Basketball @ Cleveland State University's Woodling Gymnasium and Recreation Center, 2420 Chester Ave, Cleveland, 44115: 9a6p; free.

Darts @ Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, 24 Public Square, Cleveland, 44113: 9a-6p; free.

DanceSport/Day Session @ Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, 24 Public Square, Cleveland, 44113: 10a-5p; $20-$35 for one-day pass or $80-$110 for four-day pass.

Water Polo @ Case Western Reserve University's Veale Natatorium, 2138 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, 44106: 10a-5p; free.

Festival Village @ Mall C, Lakeside Avenue between Ontario and E 6th Street, Cleveland, 44199: RuPaul's Drag Race fan favorite Pandora Boxx hosts; Ana Matronic performs. Plus entertainment, activities, food, drinks, merchandise, recognition of medal winners and pin-swapping. 4p-midnight; free.

Shabbat Picnic Dinner/Rock My Soul Shabbat Under the Stars Service @ TempleTifereth Israel, 26000 Shaker Blvd, Beachwood, 44122; 216.455.1703; ttti.org: Gay Games participants and their families are invited to an annual tradition. Call to RSVP and arrange transportation. 5:30p; $5$10 for those who aren't participating in the Gay Games.

Gay Games Happy Hour @ Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, 24 Public Square, Cleveland, 44113; 216.696.5600; FB: Renaissance Gay Games Happy Hours: Nightly entertainment. 5:30p-8:30p.

Synchronized Swimming @ Cleveland State University's Robert F Busbey Natatorium, 2451 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, 44115: 6p-10p; free.

DanceSport Gala @ Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, 24 Public Square, Cleveland, 44113: The week's winners in each advanced-level division perform one last time. 7p; $25.

Summer Groove @ Aura (Mean Bull), 1313 E 26th St, Cleveland, 44114; FB: AURA Ultra Lounge Cleveland: Co-ed rooftop dance and pool party featuring DJ Tracy Young and drag group DWV. 7p; Cover charge TBA.

Summer@Severance @ Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, 44106; 216.231.1111; clevelandorchestra.com: The Cleveland Orchestra and Blossom Festival Chorus perform Beethoven's Overture to Prometheus, Symphony No. 4 and Choral Fantasy. 7p; $23-$85 (use code GG9SSEV for half off).

Amazons and Their Men @ Liminis Theater, 2438 Scranton Rd, Cleveland, 44113; 216.687.0074; convergence-continuum.org: Convergence-Continuum theater company presents the Ohio premiere of Jordan Harrison's darkly comedic look at the circumstances of gay artists in 1930s Berlin. 8p; $10-$15.

outlookohio.com

My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding @ Greystone Theatre, 103 S High St, Akron, 44308; 330.374.7568; actorssummit.org: David Hein and Irene Carl Sankoff's musical comedy, presented by Actors' Summit, is based on Hein's experience when his mother and her girlfriend plan their wedding during Canada's fight for marriage equality. 8p; $10-$33.

Virginia Woolf's Orlando Adapted by Sarah Ruhl @ Balch Street Theatre, 220 S Balch St, Akron, 44302; 330.867.3299; nwplab.com: Akron's New World Performance Laboratory stages Woolf's gender-flipping 1928 novel. 8p; $10-$15.

Fuego Friday @ Interbelt Nite Club, 70 N Howard St, Akron, 44308; 330.253.5700; interbelt.com: Drag show hosted by Alejandra Love with music by DJ Coraly. Tequila shots for $1, Coronas for $2.50 and margaritas for $4. No cover.

Hot Time in Cleveland Womyn's Dance Party @Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, 44115; FB: Hot Time in Cleveland: Women-only party, with DJ, cash bar and sober support. Order tickets via eventbrite.com. 18+. 8p-midnight; $25.

Renaissance Gay Games Live Late Night DJ @Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, 24 Public Square, Cleveland, 44113; 216.696.5600; FB: Renaissance Gay Games LIVE: Tonight's party features DJ Rob Black. 9p-3a; free.

DJ Jeff Taylor @ Bounce, 2814 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, 44113; 216.357.2997; bouncecleveland.com: The weekly Girlesque drag show is followed by Chicago/Baltimore/New York DJ Taylor. 10p; no ticket info available.

Dance Party @ Square Nightclub, 820 W Market St, Akron, 44303; 330.374.9661; squarenightclub: Music by CJ Robyn. 10p; no

cover.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16

Marathon/Half-Marathon @ Akron Civic Theatre (starting line), 182 S Main St, Akron, 44308: 6a; free.

Cycling/Criterium Race @ Lakewood's West End, Lakewood, 44107: Men's and women's races in seven competitive classes. 8a; free.

