Community Events

The Great American Total Solar Eclipse will pass through Northeast Ohio on April 8, and local residents are fortunate to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime event. Bay Village specifically falls within the “Path of Totality” and is very near the exact center line of the eclipse, which runs through Avon Lake. This will allow interested star gazers to be in near complete darkness for almost four minutes.

Understanding that this event may draw large crowds, the city administration has been preparing for well over a year. City leaders looked to best practices and lessons learned from cities that have gone through similar circumstances in the past, most notably the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse that bisected the United States from east to west. 

The largest problems seen in these other cities included traffic congestion, communications issues and lack of foreknowledge from local residents and businesses. The city administration has been working diligently to tackle all of these issues.

The Westlake Town Criers announce the 2024 Westlake City Easter Egg Hunt and Candy Scramble will again be held at the Westlake Recreation Center, 28955 Hilliard Blvd., on Saturday, March 23.

There will be two candy scrambles: the first at 1:00 p.m. for ages 4 through 6, and the second at 1:30 p.m. for ages 7 through 10. At these times the children will scramble for wrapped candy in addition to searching for special eggs redeemable for a stuffed animal.

Guns to Gardens is a national movement among faith-based organizations to intervene in gun violence. They seek to promote public safety and confidence by dismantling surrendered firearms, and inspiring alternatives to violence through the transformation of those guns into garden tools and other life-giving items. 

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 468 Bradley Road, will host a Safe-Surrender and Guns to Gardens program on Saturday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to noon.  

Safe-surrender events promote public safety by giving individuals and family members the opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted and/or unsecured guns. A safe-surrender gun buyback is anonymous and 100% voluntary; it does not interfere with anyone’s right or ability to own a gun.

Every other Friday, an intrepid group from the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Westlake/North Olmsted and other chapters arrive at the Carl B. Stokes Federal Courthouse in Cleveland to register new citizens to vote. Spearheading this routine is Bruce Robinson of North Olmsted. He took on this volunteer routine in retirement (he was a nurse at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus for 31 years) and now inspires others to do the same.

“I’ve been doing this about six years and every time I am in awe of the ceremony and the people,” Robinson said. “It is an extraordinary moment for those attaining citizenship. I never get tired of watching their smiles, their great pride.”

The Carolyn L. Farrell Foundation’s Center for Artful Living welcomes Vicki Wert’s "Exploring Life Through the Lens: Feathers & More" photography exhibit to its gallery. Wert's photos are available for the public to view and purchase through April, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Center, located at 26633 Detroit Road in Westlake.  

The exhibit highlights some of Wert’s favorite photographic subjects, including florals, animals, and landscapes. Her photos have been exhibited at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, Cleveland Hopkins Airport, the Holden Arboretum, and many other Cleveland area locations.

“Looking Backwards: Reminiscences by Ida Cahoon,” a presentation by Barb Comienski in character as Ida Cahoon, is the program for the Thursday, Feb. 15, Bay Village Historical Society potluck dinner.

The presentation, held at Bay Lodge, 492 Bradley Road, begins with a social at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and program at 7 p.m.

With the holidays behind us and the long winter months head, what better way to spend a Friday evening than out with friends and great local music?

BAYarts' popular series returns with monthly Friday night concerts in the former Playhouse. Unlike BAYarts' summer outdoor concerts, capacity is limited which makes for an intimate, relaxed evening right in our own backyard. Now called the Sally J. Otto Gallery, the cozy venue is big enough to grab a drink at the bar, mingle and dance. Weather permitting, enjoy a roaring bonfire under the winter sky on the back patio. 

The Bay Village Women’s Club donated $5,000 to the Bay Village Historical Society to help refurbish the Victorian Parlor at Rose Hill Museum.

The Bay Village Women’s Club purchased the wallpaper and draperies for the parlor more than 50 years ago and pledged to help finance the upcoming restoration project. The project will be completed over the winter months when the museum is closed to the public.

The Bay Village Women’s Club was one of Bay Village’s first civic organizations, meeting in February 1917 in the one-room school house near where Bay Presbyterian Church now stands. Its second meeting of 107 members was in a two-room school house on Lake Road. In September 1921, the group convened at the Library of Dover by the Lake, now Rose Hill Museum.

