkey, pasta and other items. $29.95 for adults and $14.95 for children. Call 216.755.3000 for reservations.

Moxie’s/Red The Steakhouse 
• Offering prepared meals for takeout Wednesday night. $140-150 for dinner for four.

Click here for more Cleveland restaurants open on Thanksgiving. –Answered by Corinne Allie, Social Media Specialist

Capitol Theatre is the newest and oldest addition to the Cleveland Cinemas family. Located in the up-and-coming Detroit Shoreway neighborhood just west of downtown Cleveland, this theatre has seen a lot of drama  . . . and I don’t mean Gone With the Wind style. Capitol Theatre has been dark from more than 20 years. Now, thanks to a redevelopment of the arts in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, the theatre has been meticulously transformed into a state-of-the-art, high-tech, all-digital movie theatre equipped with 3-D technology.

The Capitol, circa 1940s (image courtesy of Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization)

First opened in 1921 as a 1,334-seat vaudeville and silent film house, the theater underwent renovations in the mid-1930s to accommodate sound pictures and again in the ’50s, resulting in a remodeled lobby and an expanded stage. However, due to severe water damage and lack of climate control the theatre closed in 1985.

The Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, Cleveland Public Theatre and Near West Theater came together to renovate and restore the theatre with the belief that it would be a catalyst for economic development in the area. While maintaining historic details and a 1920s atmosphere, the project converted the single-movie theatre into a three-screen cinema (420-seat main theatre on the ground floor and two balcony theatre, each with 96 seats).

Positively Cleveland recently hosted seven travel writers for a “Luxury on a Budget” tour of the city. We showed them some ways to save money without skimping on the experience. Here are just a few ways to taste the finer things in Cleveland Plus affordably.

From the world fusion menu created by Chef Zack Bruell to the modern American dishes crafted by “Iron” Chef Michael Symon, Cleveland is quickly becoming a culinary epicenter receiving international recognition.  And, there’s certainly no reason why you can’t experience Cleveland’s burgeoning restaurant scene while on a budget.

Here’s how:

Hit up Happy Hour. As the nightlife in Cleveland continues to grow, so does the quantity and uniqueness of the region’s happy hour offerings. Many of the area’s award-winning, locally-owned restaurants are offering food and drink happy hour menus that please the palate and the wallet. Often, the tapas and small plates are the perfect portion for dinner.

And, so is the case at fire, food and drink located in the bustling Shaker Square neighborhood. It’s pretty clear that Chef Doug Katz puts his heart and soul into the restaurant, where he creates simple foods with innovative presentations using the best local ingredients. Happy hour runs Monday – Friday from 4 – 6pm. The bartenders are probably the nicest I’ve ever met and the small plates are phenomenal (try the yummy flat bread pizzas cooked in their wood-fired ovens).

Make the most of the Shaker Square experience by hitting up another fabulous happy hour right across the street at Sergio’s SARAVA.  Chef Sergio Abramof’s Brazilian cross-cultural menu features an array of small plates that encourage diners to discover new taste sensations in a relaxing, fun environment.  Happy hour runs every day from 5 – 6:30pm and includes specials on their famous street plates. Don’t pass up the pao de queijo and tamale cakes.

If I could imagine a perfect world, it would involve a classically trained gourmet chef making me delicious food for free. This is the case at the internationally acclaimed Table 45, located in the Intercontinental Hotel near the Cleveland Clinic. Come for happy hour (Monday – Friday, 4 – 6pm) to experience complimentary hors’ devours that highlight Chef Zack Bruell’s cross –cultural cuisine and unique cocktail specials.

And, I would be remiss to not mention the “Six on Six” Happy Hour at the ultra-luxurious Ritz-Carlton. The Ritz-Carlton offers a variety of $6 appetizers, $6 glasses of wine and their wide selection of martinis from their Martini Hall of Fame Monday – Friday from 5 – 7pm.

Finish off your happy hour excursion downtown at D’Vine Wine Bar located in the Warehouse District. One of my favorite places to head to for happy hour with my girlfriends, D’vine has some of the best tapas (the brie is second to none) and wine around. While it’s a perfect escape any of the week, I highly recommend happy hour on Wednesdays from 4 – 7pm when D’Vine offers half-off their huge selection of wine flights.

Make it a lunch date. Most notable restaurants in Cleveland offer a lunch menu that is typically 40 to 60 percent less expensive than the dinner menu. Often, these menus offer many of the same items listed on the dinner menu, but in smaller portions. This is a wonderfully affordable way to try a new restaurant.

