- Summer tour ready with Edgewater Live, WOW and Tribe fun
- Ride RTA to these great June events
- Search the City June 20 in a scavenger hunt
- Ride the Rapid to these July 4 holiday events
- Red Line offers more service this summer
- Commuter Choice awards salute local employers for efforts
- Rail shutdown set
- Ride free with your bike on Friday, June 26
Summer tour ready with Edgewater Live, WOW and Tribe fun
RTA is partnering with Cleveland Metroparks, University Circle Inc. and the Cleveland Indians to make sure your summer rocks. RTA is a signature sponsor of Wade Oval Wednesdays (WOW) and Edgewater Live, two festivals that have entertained thousands of Clevelanders in recent years.
Combined, these events are part of RTA’s Summer Tour. At all events, members of RTA’s “street team” will give away T-shirts and other prizes. They will engage members of the audience in fun contents – such as air guitar -- to raise awareness of transit. RTA has also signed up 18 vendors who offer discounts on items – just by showing your RTA farecard. Look for RTA’s Summer Fun bus at events listed here.
Wade Oval Wednesdays
The Plain Dealer says this series “has become one of the hottest summer events in town,” with up to 5,000 people each night. The free events, from 6-9 p.m. June 17-Aug. 26, feature one band per week. Plus, family movies start at 9 p.m. on two nights – one each in July and August.
Cultural institutions on Wade Oval stay open late, to offer discounts and special events. WOW includes food vendors and kids activities, such as the Euclid Beach Rocket Car. Many visitors turn the event into a BYOB picnic – Bring Your Own Blanket.
To reach Wade Oval on RTA, ride the HealthLine to the station at Euclid Avenue and Adelbert Road. From there, it is an 11-minute walk to 1 Wade Oval. This month’s schedule:
• June 17: Cleveland City Councilman Kevin Conwell and the Footprints perform Motown jazz and blues
• June 24: Welshly Arms perform rock and soul
• July 1: Carlos Jones and The Plus Band perform reggae.
Edgewater Live
Edgewater Live has been called “the largest beach party on America’s North Coast.” The event attracts up to 10,000 persons at Edgewater Park, which is operated by the Cleveland Metroparks. The event runs from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursdays, June 11-Aug. 13.
Bring a chair or a blanket and enjoy activities, food, music and fun. A different band plays each week, and you can enjoy a rotating lineup of local food trucks. Free yoga sessions begin at 7 p.m. This month’s schedule:
• June 11, The Whiskey Kings, with Monica Robins
• June 18, Billy Likes Soda
• June 25, Easy Glistening, the smooth sounds of yacht rock
• July 2, Sunset Strip, with Billy Morris
Weekend Tribe games
The Indians have re-designed part of Progressive Field to enhance the fan experience for young professionals. “The District” behind right field includes a stage, where RTA will sponsor concerts before Friday and Saturday games. The game times:
• June 5, 7:10 p.m., Baltimore Orioles
• June 6, 4:10 p.m., Baltimore Orioles
• June 19-20, 7:10 p.m., Tampa Bay Rays
RTA’s Search the City Scavenger Hunt on June 20, and the Family Fest on July 4, are also part of the Summer Tour.
Ride RTA to these great June events
June 13: Parade the Circle
From 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Wade Oval is transformed into a colorful, lively, musical bonanza for the whole family. The parade begins at noon. Ride the HealthLine to the Adelbert Road Station, and walk to Wade Oval.
June 20: Larchmere Porchfest
Ride any Blue or Green Line train to the Shaker Square Station. You are just a short walk away from the Larchmere Porchest. From 1-8 p.m. on June 20, there will be 30 bands playing a variety of music on 30 porches. After-parties continue until 10 p.m.
June 27-28: Shaker Heights Arts & Music Festival
RTA is a key supporter of this event, which runs from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, June 28 on Shaker Blvd., in front of the Shaker Middle School. Ride the Green Line to the RTA station on Shaker Blvd. at 2800 Warrensville Center Road. Among the many vendors and displays, staff from RTA and ODOT will use RTA’s community bus to teach safety around train tracks, as part of “Operation Lifesaver.”
June 27: Gay Pride Festival
The colorful event runs from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. at Voinovich Bicentennial Park, at the north end of East Ninth Street. From 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., ride the free L-Line trolley from Tower City to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. Or, from 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m., ride the Waterfront Line to the North Coast Station on East Ninth Street. Either way, you will be within easy walking distance. The event includes a noon parade on Lakeside Avenue, from the Warehouse District to the festival site.
