Community Blend

Flag Waving Westside Parades

Tomorrow is the 250th anniversary of our nation and there are plenty of fun events going on all around the Westside. Later in ‘What’s Happening, Westsiders?’ we have a full list of Festivals and Fireworks.

Here are some of the Westside parades to get your patriotic juices flowing!

Parades — Saturday, July 4

🥁 West Park Fourth of July Parade — Cleveland

When: Saturday, July 4 • 9:30 AM Where: West Park neighborhood, Cleveland Don't miss: Grand Marshal Wayne Dawson leads this Cleveland tradition — over a mile and a half long, with 100+ groups from across Northeast Ohio and thousands of spectators.

🥁 Lakewood Fourth of July Parade

When: Saturday, July 4 • 10:00 AM Where: Lake Avenue, Lakewood Don't miss: One of the region's most anticipated parades — arrive early to claim your spot along Lake Avenue. Then make it a full day: the Lakewood Project rock orchestra plays the Lakewood Park Bandstand at 7:00 PM, with fireworks over the lake at 9:45 PM.

🥁 Westlake Independence Day Parade

When: Saturday, July 4 • 10:00 AM Where: Steps off at Lee Burneson Middle School (Dover Center Road), ends at Clague Park (Hilliard Blvd.) — about 1.1 miles Don't miss: Free Westlake Porter Public Library t-shirts while supplies last. The party continues at Clague Park afterward (see Festivals below).

🚲 Avon Family Bike Parade

When: Saturday, July 4 • 10:00 AM Where: Starts and ends at the Avon Aquatic Facility — 1-mile route escorted by Avon fire and police Don't miss: Decorate your bike, wagon, or stroller! Riders get cool treats and a complimentary pool pass.

🚲 Olmsted Falls Bike & Pet Parade

When: Saturday, July 4 • gather at 9:00 AM, judging at 9:15 AM, parade at 10:00 AM Where: Starts at Falls Lenox, ends at the Middle School (26450 Bagley Rd area) — no hills for the little ones! Don't miss: Awards for best dressed bikes and pets. FREE kazoos at Grand Pacific Popcorn for the first 100 who join the kazoo band (or bring your own). Anyone can participate!

🥁 Berea Grindstone Festival Parade

When: Saturday, July 4 • 11:00 AM Where: Berea — leads into the Grindstone Festival at Coe Lake Park (see Festivals below)

🎇 Celebrate 250 Years of America — Fairview Park

When: Saturday, July 4 • 4:00 PM Where: 22001 Brookpark Road, Fairview Park Cost: Free Don't miss: Live music by Soundcheck, plus complimentary hot dogs, chips, cookies, and cake while supplies last. Hosted by the City of Fairview Park and American Legion Post 421 — RSVPs appreciated but not required.

🗓️ Today in Cleveland History

Municipal Stadium's First Event Was a Boxing Match July 3, 1931

Every headliner needs an opening act. The Indians wouldn't take this stage until a month later, but the stage was ready now. So 95 years ago (July 3, 1931), brand-new Cleveland Municipal Stadium opened its gates for the first time, and it wasn't baseball. It was Germany's Max Schmeling defending his heavyweight title against Georgia's William "Young" Stribling, a veteran of some 300 professional fights.

About 37,000 fans turned out. A big crowd by any measure, though it looked a little lonely in a stadium built to hold nearly twice that. (In fairness, it was the Depression. Money was tight.)

The fight itself delivered an encore-worthy performance. Schmeling and Stribling slugged through fourteen-plus rounds before Schmeling floored his challenger in the 15th.

Most opening acts get 30 minutes and polite applause. This one went fifteen rounds. Schmeling kept his belt, Cleveland got its first taste of stadium spectacle, and the old barn by the lake started a 65-year run of headliners. Some great, some that still hurt.

Mark Your Calendars

Riverfront Happy Hours 📍 Music Box Supper Club

Starting this week and running all the way through Labor Day, Music Box Supper Club is rolling out Riverfront Happy Hours — a free concert series on the West Bank of the Flats featuring rotating Cleveland musicians. Performances run select weekday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m., right on the Cuyahoga.

The open-air setup means you get the waterfront whether you're parked indoors or out.

Here's the rundown:

• Free to attend — the whole series, every night

• Food & drink specials: $12 burger baskets, $12 taco baskets, and $10 tiki cocktails (yes, tiki, on the river)

• A rotating local lineup including Moss Stanley (the clear MVP with five dates), Austin Walkin' Cane, Kristine Jackson, Becky Boyd, and more

• 18 nights total from July 1 through September 7

Why it's worth your time: It's free, it's local, and it's an excuse to be on the river on a weekday with a cocktail in hand. Hard to argue with that math.

📍 Music Box Supper Club, 1148 Main Ave., West Bank of the Flats.

Business & Restaurant News

Dessert Diplomacy Comes to Detroit Ave. 📍 Lakewood

Some international alliances involve treaties. This one involves desserts. Korea sends the bubble waffle, Italy sends the gelato, France sends the crepe, and starting Friday at 3 p.m., they all convene at 15000 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood.

Just in time for America's birthday, and the first 100 people through the door get a free dessert!

The summit host is Battr, the Tremont shop that's been stuffing Korean bubble waffles with Italian-style gelato since 2023. Here's how it works: a made-to-order bubble waffle, liege waffle, or French crepe gets shaped into a cone, filled with one of 11 gelato or sorbetto flavors, then piled with sauces, candy, or fruit. Creations run $12 to $15, ordered from self-serve kiosks.

Hate making decisions? There's a "surprise me" button.

The Lakewood location is bigger and more modern than the Tremont original, with more seating plus coffee from Ready Set Coffee Roasters.

"We would love to be that staple in Cleveland for dessert," said co-owner Amir Elkhatib.

Kroger Just Bought the Big Bird

In Cleveland, your grocery store says more about you than your zip code. Ask any Northeast Ohioan where their mom shopped and you'll get a full disertation. Finast, Pick-n-Pay, Fisher Foods, A&P, Tops to name a few.

So when Kroger announced a $1.65 billion deal to buy Giant Eagle this week, nobody was asking about their Advantage Card. It was personal.

Fun fact: Kroger isn't the outsider here. The Cincinnati grocer ran dozens of stores across Cleveland, Akron, and Canton before pulling out in the mid-'80s. That’s about when Giant Eagle swooped in from Pittsburgh. Now Kroger's back, 40 years later, buying the bird that took its nest.

Giant Eagle keeps its name, for now. Clevelanders keep their opinions, forever.

Adopt

Brisket gets adopted

This chubby-faced gentleman is named Brisket. He arrived at the Cleveland APL with damaged ears, wounds on his feet, and a tail that needed amputating. Most cats in this condition would understandably be scared and standoffish.

Not Brisket. He needed some loving. And thankfully the folks at the Cleveland APL were there for chin scratches and belly rubs.

Brisket showed up hurt and chose to trust anyway. The folks at the APL met him with the same open heart. That's the whole deal at these places — everybody gives, nobody keeps score.

Kudos to the Cleveland APL, Brisket, and his new family!

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Looking for a great gift? Pat does watercolor paintings of homes, classic cars, and pretty much anything else you can think of.