Memorial Day weekend is just 10 days away and there will be plenty of events in the area for celebrating.
In Cleveland, the 22nd Annual Marc’s Great American Rib Cook-Off & Music Festival runs May 24-27 at Jacobs Pavilion and the Nautica Entertainment Complex.
There will be heaps of ribs to eat, with 10 professional grilling teams from across the country vying for the title of Best Ribs in America.
Adult admission is $5 with a coupon from any Marc’s store ($8 at the gate without coupon). Kids 12 and younger are admitted free. Musical entertainment for the weekend includes Rocktopia, Rick Springfield, Buddy Guy and Bret Michaels, and is free with general admission.
The Rib Cook-Off is noon to 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and noon to 8 p.m. Memorial Day.
For more information, visit the festival’s website at www.fox8.com/rib or call the Jacobs Pavilion Box Office during event hours at 216-622-6557.
Further south, Lehman’s in Kidron will be hosting its annual Dutch Oven Gathering on May 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Visitors can watch cast-iron cooks create unique meals in Dutch ovens and get the chance to sample their foods at a potluck at the end of the event. Dutch oven cooks of all skill levels are welcome, including Boy and Girl Scouts. There will be time for swapping recipes and getting tips from experts.
Brent Bolton of Dutch Masters Catering from New Mexico will be offering a Dutch oven class for newer cooks, and there will be a cook-off for youth, with prizes.
For more information or to sign up, call or email Matt Buser at 330-603-7266 or mebuser@neo.rr.com.
Lehman’s is at 4779 Kidron Road, Kidron. Use Dalton for GPS mapping.
Class will teach canning
The Cuyahoga Falls Parks and Recreation Department is offering a food preservation class at the Quirk Cultural Center, 1201 Grant Ave., from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday.
Several methods of canning will be taught and food samples will be offered.
The registration fee is $2 for residents and $4 for nonresidents. A $15 class fee (payable to Mitzi Stanley) is due at registration. Preregistration is required. For more information, call the Parks and Recreation office at 330-971-8225.
Free doughnut giveaway
The Krispy Kreme cruiser is coming to Paladin Attachments from 8 a.m. to noon May 23.
The cruiser will set up in Paladin’s parking lot, 820 Glaser Parkway, Akron, near the city of Akron Public Works and the Akron-Fulton International Airport, and representatives will pass out doughnuts to kick off Krispy Kreme’s new flavors, Key Lime Cake and Key Lime Cheesecake, along with their original glazed doughnuts.
The event is part of Krispy Kreme’s new Key Lime Staycation giveaway. Visit www.keylimestaycation.com for more information.
New pizza shop in Falls
A new East of Chicago Pizza has opened at 2603 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls.
The shop is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Phone 330-923-3278.
Anniversary at Laconi’s II
It’s already been 10 years since Gary and Vikki Retzer and their son Steve reopened Laconi’s restaurant at 547 Sackett Ave., Cuyahoga Falls.
Sam Laconi, whose father started the Italian restaurant and pizza shop, closed the business after 65 years in 1999. Four years later, with Laconi’s blessing, the Retzer family reopened it, serving up the same signature pizza and family-friendly Italian fare.
To celebrate their 10-year mark, Retz’s Laconi’s II will be holding a customer appreciation week May 20-26, with specials on pizza, pasta dinners, beer and drinks.
Phone 330-945-4600 for more information.
Lisa Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or at labraham@thebeaconjournal.com. Find me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter @akronfoodie or visit my blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/lisa.