Pride celebrations
Expect plenty of rainbows in the forecast this weekend as Pride Month, the annual celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and community, gets underway in Northeast Ohio. Pride Ashtabula will bring glitz and glamour to the Ashtabula County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 3, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. with food, free music and drag performances. Pride in the CLE will begin in Public Square with a march through Downtown Cleveland at 11 a.m. while the party continues on Malls B and C until 6 p.m.
Chalk the Walk in Canton
Sidewalks and streets become canvases for more than 30 of the region’s top chalk artists as they descend on Downtown Canton for First Friday on June 2, from 5-9 p.m. Artists will station outside local businesses for Chalk the Walk, with some engaging in a little friendly competition to win prizes. A concert from country artist Chris Higbee provides the soundtrack for the evening. He performs from Centennial Plaza at 6 p.m.
Flamenco collaboration
Embark on a captivating journey of discovery as the rhythmic movements of flamenco dance combine with the art of film and live jazz for “A. Periplum,” an original work created by four award-winning artists. Alice Blumenfeld, founder of Abrepaso, takes the stage in this one-woman show with musical accompaniment by trumpeter Dominic Farinacci and dance choreographed by Felise Bagley. A film by Cleveland-based director Joshua Lawhorn will provide the visual landscape. Performances will be held June 2-3 at 7:30 p.m., at the Pilgrim Church Theatre in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood.
She Scores
A survey by the Institute for Composer Diversity evaluating the 2019-2020 season of 120 American orchestras found that only 8% of all musical works performed were composed by women and only 16% were written by living composers. In response, the Local 4 Music Fund, a nonprofit subsidiary of the Cleveland Federation of Musicians, launched a concert series focused on female, living composers to create more equitable representation in the regional arts community. The She Scores concert series takes place all weekend, with free performances Friday, June 2, and Saturday, June 3, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, June 4, at 4 p.m., at Cleveland State University's Drinko Recital Hall in Downtown Cleveland.
Umfundalai dance class
Learn the expressive movements and fluid motion of the contemporary African dance technique Umfundalai in the beautiful gardens of the Akron Art Museum on Saturday, June 3, from 10-11 a.m. The National Center for Choreography at the University of Akron collaborates with choreographer and instructor Errin Weaver of the Mojuba! Dance Collective to bring this free class to all ages and abilities. Registration is required.
