By LAURI GROSS
Area organizations are ready to welcome your mom and your family to try a wide variety of activities and experiences sure to leave the kind of impression moms dream about on Mother’s Day or any day of the year! This year, Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 14.
Cleveland Botanical Garden
11030 East Blvd, Cleveland. (HoldenFG.org/cleveland-botanical-garden/gardens-and-attractions/)
Click “Menu,” then “Events and Happenings,” then “Events and Special Exhibits,” then scroll down to Mother’s Day events.
Mother’s Day Brunch. May 14, 9 a.m. to noon. Bring mom to enjoy a delicious meal surrounded by the beauty of the botanical garden including plenty of spots perfect for capturing memorable photos as you stroll past the blooming beds.
Mother’s Day Boutique. May 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come for this fun shopping experience in collaboration with Made Cleveland. Local vendors offer unique gifts not found elsewhere. Included with admission to the Garden.
For the brunch, book online or call 216.721.1600.

“Baby K” gorilla on exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on May 11, 2022. (Kyle Lanzer/Cleveland Metroparks)

Cleveland Metroparks and Zoo
(ClevelandMetroparks.com)
Moms admitted free to Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on Mother’s Day courtesy of CrossCountry Mortgage.
Cleveland Metroparks is also again hosting its Native Plant Sale at all five Nature Centers on May 13. Stop by and pick out a perfect gift for mom from a variety of hardy, low-maintenance plants to beautify her yard and make it an oasis for important native pollinators. Nature Center locations: Rocky River Reservation (24000 Valley Parkway, North Olmsted), Brecksville (9000 Chippewa Creek Drive), North Chagrin (401 Buttermilk Falls Parkway, Mayfield Village), CanalWay (4524 East 49th Street, Cuyahoga Heights), Watershed Stewardship Center/West Creek Reservation (2277 West Ridgewood Drive, Parma).
Cleveland Metroparks is also hosting a Mother’s Day Stroll May 14. Families can enjoy a slow-paced hike along Tinker’s Creek as they take-in the surrounding forest floor full of spring wildflowers. The event is free and open to the public from 4 to 5 p.m. at Hemlock Creek Picnic Area in Bedford Reservation (off Button Road, in Walton Hills).
Fairmount Fine Arts Center
8400 Fairmount Road, Novelty. (FairmountCenter.org)
Workshops, classes and camps for toddlers through adults in fitness (including yoga and more), dance (ballet, tap and more), plus art offerings including painting, drawing, ceramics, calligraphy, macrame, sewing, and much more, plus music instruction in voice, ukulele, guitar and piano.
Purchase a gift certificate for classes or a one-time workshop for mom, or chose a class for a mom to participate in with her kids.
Purchase online or call 440.338.3171.
Glass Asylum
22 West Orange Street, Chagrin Falls. (TheGlassAsylum.com)
Celebrate mom with a three-course meal from M Italian (adjacent to the Asylum), plus mimosas, and glassblowing over Mother’s Day Weekend, May 12-14.
With guidance from professional glass-blowers, participants can create a blown-glass flower, garden globe, or flower ring holder in this two-hour event (including the meal).
Call 440.394.8483 to reserve a spot.
Good Time III
825 East Ninth Street Pier, North Coast Harbor (Goodtimeiii.com.)
Experience Cleveland aboard the Goodtime III, the largest quadruple-deck, 1,000-passenger luxury ship on the Great Lakes, for one-of-a-kind views of downtown Cleveland, the Flats, the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie.
Mother’s Day Brunch Cruise. May 14. Board at noon. Cruise 12:30 to 3p.m. Includes live music by No Control.
Mother’s Day Dinner Cruise. May 14. Board 4:30 p.m. Cruise 5 to 7:30 p.m. Includes live music by No Control.
Book online or call 216.861.5110.
Lake Metroparks Farmpark
8800 Euclid Chardon Road (Rt. 6), Kirtland, (LakeMetroparks.com)
On Mother’s Day, mom’s get in free at the Lake Metroparks Farmpark, a working 235-acre farm with dairy cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, rabbits, horses, alpacas, and goats, a plant science center, farm machinery exhibits, playground and more. Horse or tractor-drawn wagons take visitors throughout the park where there are demonstrations, educational programs and other activities.
Nautica Queen
Flats West Bank, 1153 Main Avenue, Cleveland (NauticaQueen.com)
Aboard the Nautica Queen, they say every cruise is a celebration, whether a sun-dappled afternoon or starry night. Check out these two great options for Mother’s Day.
Click “Set Sail with Online Reservations,” then scroll down to “Special Event Cruises.”
Mother’s Day Brunch. May 14, board at 10 a.m., Cruise from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Mother’s Day Dinner. May 14, board at 3 p.m. Cruise from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
Book tickets online or call 216-696-8888.
Ohio Sister Circle Mother’s Day Lunch
(OhioSisterCircleinC.US)
