Blossom Music Festival to kick off with holiday weekend concerts. What you need to know
It's nearly time to spread out the blankets and dig into the delicious picnic food and wine while basking in the beautiful sounds of the world-class Cleveland Orchestra over July 4 weekend at bucolic Blossom Music Center.
Ten weeks of Blossom Music Festival concerts and picnics will kick off July 2 at the Cleveland Orchestra’s summer home in Cuyahoga Falls, with a total of 14 different concert programs running for 19 performances through Labor Day weekend.
More: Cleveland Orchestra announces Blossom season with return of films, some lesser-known gems
The Cleveland Orchestra will open the 2022 season with the concert "Fanfare for the Common Man" at 8 p.m. Saturday, conducted by outgoing associate conductor Vinay Parameswaran. The concert will feature the orchestra's premiere of Gulda's "Concerto for Cello," with the orchestra’s principal cellist Mark Kosower as soloist, and Copland's "Symphony No. 3."
Copland’s jubilant third symphony, composed to celebrate the end of World War II, is often called “The Great American Symphony.” It ends with themes from the popular "Fanfare for the Common Man."
Fireworks will follow the concert, weather permitting.
The extended holiday weekend will continue with the star-spangled celebration "Salute to America" concert, featuring the Blossom Festival Band at 8 p.m. July 3 and 4.
The family event will include patriotic marches, Broadway favorites, an Armed Forces salute, and more, conducted by fan favorite Loras John Schissel. The concerts will end with fireworks.
Single pavilion tickets start at $25 for adults, $15 for students and children. Single lawn tickets start at $25. Two under-18s-free lawn tickets are available for every adult lawn ticket purchased.
Guests also can save with the ever-popular lawn ticket books. The books include 10 adult vouchers, 20 under-18s-free vouchers, and two free upgrade passes, good for the entire season. Cost is $180. Call the Severance Hall Ticket Office at 216-231-1111 or see clevelandorchestra.com for more information.
The Blossom Box Office will be open from 1 to 9 p.m. on festival performance days throughout the summer season.
For information on subscriptions, call 216-231-1111 or see clevelandorchestra.com.
Parking for Blossom Music Festival
Subscribers and guests who purchased tickets at least 10 days in advance of a festival concert will receive dated hangtags in the mail. Those with tags displayed in their vehicle will be directed to a designated lot.
Pre-paid parking in the closest Lot A is subject to availabilityfor those without hangtags. Cost is $25 per vehicle.
Those without dated parking hangtags will be directed to non-paved lots at no additional charge.
Free tram service between parking lots and the pavilion is available on a continuous basis. A limited number of golf carts are also available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Gates to the Blossom grounds open 2½ hours before orchestra concerts. Picnic tables are located both outside and inside the gates.
Concessions will be available for the 2022 season, including the Blossom Grille restaurant and Tasting Room. The Cleveland Orchestra Store also will be open near the main gate entrance.
For the entire festival season, Image Magnification (IMAG), an on-screen display of live footage from the concert, will be presented. The state-of-the-art LED screens, installed in 2018 in the pavilion, can be seen throughout the venue.
The history of Blossom
Blossom Music Center, created as the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra, opened in July 1968 with performances of Beethoven’s "Ninth Symphony," conducted by George Szell. The 200-acre music park features the acoustically-acclaimed Blossom Pavilion, which seats more than 5,000 and was designed by renowned Cleveland architect Peter van Dijk. The lawn accommodates up to 15,000 more outside on a natural-bowl grass amphitheater surrounded by woods.
Blossom Music Center, located at 1146 W. Steels Corners Road in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, was named to honor the Dudley S. Blossom family, major supporters of the Cleveland Orchestra throughout its history.
Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Orchestra to kick off Blossom Music Festival July 4 weekend
