Coventry announces summer lineup of events

Numerous free events will be taking place along Coventry Road this summer, including movie showings on Thursdays and Fridays, and live music on Saturdays. Other special events include Skateboarding Saturday, a pop-up pinball party and a sidewalk sale.

"This will be the most diverse and creative summer season in Coventry history," said Steve Presser, owner of Big Fun, and member of the Coventry Village Special Improvement District (CVSID) that organizes the events. "It appeals to people of all walks of life and all ages. There is literally something for everyone, individuals and families alike."

Angie Hetrick, CVSID’s executive director, said, "The series is our way of thanking the loyal Clevelanders who help make Coventry a wonderful and unique neighborhood."

The Thursday-night outdoor movie screenings will begin on June 11. The movies will start around 9 p.m. and will be at the Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park, at the corner of Coventry Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard. The first film will be “The Lego Movie.” Prior to the showing, Big Fun will present a Kids Lego Party, which will start at 7 p.m. The following week, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” will be shown, and before the movie, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History will have an astronomer talk about the possibility of life beyond Earth.

Other Thursday-night movies include “The Goonies” on June 25, “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” on July 2, “Back to the Future” on July 9, “Annie” on July 16, classic cartoon night and the annual Coventry pie fight on July 23, “Big Hero 6” on July 30 and “Cinderella” on Aug. 6.

The Friday night movie series will begin on June 12, with a showing of “Purple Rain.” On July 10, “Back to the Future, Part II” will be shown. On July 25, “American Splendor” will be featured, and on Aug. 7, “This Is Spinal Tap” will be shown. The Friday night movies also take place at the P.E.A.C.E. Park.

On June 13, Oldboy will kick off the live-music concert series. The Saturday performances will take place at the Coventry CourtYard, at the corner of Coventry Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard, 1–3 p.m. Two weeks later, on June 27, students from the School of Rock will perform, and on July 11, a reggae band, Outlaws I & I, will be the featured artist. Other concerts include the Heights Jazz Group on July 25, blues artist Vernon Jones on Aug. 1, and Family Dollar, a funk, soul and jazz group, on Aug. 8.

Every Sunday, from June 14 to July 26, SpyngaFlows will present free yoga classes in the P.E.A.C.E. Park. The classes will begin at 6 p.m., and participants need to bring their own yoga mats. At 7 p.m. on Sundays, June 14 to Aug. 16, a community drum circle will be held at the P.E.A.C.E. Park. All are welcome to take part in the drum circle, but they must bring their own drums or percussion instruments.

Saturday, June 20, 3–7 p.m., will be Go Skateboarding Saturday! The parking lot between Marc’s and Heights Cleaners will be turned into a skateboarding park, complete with ramps and obstacles. This event will feature skateboarding demonstrations and a skateboard competition.

The following Saturday, June 27, there will be a pop-up pinball party from noon to 5 p.m. Pinball machines will be placed all along the Coventry sidewalks, and the games will be free. In addition, experts from the Cleveland Pinball League will be on hand to give lessons, and prizes will be awarded for top scores on every game.

On Saturday, July 18, a Coventry sidewalk sale will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Most of the Coventry Village stores will have sale stands along the sidewalks, and the Grog Shop will present live music at the Coventry CourtYard.

These events are funded by a grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. A full schedule is available at www.coventryvillage.org.

James Henke

James Henke, a Cleveland Heights resident, was a writer and editor at Rolling Stone magazine for 15 years. He is also the author of several books, including biographies of Jim Morrison, John Lennon and Bob Marley.

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Volume 8, Issue 6, Posted 10:16 AM, 05.26.2015