By: Catrina Leone: intern
The Holiday season is the perfect time of year for celebration, spending time with loved ones and the time of year for amazing events! Cleveland is known for these type of events, especially during this time of year! This week during the “Weekly News-Wrap-Up” at 7am, 12pm and 6pm, will instead be “Celebrating the Holidays with TV20.” This special will touch on the various fun events that have happened this year. I will mention those in order for all of you, so it can be easier to follow along!
The Winterfest was a winter wonderland in Downtown Cleveland this year. With the over the top lights on display for all to see! Tower City was lit up with the leg lamp from A Christmas Story, which was a first for the city. Many people came down for carriage rides, entertainment and fun! The Winterfest kicked off the Holiday Season in a big way for Cleveland. The beautiful lights became the backdrop as a highly contagious holiday spirit overtakes the city’s urban core. The best time to see the wonderful display, would of course be at night, when the multitude of colors light up the sky and the city. There were many events for families to participate in at Winterfest.
Next we have the Festival of Trees, which featured dozens of beautiful, uniquely decorated trees, the Festival of Trees: Light Up the Night event features a community tree lighting celebration, behind-the-scenes access to the Cleveland Playhouse’s multiple stages and a performance from The Singing Angels. A great way to spend time with the family!
Glow was a wonderful event that had yet another great turn out in Cleveland! Glow at the Garden, which ends January 5th, is the perfect way to end 2013! The enticing scents of evergreens and gingerbread filled the air. Twinkling lights and festive music immerse you in the spirit of the season – but this year, it’s different. All your senses tell you so. The holidays are all about surprises, and kids could barely wait to discover the many things to do at Glow, the Garden’s holiday event that’s spectacular by day and brighter by night!
Trim A Tree was a great way for Cleveland’s youth to get involved in the Christmas Spirit! Santa Claus was there of course to make this an even greater event. He was also there to help decorate the tree with ornaments and of course, enjoy milk and cookies. The ornaments were hand-made by the children at the rec center, another great way to be involved! The Cleveland Metropolitan School District All-City Drum Line and Cleveland’s Cory Recreation Center Dancers made an appearance at the event as well. This event was an amazing experience for the children and their families!
A Christmas Story celebrated its 30th anniversary this year as well, TV20 was there to cover the event! We were there at the mesuem with the significant amount of people to commerate this awesome anniversary! This movie, being filmed in Cleveland has become a major tourist attraction to many people and will continue to be for years to come!
Another great celebration was the Menorah lighting which was held in Public Square December 3rd. It was a great event, which brought people together. The ceremonial lighting of a giant Chanukah Menorah embraces the rich cultural diversity within the City of Cleveland. Cleveland is a multicultural city that welcomes all people and all cultures and this celebration is one of the many holiday celebrations in Cleveland.
Wade Oval’s CircleFest was another event covered by TV20, held on December 8th! More than a dozen of University Circle’s renowned museums, gardens, galleries, churches, and schools opened their doors free of charge and offered an afternoon of activities, music, food, fun, and shopping. Visitors looked forward to live performances from talented musicians, craft making, historic displays of holiday toys, storytelling, live animals, the city’s best gingerbread house competition, and much more. Looking for the perfect holiday gift? There’s no better place to shop than Holiday CircleFest.
Zach Reid’s 18th Annual Toys for Tots fashion show was held at Veda night club, restuarant and lounge! Local designers, along with reporter Leah Haslage walked in this show to help raise money, toys and awareness!
The Annual Food Basket Giveaway has been a staple in our community since 1990! Every Mayor since then has been apart of this great cause. TV20’s own Leah, Justine, and Christian were there to cover this event. the Cleveland Foodbank, Zelma George Recreation Center and Michael Zone Recreation center. This event will continue to help those in need for years to come!
Another way to raise money and get involved was the Hunger Best of Party. Our own Christian Patterson was there to cover this event, which raised money for The Hunger Network!
The Mayor’s Annual Holiday Gala was held at Tri-C Hospitality Center. TV20’s own Christian Patterson and Justine Greenwald were there to cover all the fun and excitement! Cleveland always has great events to get us into the holiday spirit! As usual, stay tuned to TV20 for more happening in our community!
Stay tuned to TV20 this week, as this will be airing at 7am, 12pm and 6pm in the “Weekly News Wrap-up” Slot!