Once again this holiday season, the Christmas spirit will shine a little more brightly in Bay Village.

The Bay Village Historical Society and the Bay Village Kiwanis are asking Bay Village residents and children of all ages to join them in celebrating an old-fashioned community Christmas in December.

Rose Hill Museum is beautifully decorated for the holiday season. This year’s display highlights the White House Christmas cards designed by artist and Bay Village native Thomas William Jones, along with other Bay Village scenes. While you are at the museum, you can search for the hidden holiday nutcrackers.

Hundreds of families helped kick off BAYarts' annual holiday season on Nov. 18, a favorite holiday tradition. Shoppers enjoyed a first look at the work of hundreds of local artists in the shop while across the campus, others enjoyed crafts, hot cocoa bar and more.

Bay High School's Choraleers led by music director Devon Gess sang holiday favorites, the festivities culminating with Santa lighting the tree on BAYarts' newly painted Fuller House porch.  

The annual Holiday Shop will be open seven days through Christmas Eve and features hundreds of regional artists.

Randy Geise, Bay Village resident and Senior Healthcare Facility Planner at the Cleveland Clinic, will speak on “Cleveland Clinic via Postcards.”

Geise will showcase the progressive growth of the Cleveland Clinic, some interesting ties to Cleveland and a disaster on Lake Erie.

The Thursday, Nov. 16, presentation, held at the Bay Lodge on Bradley Road, begins with a social at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and program at 7 p.m.

Once again this holiday season, the Christmas spirit will shine a little more brightly in Bay Village.

The Bay Village Historical Society and the Bay Village Kiwanis are asking Bay Village residents and children of all ages to join them in celebrating an old-fashioned community Christmas on three Sundays and three Wednesdays in December.

A kickoff to the holiday season, these events will include the reading of holiday stories, caroling and crafts, the Kiwanis Christmas tree sale, a visit by Santa Claus and the lighting of the community tree in the Cahoon Memorial Park gazebo.

Before the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, take a day to enjoy and recharge. Walk a labyrinth. Visit over 40 holistic, spiritual, or metaphysical vendors. Meet holistic healers. Have a psychic reading. Listen to holistic speakers. Maybe even get some Christmas shopping done!

You can do all this and more by attending Harmonic Journeys' Annual Gratitude Fair. Free admission with a non-perishable food item donation to support the Westlake Food Bank, $5 admission without.

This unique fair is being held at Unity Spiritual Center, 23855 Detroit Road, on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Bay United Methodist Church invites the community to their annual Family Fun Fest on Sunday, Oct. 22. The festivities take place after worship service, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., on the church grounds. Kids and grown-ups alike will enjoy trunk-or-treat, a magic show, a bounce house, a straw maze and other games. As a bonus, hotdogs off the grill will be available during the festivities.

The parking lot will be full of vehicles decorated for Halloween and laden with candy. Trunk or Treat participants are members of the church who will be dressed in costume and will offer treats to little ones. Children are invited to wear their costumes as they make their way from trunk to trunk from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Coming on Saturday, Oct. 14, our area will have an annular solar eclipse (partial eclipse). The next partial eclipse will not occur until 2029.

This will be a great opportunity and exercise for the total eclipse on April 8, 2024. A total solar eclipse is very rare, in fact the last time Ohio had a total solar eclipse was in 1806, and the next time our area will be in this position will be in 2444.

From dogs and cats, birds and fish, to even horses and goats, all pets are welcome at the annual blessing of the animals to be held at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 2:00 pm. Of course, they are more than welcome to bring their humans along, as well!

Participating churches include Bethesda on the Bay Lutheran Church and Bay United Methodist Church, who are deeply committed to inter-church dialogue and cooperation. The blessing ceremony will be held on the lawn of St. Barnabas, located at the corner of Wolf and Bradley roads.

A new boat that took 70 years to come to life is joining the downtown Cleveland waterfront. Launched Sept. 27 at Huntington Beach, "Little Henry" will help to keep a problematic North Coast Harbor channel behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame free of debris.