My lunch recommendations include a stop at The Greenhouse Tavern. Chef Jonathan Sawyer evokes the farm-to-plate movement in this new restaurant, which features an acclaimed French-inspired menu. As the the first LEED-certified restaurant in Ohio, everything inside is made of recycled materials. Head there for a phenomenal lunch and make sure to order the pomme frites and Sawyer’s notoriously tasty crispy chicken wings.

Be a locavore.  Becoming one with the locals is a great way to save money and get an all-encompassing view the city. Cleveland is bursting full of local flavor that can be enjoyed without blowing your budget.

Besides being a great place to grab breakfast, the West Side Market is also a Cleveland landmark and not-to-be-missed attraction.  Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday beginning at 7am, the West Side Market boasts more than 180 vendors who sell fresh ethnic goods, many of whom have done so for countless generations.  Customers can browse exotic specialty goods ranging from Hungarian sausage to Mexican flat breads. Enjoy breakfast-on-the-go at individual booths or order off the menu at the deliciously diner-esque West Side Market Café.

For breakfast or a quick lunch, head over to Constantino’s Market located in the Warehouse District, freshness hot spot with all the tasty convenience of a market.  An extensive wine list, an in-house bakery and deli, fresh produce, ice cold dairy and gourmet prepared foods are just the start of what you’ll find at Constantino’s Market. For breakfast, try a big cup of their fresh ground coffee, fresh fruit and a decadent homemade pastry.

Another great on-the-go breakfast or lunch option is the cravable Presti’s Bakery, located in the heart of Little Italy. It might sound weird to hit up a bakery for lunch, but Presti’s offers mouthwatering deli items, stromboli, breads, pizzas and paninis that go easy on your wallet. And, before you leave, make sure to try Presti’s signature desserts like homemade pastries, cookies, biscotti, cannoli, tira misu and cakes for any occasion.

A Christmas Story at Cleveland Play House (photo: Roger Mastroanni)

When it comes to inspiring local theater, The Cleveland Play House sits center stage. As America’s first regional theater company (started in 1915 as an artistic contrast to the campy entertainment of Vaudeville), the artesian-driven production group produces professional theater on par with anything in the country.

“The Cleveland Play House, like the orchestra and the museum of art, represents the very best of what it does as an organization in our area,” says Seth Gordon, associate artistic director of the Cleveland Play House. “Its national reputation makes Cleveland a more desirable city to live in. And its education programming is locked in the memory of almost every child in the city who loves the arts, along with every adult who grew up in Cleveland.”

Along with its superb selection of stage acts (notable premieres range from You Touched Me by Tennessee Williams to The Archbishop’s Ceiling by Arthur Miller), the Cleveland Play House also delivers outstanding theater education programs. In 90-plus seasons, more than 11 million people have attended more than 1,300 productions; this fall season will include Beethoven, As I Knew Him (Sept. 15-Oct. 4), Inherit the Wind (Oct. 23-Nov. 15), and the Cleveland favorite A Christmas Story (Nov. 27-Dec. 20).  The latter is a Christmas classic, based on humorist Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the Midwest, adapted into a movie shot around Cleveland. It’s on its fifth year at the Play House and is fitted with an updated set, new actors, and more than a few Cleveland nuances (with the playwright’s permission, the Play House even renamed the story’s department store HIGBEE’S, an iconic Cleveland shop).

“A Christmas Story is wonderful family-oriented entertainment,” says Gordon. “It’s based on the film, so of course it has all of the wonderful scenes you remember the most, but I think [our version] has more depth than the film in addition to being great fun.”  –Submitted by Keith Gribbins

Traveling to Cleveland Plus? Many hotels here have done major spruce-ups in preparation for your visit.
 
Downtown Cleveland’s former Holiday Inn Lakeside is now DoubleTree Hotel Cleveland/Lakeside. The $17 million renovation was total, says general manager Leonard Clifton. “We took it down to the cement.” Beds, flat screen TVs in each room, a full Starbucks store, a sports bar with a 60-inch high def plasma TV . . . everything’s brand new.
 
The Ritz-Carlton Cleveland has also finished an $8 million renovation, installing flat screens, data ports and iPod jacks in each room, as well as complete redecoration of common areas.
 
If you’re staying by Cleveland Hopkins Airport: Crowne Plaza Cleveland Airport is a brand new addition, opening just a year ago. Hilton Garden Inn has upgraded its rooms with new beds and flat screens, and remodeled its lobby. The Cleveland Airport Marriott is undergoing a big $20 million restoration, featuring the just-opened M.I. Great Room, a new lobby concept that divides the room into “zones.” General Manager Rick Bertram explains, “The Individual Zone lets guests recline and chill; the Social Zone is a Starbucks in the morning and transforms to a bar in the afternoon . . . with a club feel. And our lobby and restaurant now have a media wall and an incredible Bose sound system.”