June 17 & 21: Concerts at Quicken Loans Arena
Ride the Rapid and stroll through the Walkway for a hassle-free evening enjoying these great performers.
- June 17, 7 p.m., New Kids on the Block
- June 21, 7 p.m., Kevin Hart
Search the City June 20 in a scavenger hunt
RTA's 5th Annual Search the City scavenger hunt will take over Cleveland on Saturday, June 20. It will give participants an opportunity to explore the city on transit. Stops range from University Circle on the East Side to Gordon Square on the West Side.
Teams of 4-6 people assemble at 10 a.m. for a "golf scramble" start at the RTA Main Office, 1240 West Sixth St., and get a clue to the first of 10-12 challenge locations. They will progress, one station at a time, until all stations are completed, no later than 2 p.m. Teams meet at the Agora, 5000 Euclid Ave. for the official after-party.
Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams. Register now at www.RTASearchTheCity.com.
Ride the Rapid to these July 4 holiday events
RTA’s Rapid system is the best way to reach these two holiday events that have become a tradition in Cleveland.
July 1, Free concert downtown
Because Public Square remains under construction, the annual free Cleveland Orchestra concert will be held on Mall B by the Convention Center. The grassy area covers the entire block between Lakeside and St. Clair avenues. Bring your own chairs or blankets. Mall B is short, easy walk from the Tower City Rapid Station. RTA will operate extra trains that evening. Pre-concert music starts at 5 p.m. The concert starts at 9 p.m., followed by fireworks.
July 4, RTA Family Fest
RTA will host its 10th annual Family Fest on July 4. The festival kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Settlers Landing Station on the Waterfront Line, and continues until the firework spectacular ends. Fireworks begin around 10 p.m. There will be fun for the whole family. Get ready for good music, refreshments sold on site and of course, fireworks. Bring a blanket and grab a spot on the hillside for a great view of the show.
RTA makes travel to and from the Flats fast and convenient. Plan to come early, as a large crowd is expected. Park for free at a Rapid Station, ride the Rapid to Tower City, and take Waterfront Line to the Settlers Landing Station. Waterfront Line trains will run every 15 minutes, and will help everyone reach Tower City after the fireworks end. You can also park in the Municipal Parking Lot by the Shoreway, and ride the Waterfront Line to the event.
Red Line offers more service this summer
Just in time for your summer fun, RTA is adding to its popular Red Line rail service. Red Line trains now operate every 15 minutes every evening, seven-days-a-week, all summer long.
This added service is an improvement in frequency from the usual 30 minutes that was available on evenings and weekends. Red Line rush-hour service will be every 10 minutes between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and the Louis Stokes Station at Windermere.
The new Red Line timetable is available on-line. The Blue/Green Line retains its current schedule, operating every 15-30 minutes, depending on locations.
Commuter Choice awards salute local employers for efforts
If your company really cares about sustainability, then this contest is for you.
The five-county Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) is beginning its second annual Commuter Choice awards, saluting employers who offer their staff environmentally friendly ways to commute.
The use of alternative modes of transportation saves commuters money, relieves congestion, improves air quality, benefits health and reduces stress. If your organization encourages employees to use alternative transportation modes – such as public transportation, carpooling, bicycling, walking, telecommuting, and flexible work weeks -- NOACA wants to hear from you.
Applications are being accepted through July 31. For details, go to www.noaca.org.
Rail shutdown set
Because of needed RTA track work, 66R buses will replace Red Line trains west of Tower City on Saturday-Sunday, June 27-28. At each station, look for the special 66R bus stop signs. On Public Square, buses will stop in front of Tower City and the Horseshoe Casino. At Hopkins Airport, buses will pick up and drop off near the Limo Parking lot.
Ride free with your bike on Friday, June 26
RTA and Bike Cleveland are working together to make it easier for you to Bike to Work. On the last Friday of each month – June through October – RTA offers free rides to customers who combine bike and transit in their commute.
Persons are allowed to bring their bikes aboard all Rapid cars, buses and HealthLine vehicles, as space permits. Since RTA’s Rack-n-Roll program began in 2000, it has grown to 50,000 trips annually. Most RTA buses are equipped with three-unit bike racks.