"Little Henry" is built from plans drawn in 1953 by Henry Wischmeyer, a Bay Village amateur boat designer. A body of Mr. Wischmeyer’s work resides in a collection at the Bay Village Historical Society. It is there that Ed Neal, Executive Director of the Cleveland Amateur Boatbuilding and Boating Society (CABBS) discovered Wischmeyer’s plans for a 10-foot utility boat that could address the unique clean-up issues at North Coast Harbor.

Does your third- through fifth-grade student want to participate in a night of fun and interactive math games? Jacket Math Bash is a math camp created by Baldwin Wallace University Honors student Norah Schlegel to research the correlation between whole-body learning and a positive association with math in third- through fifth-grade students.

Jacket Math Bash is a free event for all students and will be hosted on Friday, Nov. 10, from 5-7:30 p.m. at Baldwin Wallace University, Knowlton Center, 370 Front Street, Berea. A Parent Consent form must be submitted by Nov. 1 as a pdf to my email: nschlege23@bw.edu. The form can be accessed online at bit.ly/JacketMathBash. If you have any questions, please reach out to me. Thank you!

“Silhouettes of Style,” a luncheon and fashion show of late 1800s to early 1900s clothing styles took place recently at Lakewood Country Club to benefit the Bay Village Historical Society. Society member Marie Albano emceed the fashion show, providing details about apparel and accessories worn by each model and clothing styles of the time period. Marie Smith assisted with the preparation.

Clothing modeled was from the private collections of Marie Albano and Barb Comienski, along with docent reproduction clothing from the Bay Village Historical Society. Models included Carrie Bussewitz, Barb Comienski, Ruth Ann Havasi, Cathy Flament and Jessica Secora.

Daughters of the American Revolution urges Americans to reflect on the United States Constitution during the annual observance, Sept. 17-23, to honor this foundational document. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed this observance into Public Law #915, in 1956.

Martha Devotion Huntington, the local DAR chapter, has celebrated Constitution Week for 10 years with the placement of signs and posters.

One year ago, our scope enlarged with the distribution of free pocket-size editions of the U.S. Constitution to the 8th grade social studies students at Bay Middle School. This year, we have added St. Raphael’s Parish School in the distribution of editions. A total of 250 books will be distributed to the two schools.

Lions, tigers and bears are not welcome, but household animals and their families are invited to the 18th Annual Blessing of the Pets on Thursday, Oct. 5, from 6:30-7 p.m. on the front lawn of St. Raphael Church in Bay Village. 

Individual blessings will be given to each animal. Dog and cat treats and give-aways from Hot Diggity Dog Pet Sitting will be distributed and a garden statue of St. Francis will be given away. The event is free and all are welcome!

2023 Westlake in Bloom Winners

Evergreen Cemetery Fence Gardens

First Place: “The Eberling Family” 

Second Place: “Thomas Seeholzer”

Third Place: “In Memory of Col. Robert Franklyn Overmyer”

Hilliard Boulevard Flower Box

First Place: “In Memory of Kathleen Ratcliffe”

Second Place: “In Memory of Nick Massa”

Third Place: “The Moran Family”

Ed Neal, executive director of the Cleveland Amateur Boatbuilding and Boaters Society, will address “The Lake Erie World of Henry Wischmeyer” at the next Bay Village Historical Society potluck dinner.

The Thursday, Sept. 21, presentation, held at the Bay Lodge on Bradley Road, begins with a social at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and program at 7 p.m.

The community is invited to join in the Installation celebration of Reverend Melinda Quellhorst at Dover Congregational UCC in Westlake on Sept. 24. A pastor’s Installation is a church service in which a new pastor is charged with duties and welcomed into the church family, marking the beginning with a sense of hope and possibility. 

Those who called Reverend Quellhorst to serve believe in her unique gifts, vision, passion and talent. The service of Installation is a way of saying, “You belong here!”

The Installation will include a time for ministers and community members to welcome Pastor Mindy into this fellowship. In the UCC there are promises by the larger church to support the minister in a covenantal relationship.

“Silhouettes of Style,” a fashion show of late 1800s to early 1900s clothing styles and a fall luncheon, will take place at Lakewood Country Club on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 11 a.m. Proceeds will benefit the Bay Village Historical Society.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this collection,” historical society member Marie Albano noted. “The clothing is from personal collections and not from the museum. It includes hoop dresses, walking skirts, Edwardian fashions and accessories like parasols and muffs, most of the fashion dating from 1860 to 1890.