As for suburban, off-the-freeway lodging: Holiday Inn Independence renovated its 364 guest rooms and now features a Seattle’s Best coffee shop in its lobby. Beachwood’s Fairfield Inn & Suites now features a mini indoor waterpark, with a big blue waterslide snaking in and out of the hotel’s exterior. Hilton Garden Inn Cleveland East/Mayfield Village opened in January of this year. North Olmsted’s Hampton Inn is now La Quinta Inns and Suites, with $2.5 million in upgrades and renovations. –Submitted by Eric Broder

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information or hotel suggestions, visit www.positivelycleveland.com or www.clevelandmeetings.com. See video below for more on renovations at Holiday Inn Indepence.

Autumn is a mosaic of all seasons. Every leaf becomes a flower, the first snow blankets green grass, the harvest brings earthly renewal, and old traditions allow us to reflect on the importance of change and community. On a crisp fall day, outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy the evolution of natural diversity in Cleveland Plus–from forest hiking to outdoor haunted houses.

For starters, fall is a unique time to enjoy Ohio’s parks and natural resources, which means enjoying Cleveland’s Metroparks system–16 different reservations across 22,000 acres, with hundreds of miles of walking, bicycling, horse trails and fishing holes. Take a step towards better health while exploring wildlife and fall foliage with the Cleveland Metroparks Walking Works Program (216.635.3204). Participants hike at least eight of 13 designated trails on their own from August through October, receiving this year’s Walking Works walking stick shield. If you prefer to play through while you walk, try the Cleveland Metroparks’ annual Fall Tour Tournament Golf Series. Duffers can show off those skills they’ve been refining all summer, participating in any or all of four fall golf tournaments at the park’s unique courses (440.232.7247).

And with autumn comes Halloween, and a variety of haunted houses begin peppering the changing landscape. Outdoor destinations like the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls and its Carnival of Horrors (330.644.4473) are good-natured fun. From Oct. 2-Nov. 1, enjoy three haunted terrors (The Fun House, The Freakshow in 3-D Terrorvision and The Wicked Woods), while experiencing the spooky beauty of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park at night. Ghostly Manor is a year-round haunt that features Ohio’s first and only XD 3D Motion Simulation so the scariness becomes a three-dimensional experience. And don’t forget about Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends (from Sept. 18-Nov. 1) when menacing monsters, creepy clowns and other nocturnal creatures inhabit the normally docile midways of the outdoor amusement park (419.627.2350).

As summer traditions turn into fall activities, fishing is at the forefront of many anglers’ minds. Steelhead trout are a popular favorite and nationally-noted Rocky and Chagrin Rivers in Cleveland Metroparks offer outstanding local fishing opportunities. The large trout migrate from Lake Erie into these two streams starting in September, and the run continues to gain momentum into late fall. Big schools of jumbo perch are also near the Lake Erie shore in the autumn. Perch fishing and perch fish fries are a fall tradition, so pick a spot near the shore, charter a boat or visit any number of local tournaments. A good place to start is FishCrazy Charters, Chelsea Charters, Fishin’ Boat Charters, Holiday Charters, Wildwood Marina and the North Coast Charter Boat Association.

Finally, with the ending of fall come a new season of winter sports. Outdoor ice skating will return to University Circle, in a manner of speaking. The Rink at Wade Oval is a temporary ice skating rink between Cleveland Botanical Garden and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History constructed out of synthetic ice for progressive skating enthusiasts this winter season (open late November/early December to the following March). Soon after, ski resorts like Boston Mills and Brandywine in Peninsula will be opening slopes up for the snow season, so nature lovers can enjoy a whole new set of great Cleveland outdoor activities with family and friends. –Submitted by Keith Gribbins

EDITOR’S NOTE: Positively Cleveland scared up some Halloween fun in Sandusky, Ohio — less than an hour west of downtown Cleveland — where we visited two premier Cleveland Plus Halloween attractions, Ghostly Manor Thrill Center and HalloWeekends at Cedar Point. For spooky seasonal thrills and chills, you’d be hard pressed to find a better one-two punch than these Sandusky mainstays.

Ghostly Manor is open year round with extended hours in the fall. Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends runs through November 1. Check out our slide show here and watch the video: