Marc's Great American Rib Cook-Off and Music Festival

Memorial Day weekend has arrived, which means summer festival season is officially here! To kick off the start of summer, Fox 8 Cleveland and sponsors will host the 22nd annual Marc's Great American Rib Cook-Off and Music Festival.

This four-day grilling and music event at Jacob's Pavilion at Nautica has become Northeast Ohio's biggest and most popular backyard BBQ. Ten grilling teams from across the nation will join together at the festival to face off against one another and compete to be declared the best ribs in America. An amateur grilling competition will also take place on Saturday, in which six competitors will attempt to make their tastiest ribs and have them judged by a panel of grill masters.

Besides the food, the festival will have two stages set up with live musical performances throughout the weekend. This year's line-up includes Mega 80's, Rick Springfield, Buddy Guy and Bret Michaels.

General admission tickets cost $5 with a coupon from any Marc's Northeast Ohio store or online. Tickets will be sold at the Rib Cook-Off box office for $8. Kids 12 and under are free. The live concerts are free with a general admission ticket.

Parking is available at surrounding lots on the West and East Bank of the Flats. The RTA will be offering "Rib Lovers" free rides on all RTA Rapid Transit Rail Lines for the duration of the festival.

Marc's Great American Rib Cook-Off and Music Festival hours:
Friday, May 24 from noon-11 p.m.
Saturday, May 25 from noon-11 p.m.
Sunday, May 26 from noon-11 p.m.
Monday, May 27 from noon-8 p.m.

For more information or directions, visit Fox 8.

Red, White & BBQ Rib Burn-Off

Summer is the perfect time for cooking outside on the grill. What better way to start off the summer season than with a rib festival?

Downtown Willoughby will host its second annual Red, White & BBQ Rib Burn-Off this Saturday. Seventeen local restaurants will cook up their best batch of ribs and sell them to the public. Guests can vote for their favorite rib joint, and the winner will be announced along with the judges' choice.

Two stages will be set up with bands performing throughout the afternoon. Erie Street will be closed for the event, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks will be sold along the street.

Since the event takes place on Armed Forces Day, patrons are encouraged to donate to the USO of Northern Ohio.

Rib lovers, make sure you don't miss out on this tasty event!

Red, White & BBQ Rib Burn-Off hours:
Saturday, May 18 from noon-8 p.m.

For more information visit Downtown Willoughby.

Hessler Street Fair

Although the summer festival season doesn't officially begin until Memorial Day weekend, the season is unofficially kicking off this weekend with a slew of festivals and art fairs. One of the most popular summer festivals held every year is the Hessler Street Fair in University Circle.

The Hessler Street Fair is a two-day celebration of art, music, crafts and more. A number of art and craft, food and non-profit vendors will set up tables with items for sale along Hessler Road. A stage will be set up at the end of the cul-de-sac and a variety of local bands will play throughout the weekend.

Harmony Park will be open to the public for visitors to relax under a tree or go for a stroll with friends. Tying in with this year's Alice in Wonderland theme, children will have the chance to participate in a tea party or play a round of flamingo croquet.

The entire event is produced by volunteers each year and funds raised help to preserve and maintain the neighborhood. The festival is free and parking is available on the street.

Hessler Street Fair hours:
Saturday, May 18 from 11 a.m. to dusk
Sunday, May 19 from 11 a.m. to dusk

For more information or directions, visit Hessler Street Fair.

Cleveland International Film Festival

The 37th annual Cleveland International Film Festival kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. at Tower City Cinemas. This year's festival is bigger than ever before, with more than 180 features and 165 short films playing on the theater's screens.

The film festival, which is held each spring in downtown Cleveland, strives to bring international and local films to the wider audience. The first festival was held in 1977 and each year has slowly garnered more attention. Last year's festival saw 85,000 people pass through its doors.

Dozens of films are played throughout the day on numerous screens. The films span all genres and topics, and often push the artistic boundaries of traditional films. The theme for this year's festival is "Be the Applause."

Tickets for the films cost $12 for members and $14 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased online (until 11 p.m. on the day before the screening), by phone (877-304-3456), or in person at the festival box office (located in the lobby of Tower City Cinemas). Day of show tickets are only available for purchase in person at the box office.

The Cleveland International Film Festival runs from April 3 to April 14.

For more information about the festival, or to view a complete list of films being screened, visit Cleveland Film.

Mambo Italiano at La Dolce Vita

What's better than dining in Little Italy? Dining then taking a free salsa dance lesson!

La Dolce Vita in Little Italy is combining their love of food and dancing into a special one-night event on Saturday, March 30. The event will feature a free salsa lesson at 9:30 p.m., with live music and entertainment to follow starting at 10 p.m. The restaurant will also offer drink specials: whenever the song "Mambo Italiano" is played, all drinks are buy one get one free.

The event is free and open to the public.

La Dolce Vita is located at 12112 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, OH 44106 at the corner of Mayfield and Murray Hill. For table reservations, call 216-721-8155.

Irish Coffee Workshop at Market Garden Brewery

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, which means this is the perfect time to start perfecting those Irish beverages.

A special collaboration between Fresh Fork Market, Rising Star Coffee and Market Garden Brewery is giving the community the opportunity to learn some new recipes and taste some soothing Irish Coffee.

The workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, March 12 at Market Garden Brewery (right next to the West Side Market). The workshop will teach participants the art of making Irish Coffee and allow them to taste test three different versions of the beverage, ranging from traditional to an Italian twist to one made with local whiskey. Light food and pastries will also be available for participants to nibble on while sipping their coffees.

The fee for this workshop is $20 per person. Space is limited, so reservations are recommended. Reservations are available online or by calling 216-621-4000.

Start the St. Patrick's Day celebration early with this festive workshop!

Irish Coffee Workshop hours:
Tuesday, March 12 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

For more information, or directions to Market Garden Brewery, visit Fresh Fork Market.

Rubber City Beatlefest 2013

Calling all fans of The Beatles! Hop in your cars and head to Akron this Saturday for an event like no other.

Akron Civic Theatre will be transported back in time to the 1960s this weekend for Rubber City Beatlefest. The event features performances from three Beatles tribute bands: The ReBeats, Hard Days Night and Revolution Pie. Numerous vendors will have items on sale, including '60s memorabilia, vinyl records and rock 'n' roll photographs.

Beatlefest kicks off at 6:45 p.m. with the concert beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets start at just $15.

Rubber City Beatlefest 2013 hours:
Saturday, March 9 from 6:45 p.m.-midnight.

For more information about this event, visit Akron Civic Theatre.