10 Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend

Friday, August 21: Hard Rock Live's Club Velvet, Thunder From Down Under - The press release promoting the latest appearance by the group of hunks who call themselves the Thunder From Down Under boasts that they'll provide "the perfect girls' night outback," a reference to their Aussie heritage. Expect "seductive dance routines, cheeky humor and boy-next-door charm" from these topless dancers. Tonight's shows take place at 7 and 10 tonight and tomorrow night at Hard Rock Live's Club Velvet. Tickets start at $29.95. (Niesel, photo courtesy of Instagram user @candydaines.)

Friday, August 21: Saint Mary Cathedral, 10th Annual Romanian Festival - Founded in 1904, Saint Mary Cathedral is the oldest Romanian Orthodox Christian parish in the United States. So there's no better place to host a Romanian Festival. The 10th Annual Romanian Festival returns to Saint Mary Cathedral today through Sunday. The festival features Romanian food and drink. Gheorghe Trambitas will preside over an orchestra that will perform throughout the weekend. Admission is free. 3256 Warren Rd., 216-941-5550, smroc.org. (Niesel, Photo courtesy of Instagram user @marib5045.)

Friday, August 21: THE DAMNED: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Foster Theater- The Damned spearheaded the punk rock movement in the UK, but the group is often criminally forgotten when one thinks of quintessential punk bands. Also known as “the first UK punks on wax,” the band famously played its first show ever opening for the Sex Pistols at London’s 100 Club. That show was later released as a live album. Known for its outrageous on and off stage behavior, the group somehow managed to get kicked off of a tour with the Sex Pistols, an accolade that really speaks for itself. THE DAMNED: Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead, a documentary from director Wes Orshoski (Lemmy), features commentary from artists who were influenced by the band, including members of Blondie, the Clash, Buzzcocks, and more. The film screens at 7 tonight in the Museum’s Foster Theater. Following the screening, Orshoski will participate in a question and answer session with the audience. The event is free with a reservation through the Rock Hall website or at the Rock Hall box office. (Mann, Photo courtesy of Instagram user @kulbritania.)

Saturday, August 22: Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, WGAR's Country Jam - An annual tradition, the WGAR Country Jam regularly draws top-tier talent to Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. This year's installment has plenty going for it. It features acts such as Chris Young, Sara Evans, Jerrod Niemann, Mo Pitney, Drake White, Josh Abbott Band, Rachele Lynae andDakota Bradley & The Caliber Band. Tickets are $40 in advance, $50 at the door. A limited number of Thirsty Cowboy SuperFan Reserved Seat Packages that grants you access to a special seating area up front near the stage, one 2015 Country Jam T-shirt, a parking pass and a SuperFan gift are also available. Those tickets cost $135. The festival begins at 11 a.m. wgar.com. (Niesel, Photo by Tojosan, Flickr CC.)

Saturday, August 22: House of Blues, Magic Men Live! - A 2012 comedy-drama film from indie filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, Magic Mike didn't intentionally glamorize the life of a male stripper. And yet, the film, which stars Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello and Matthew McConaughey, certainly had sex appeal as the hunky dudes where half-naked in many scenes. A touring male strip revue, Magic Men Live! attempts to capitalize on the film. It features physically fit dancers who look like they could've been extras in the movie. The show bills itself as "a full-spectrum cabaret style show filled with visual storylines, thrilling choreography, audience participation." It comes to House of Blues tonight at 8. Tickets are $20 in advance, $28 day of show. (Niesel, Photo courtesy of Facebook user Magic Men.)

Saturday, August 22: Cleveland Heights, Bike Tour of Cleveland Heights Public Art - Join Heights Arts and the Heights Bicycle Coalition for a free bike tour of Cleveland Heights public art sites. Meet up at the mini park adjacent to Heights Arts Gallery. We’ll have a pleasant ride through Coventry and Cedar Fairmount neighborhoods, visiting murals, streetscapes and sculptures created between 2000 and 2015, and talking with some of the work’s artists. Helmets are mandatory. Rain date: August 23, 1:30-3:30 p.m. (Photo courtesy of Facebook user Heights Bicycle Coalition.)

Saturday, August 22: Edgewater Park, Cleveland International Kite Festival - The Ohio Society for the Elevation of Kites hosts the 28th Annual Cleveland International Kite Festival this weekend. The completely free festival (parking, admission and participation) will feature kite fliers from all over the United States and Canada. The central demo field will be used to teach others how to fly kites, demonstrate different techniques and hold a variety of games. The festival will sell kites for kids at $3 per kite and The Windjammers International Performance Sport Kite Team will perform twice daily. Bring your kites and enjoy plenty of flying space! (Photo by hjhipster, Flickr CC.)

Sunday, August 23: Capitol Theatre, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Originally released in 1954, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea stars James Mason as master of the Nautilus, a submarine designed to be able to do battle with the monsters that reside in the ocean. Based on the Jules Verne novel of the same name, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a box office hit when it first came out and it even went on to win a couple of Academy Awards. The film shows this morning at 10 a.m. at the Capitol Theatre. Tickets are $6. (Niesel, photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons.)

Sunday, August 23: Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, Tess - Back when it came out in 1979, director Roman Polanski's Tess received widespread critical acclaim. Nominated for six Academy Awards, the film took home three Oscars and helped make 17-year-old Nastassja Kinski, who plays Tess, the peasant girl at the center of the Thomas Hardy story upon which the film is based, into a star. The film portrays how women in the Victorian era were often trapped by the social conventions of the times. A new 4K digital restoration of the movie shows tonight at 6:30 at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets are $9. (Niesel, Photo courtesy of Facebook user Cinematheque at the Cleveland Institute of Art.)

Sunday, August 23: Erie-Ottawa International Airport, Wings & Warbirds Over Port Clinton RC and Full Scale Airshow - Geared to educate the public on all spectrum's of aviation but primarily focusing on remote controlled Warbird aircraft from the past and present. Wings & Warbirds Over Port Clinton is a Family Fun event held annually in August at the Erie-Ottawa International Airport. Along with Full Scale Warbird appearances and flight demos, it makes this event one of the most unique and fun events around. We have on-site Hobby Vendors, Aviation Vendors, Aviation Education and RC Education, and of coarse food and fun. Come relax in the sun and watch some mesmerizing aircraft that will blow you away. (Photo courtesy of Facebook user Wings & Warbirds Over Port Clinton.)