There will be display tables of vintage clothing. We have a complete outfit from 1911, a 1927 dress from Halle Bros. and a maternity outfit from the Civil War era.” The five models will be modeling 13 outfits.

The Westshore Lions Club and The Church of the Redeemer United Church of Christ (UCC) are co-hosting a non-profit fair on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the grounds of the church located at 23500 Center Ridge Road in Westlake. There is plenty of parking and the non-profit organizations will be assembled on the front lawn rain or shine.

This is the first such event co-sponsored by Church of the Redeemer UCC and the Westshore Lions Club which we intend on making an annual program. The goal is to make it easier for people to connect with volunteer opportunities or to learn about the diverse array of charitible and service organizations in the community. If you represent a non-profit please join us.

For more information please contact us at 440-250-5564 or westshorelions1997@gmail.com.

People in our region of the country have been given the title “Buckeye” since before Ohio became a state.

Learn what it means to be a Buckeye when the Bay Village Historical Society holds its third 2023 summer porch talk at the Reuben Osborn Learning Center on Sunday, Aug. 20. Speaker Beryl Prusinoski will present this fascinating talk, coordinated with the support of historical society members Dean Brennan and Tom Phillips. This presentation celebrates 15 years of porch talks at the Osborn Learning Center.

The free porch talk begins at 2:15 p.m. Guests are asked to bring their own lawn chairs. Visit www.bayhistorical.com for additional information.

“Silhouettes of Style,” a fashion show of late 1800s to early 1900s clothing styles and a fall luncheon, will take place at Lakewood Country Club on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 11 a.m. Proceeds will benefit the Bay Village Historical Society.

The event includes a silent auction, mystery bags and raffle items. Tickets are $45. A cash bar will be available.

We are honored to present the remarkable Leonard J. Strnad II – Lenny to his friends and clientele. Lenny is an extraordinary individual whose passion for the arts has illuminated countless lives and resonated within the hearts of all who have encountered his work.

As BAYarts celebrates its Diamond Jubilee Year with the enchanting Moondance benefit, Lenny's unique talents and unwavering dedication promise to elevate the event to unparalleled heights. A longtime supporter of BAYarts, it is only fitting that he is this year's honoree. 

Lenny's visionary approach to artistic expression has earned him international acclaim, making him an icon of platinum-goldsmith jewelers. Amongst his many achievements, Lenny has had the honor of crafting custom pins for two U.S. presidents.

All are invited to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Bay Village Chapter of the League of Women Voters.

Join us on Sunday, Aug. 6, at Rose Hill Museum at 27715 Lake Road. It's a fitting site for the party as Rose Hill was formerly the Bay Library in which the first meeting of the Bay Chapter convened. 

Come celebrate with refreshments and music beginning at 1:30 p.m. and hear brief remarks at 2 p.m., followed by the cake cutting. The event is rain or shine and your RSVP is appreciated to bayvillage@lwvgreatercleveland.org.

Families enjoyed dancing, bubbles, ice cream, crafts, and more at the BAYarts Mini Moondance fundraiser on Sunday, June 25.

Harmonic Journeys Holistic Fairs are holistic, spiritual and metaphysical – all in one place. You’ll find vendors and practitioners, speakers and activities, along with psychic and tarot card readers.

The Summer Indoor/Outdoor Holistic Fair will be held Saturday, July 15, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Unity Spiritual Center in Westlake, 23855 Detroit Road. Outside activities will be on Unity’s beautiful grounds amid their labyrinth, meditation and butterfly gardens. The $5 admission includes all the activities and speakers, both indoors and out.

The Friends of BAYarts will be hosting their second annual Mini Moondance fundraiser on Sunday, June 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. on the BAYarts campus. Mini Moondance is a family-friendly event that will raise funds to benefit the Friends of BAYarts community programming and the Fuller House Restoration project.

"The Friends of BAYarts auxiliary board has been a great addition to the BAYarts family," said BAYarts board of directors President, Mary Conway Sullivan. "Their mission is to develop family-focused events to meet the demand of our growing community. We are looking forward to celebrating the second annual Mini Moondance and to working together to develop more community-based programming.”