Closing Ceremonies @ Mall C, Lakeside Avenue between Ontario and E 6th Street, Cleveland, 44199: Gay Games 9 draws to a close with a ceremony and dance party. 5p; $15.

Summer Groove @ Aura (Mean Bull), 1313 E 26th St, Cleveland, 44114; FB: AURA Ultra Lounge Cleveland: Co-ed rooftop dance and pool party featuring DJ Chi Chi LaRue, DJ Grind and DJ Chris Cox. 7p; Cover charge TBA.

Laugh Out Loud! With Comic Karen Williams @ the Sanctuary, 350 S Portage Path, Akron, 44320; 440.479.7475; karen-

williams.brownpapertickets.com: Lesbian comedian Karen Williams has been called "a laugh riot" by Curve magazine. Her show benefits the food pantry and HIV program and Akron's First Grace Church. 7p; $20-$25 ($50 VIP).

Christopher Titus @ Hilarities 4th Street Theater, 2035 E 4th St, Cleveland, 44115; 216.241.7425; pickwickandfrolic.com: The former Fox sitcom star is part of Hilarities' Gay Games week lineup. 7p and 9:30p; $18$23.

White Party @ Bounce, 2814 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, 44113; 216.357.2997; bouncecleveland.com: Following the Saturday night Varietease show, New York DJ Susan Morabito spins. 8p; no ticket info available.

Drag Show @ Tear-Ez, 360 S Main St, Akron, 44311; 330.376.0011; tear-ez.com: Featuring Brooke Daniels. 9p; no cover.

Pool Tournament @ Leather Stallion Saloon, 2205 St. Clair Ave, Cleveland, 44114; 216.589.8588; leatherstallion.com: Weekly contest. 10p-midnight; no cover.

Dance Party @ Square Nightclub, 820 W Market St, Akron, 44303; 330.374.9661; squarenightclub: Music by CJ Robyn. 10p; no

cover.

Seven Deadly Sins After Party @ House of Blues, 308 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, 44114; 216.523.2583; houseofblues.com/cleveland: Unique music and staging for each sin, plus DJ Scotty Thomson, Real Housewives of New York's Carole Radziwill, trans icon Amanda Lepore and Andrew Christian models. 10p2a; $60 advance and $75 at the door ($95 VIP).

Outdoor Chandelier

Playhouse Square, Euclid Avenue and E 14th Street, Cleveland, 44115; 216.771.4444; dazzle.playhousesquare.org. For more on Cleveland's public art collection, visit land-studio.org.

The latest addition to Cleveland's public art collection is likely to elicit squealing brakes and a "WTF?"-type reaction from drivers. It's the world's largest outdoor chandelier, installed in May at Playhouse Square.

Poised above the street itself and supposedly capable of handling hurricane-force winds, it's still something that might give you pause as you walk beneath, even in a mild breeze. Twenty feet tall, 44 feet above the street and with 4,200 crystals, it's got more bling than Cher's entire wardrobe.

Coincidentally, Cher was playing the nearby Quicken Loans Arena the night the lights first came on. If she'd only known, she might have stopped by and swung from it.

Happy Dog

5801 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, 44102; 216.651.9474; happydogcleveland.com; open Mondays-Thursdays from 4p-2:30a and Fridays-Sundays from 11a-2:30a.

Cleveland is definitely a food town. And with its ethnic heritage, you can easily get top-of-the-line pierogies or pad thai at any number of venues.

But if you want quirky, there's no better place than Happy Dog, with its pine paneling, wrap-around bar and live music, including wait for it! POLKA NIGHTS! The real draw here, though, is the gourmet hot dogs, with 50 different imaginative toppings that you can mix or match.

Fancy a sunnyside-up fried egg with pimento cheese on your dog? Or how about Spaghettios with Jamaican Jerk Mustard Mojo? Myself, I went for the garlicky escarole and bleu cheese coleslaw. Don't forget the Rolaids!

You'll also find yourself in town at the same time as annual events like the Feast of the Assumption, Aug 14-17. Just head for Little Italy, stuff yourself with calzones and look for the virgins, Mary or otherwise.

Also going on is the Weapons of Mass Creation event (Aug 15-17) an art, design and music festival that's kind of a cross between TED and SXSW. And in Akron, which also is sharing the Gay Games spotlightyou'll find the National Hamburger Festival (Aug 9-10) happening Downtown.

And, oh yes, there is the Gay Games taking place, too. If you can find time to work them in!

Visit thisiscleveland.com and visitakron-summit.org for more travel tips.

august 2014 35