Ohio Sister Circle provides programming that educates, supports and empowers youth and families to build a brighter future and a better life.
Scroll down to “Events” and keep going to “Mother’s Day Lunch.”
With a theme of The Art of Motherhood, this event includes an Italian meal, a panel of guest speakers, a silent auction, the honoring of distinguished mothers from around the area, and live music by Russell Thompson and Free Agent.
The event is at the Embassy Suites Hotel at 3775 Park East Drive in Beachwood.
May 13, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Each attendee will receive a raffle ticket and a gift.
For tickets, event info and sponsorship opportunities, visit the website or call 330.328.0796.
Valley Art Center
155 Bell Street, Chagrin Falls (ValleyArtCenter.org)
Among the Center’s many offerings are plenty that are great for moms, including:
Brunchtime Clay Date, May 6 and May 20, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
This is a relaxing 21-and-over workshop with brunchtime beverages (BYOB) and a potter’s wheel where participants will learn to throw pottery or continue to hone skills. At future sessions, participants can trim and glaze their pots. Or, attend just one session and have your piece bisque fired.
Fun with ZenTangle, April 22 and May 13, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Untangle your mind with instructor Suzan Kraus, who will guide participants on how the very basics of drawing can result in beautiful works of ZenTangle art. This easy-to-learn method is a fun way for anyone age nine and older to create beautiful, patterned images one line at a time. Perfect for a family activity, a girlfriend bonding experience, or a morning off to unwind, this fun class helps participants focus and create with more confidence within a supportive atmosphere.
Story and Art, Tuesdays, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Ages 3-6 (with mom or other adult)
Engage in sensory play, promote literacy, creativity, and social skills while exploring art materials, playing and creating with your little one in a structured way.
Or, get mom a gift certificate from the Valley Art Center, for her to use on classes, or shop and gallery purchases.
FLOWERS
For a timeless Mother’s Day gift, few choices beat a beautiful bouquet of thoughtfully chosen fresh flowers. Look no further than Sweetbay Flower Farm and Blossom Cleveland for classic bouquets and also unique flower-centered gifts and experiences to share with mom.
Sweetbay Flower Farm
9801 Stafford Road, Auburn Township (SweetbayFlowerFarm.com).
This 30-acre family farm is home to hundreds of varieties of beautiful and unique plants. The property also includes a pond complete with ducks and family dogs, and lambs will soon join the menagerie.
For mom, choose a subscription that includes a beautiful bouquet each month from May through October, lovingly crafted from the finest selections in bloom at Sweetbay. To kick off the subscriptions, May bouquets will feature spring favorites such as ranunculus, anemone, tulips, hellebore, and flowering spring branches. The subscription-givers plus the recipient are welcome to tour the gardens to see what’s blooming, plus chat with the Sweetbay experts about anything flower-related.
Also, the gardens are available to rent for private photography sessions. Or, hire photographer Katie Cenkus, one of four sisters who owns Sweetbay Flower Farm along with their dad. The second Saturday of each month, Sweetbay will have a pop-up flower shop at Appletree Books (12419 Cedar Road, in Cleveland Heights).
Check the Sweetbay website or sign up for email updates for garden tips and inspiration and to see when the farm will resume private pick-your-own flower days, creative workshops, retreats, garden parties, and other events. Currently, parts of the property are under construction so these events are likely to resume next spring. Sign up for the monthly bouquet subscription, or for photography sessions on the website, or write to Flowers@SweetbayFlowerFarm.com, or call 440.759.7818.
Blossom Cleveland

Blossom Cleveland is a full-service florist offering daily arrangements plus flowers for weddings and other occasions. A flower bar invites walk-ins (Tuesday through Sunday in Lakewood, and Tuesday through Saturday in Chagrin Falls) to choose from fresh daily selections to create your own arrangement. Or book a private two-hour event for your group to make arrangements together, including a special Mother’s Day workshop. For details about dates and times, check the website where workshop tickets will be available for purchase. Blossom Cleveland will provide snacks plus all the supplies, expert advice and the vase for participants to create their own Mother’s Day centerpiece. Blossom Cleveland also has a mobile flower cart brimming with beautiful in-season blooms, available to book for any occasion so your guests can make their own take-home bouquets at events around Northeast Ohio. Reach the Lakewood shop at 216.512.0700. Reach the Chagrin Falls shop at 216.482.0322.