BAYarts' Community Sensory Garden project is nearing its funding goal thanks to a Bay Village Foundation grant of $15,000 over three years. The grant was announced at the foundation's annual Memorial Day reception.

"The Bay Village Foundation has supported so many of BAYarts' projects over the years that otherwise wouldn't be possible," said BAYarts Executive Director Nancy Heaton, "including all wonderful summer programming BAYarts is able to offer free to the community each year."

The Bay Village Historical Society kicks off its summer season of porch talks on Sunday, June 11, with a special showing of the movie, “The Untouchables.”

The movie, shown in the Osborn Learning Center in Cahoon Memorial Park, is about the life and career of Eliot Ness. Ness became the director of Cleveland’s Public Safety after his efforts in Chicago to bring down Al Capone.

The free porch talk begins at 2:15 p.m. Guests are asked to bring their own lawn chairs. Visit www.bayhistorical.com for additional information.

Join artist Dominick Denaro at the opening reception of his inaugural Baseball Memories art exhibit and sale on Friday, June 9, from 7-9 p.m. at The Carolyn L. Farrell Foundation for Brain Health’s Center for Artful Living. The Center, located at 26633 Detroit Road in Westlake, will host the exhibit and sale through Friday, Aug. 4, on Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Denaro will donate a percentage of the sales to the Farrell Foundation.

Denaro, a Cleveland resident and contemporary artist, will exhibit major framed works, as well as number of smaller, unframed pieces of mixed media and monoprints, which use a variety of printing techniques. While most of the pieces are about baseball, some other themes also are included.

The Westlake Kiwanis would like to thank all the participants in the Memorial Day parade on Hilliard Boulevard on a beautiful weather day. They would also like to thank all the residents and other guests who attended the services at the Gazebo in Clague Park.

Attendees were rewarded with a Medley of Music by the Westlake High School Band and a Memorial Day address by Major Brian Barnes, U.S Air Force Retired.

Memorial Day will soon be here. The Westlake Kiwanis Club hopes you will participate in our annual community parade and services on Monday, May 29. 

Come out and line the parade route along Hilliard Boulevard and enjoy the parade, which starts at 10 a.m. in front of Sts. Peter and George Coptic and Orthodox Church and ends in Clague Park at the Gazebo for the Memorial Day Tributes.

The parade and services will honor those civilians and military that sacrificed so much to preserve our freedoms and protect our shores – many of those fallen were members of our Westlake community. If you participated in the parade or in the services in Clague Park in the past, the Westlake Kiwanis and the community appreciate your participation and hope you will take part again this year.

It is that time of the year when we start to think about summer and look forward to the Memorial Day weekend. While many think of this as a “Holiday” it is really a “Remembrance” day. It is meant to remember all the men and women who have served our country and have passed away.

This year the Bay Village Memorial Day Parade will be on Monday, May 29. The parade timetable is as follows:
    •    8 a.m. Assemble in Huntington Beach parking lot on Lake Road
    •    8:45 a.m. March west on Lake Road to Lakeside Cemetery
    •    9:00 a.m. Ceremonies at Lakeside Cemetery
    •    9:15 a.m. March east on Lake Road to Cahoon Park Gazebo
    •    9:45 a.m. Ceremonies at Cahoon Park

The Parade Committee invites all Veterans and Blue and Gold Star Mothers to participate and march in the parade.

The Sabrina Noelle Foundation was founded by Bay Village mother Kristin DuPrey after the loss of her 17-year-old daughter, Sabrina, to suicide. The foundation’s mission is to create strategies for better mental well-being. Methods for young adults include art as therapy, jewelry making, journaling, music and exercise.

On Saturday, June 3, from 4-8 p.m., the foundation will host its third annual Sabrina Street Party at Liquid Lifestyles, 975 Basset Road in Westlake. Young designers will showcase their work in jewelry, music and art. Local high school bands RRRIOT! and Skippy’s on the Run will perform live. Food trucks will offer food and dessert for sale.

Proceeds from this nonprofit organization help fund jewelry supplies, journals, exercise programs and local scholarships, allowing the Sabrina Noelle Foundation to give back to the community. To date, they have donated over $19,900 in scholarships.