Fall is the best time to visit Cleveland, to savor the vibrant fall foliage and crisp, dry air by hitting hike-and-bike trails, apple orchards, and football games. Autumn also signals the start of the abundant performing-arts calendar, filled with dance, theater, and musical productions.

If you really can’t stand cold weather, it’s best to avoid Cleveland from December through March—but you will be missing out on quite a bit. The winter holidays here can be Dickensian, with downy-white snow blanketing the region as residents make the rounds at museums, theaters, and restaurants.

Spring can be frustratingly wet, even snowy, but it also can offer glimpses of the warm days to come. Folks here take advantage of these rare days atop bikes, in gardens, and on restaurant patios.

Summer is filled with Indians baseball games, rounds of golf, neighborhood festivals, visits to farmers markets, and fishing trips on Lake Erie. Nearly every restaurant takes advantage of the season by offering alfresco seating.