From making pilgrimages to the A Christmas Story House to downing 30,000 barrels of Great Lakes Christmas Ale, Clevelanders take holiday celebrations very seriously. This year offers a significant addition for The Land’s yuletide revelers: a bar dedicated entirely, for just over a month, to Christmas cheer.

Let it snow, and let it glow and sparkle. That’s what the Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA) elves have in mind this week as they busily prepare Public Square for the holidays and the upcoming Winterfest on Saturday, Nov. 25.

Decorating is already in full swing, but will officially kick off today, Tuesday, Nov. 14, with the arrival of the holiday tree. The evergreen, donated by the Hlavin family, makes its debut on the north end of Public Square around 2:30 p.m.
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That time David Bowie played his first show in Cleveland back in 1972? Anastasia Pantsios was there.The time the Jacksons visited Playhouse Square in the late 70s, or when an emergent U2 played the Agora Ballroom? Also there.

And when Bowie returned to play the Richfield Coliseum in 1990? Yep, she was there, and so were Bono and Adam Clayton—both of whom got their photo taken with Bowie backstage, by none other than Pantsios herself.

In just under three years, Literary Cleveland has launched the annual Cleveland Inkubator conference (which attracted 500 people in 2017), gained nonprofit status, and hosted a wide array of workshops, programs, networking events, and author readings—all geared at empowering Northeast Ohio writers. This year, the organization also introduced a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel. That momentum continues with the launch of Lit Cleveland's literary journal, Gordon Square Review.

Fresh Water's monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up the freshest free events in Cleveland.

First there were dogs. Then came pigs, rats, and even dragons. 2017 is the Year of the Rooster, according to the Chinese lunar zodiac, and it marks the last of St. Clair Superior Development Corporation’s (SCSDC) Year of the Zodiac Projects—a 12-year public art, cultural awareness, and fundraising campaign.

Find out how to get your hands on a rooster here.

During Cleveland Book Week, 12 Literary Arts Incubator and LAND Studio enlisted local poets, authors, and spoken word artists to read passages from Anisfield-Wolf award-winning books at RTA stations and platforms around town. This video by New Departure Films captures their poetry in motion.

 

It's fitting that designer Christine Wisnieski kickstarted her career designing love notes for Kate Spade, because her Cleveland-based branding and collaborative design studio is a love letter of sorts to the city itself.

Over the last six years, Wisnieski has worked with a long list of local icons—from the West Side Market to Majestic Steel to RTA to Trentina—on redefining and refreshing their brands. "At the core, most people hire us to reimagine th... Read more >

For decades, an eight-block section around Superior Avenue in the Campus District has served as one of Cleveland’s first live-work districts for artists and their studios. In just a few weeks, this area will become known as the Cleveland Superior Arts Business Improvement District, or for short, Superior Arts District. 

If a beautifully lit church has ever caught your eye while driving down I-71, you can thank Cleveland Restoration Society (CRS). Through its Sacred Landmarks Assistance Program, 19 of the city’s steeples and bell towers along the busy interstate freeway have been illuminated as part of its Steeple Lighting Program.

And that’s not all the organization is shining a light on: On Saturday, Nov. 4, CRS will celebrate Cleveland's hundreds of historic places of w... Read more >

As it turns 100 years old, the Cleveland Orchestra takes Cleveland School of the Arts students on a hero's journey via its Prometheus Project—through which mythology and music intersect.

After a decade of creating one-of-a-kind jewelry in her Art Craft Building studio on Superior Avenue, Anne Harrill felt it was time to share her love of the craft on a more personal level.So Harrill went in search of a space that could incorporate both her studio and a retail storefront. She found the perfect space in the former Trunk Collective space—800 square feet at 6515 Detroit Ave. in the heart of the Gordon Square Arts District. Find out when you can shop at Harrill&#... Read more >

Our latest events listing includes a legit tribute to the Fab Four, an all-night horror movie marathon, a vibrant Day of the Dead celebration in Gordon Square, and more. See what's on tap for the rest of October here.

Five years ago, a building resembling a cross between an alien vessel and an igneous rock opened its doors in University Circle. Since then, the new home of Cleveland’s MOCA has continued the museum's nearly 50-year tradition of bringing groundbreaking art to Northeast Ohio—with its daring design signaling the equally provocative exhibitions waiting inside.

In an Almost Famous–like plot twist, Danielle Romanowski almost never made it to Cleveland—but she's so glad she did.

After deciding to relocate from Los Angeles to Cleveland earlier this year, the Florida-born musician hit the road with her band, Dark Water Rebellion, for a tour-slash-cross-country-move in August. On a day off in Montana, the band ventured to a remote ghost town, but almost didn't live to tell the tale."We were coming back down a... Read more >

Founded by David "Dee Jay Doc" Harrill, Refresh Collective offers a plethora of programs designed to energize and empower local youth. The common thread? Hip-hop. Check out this video about Fresh Force, its workforce development program through which students learn design, screen printing, sales, and entrepreneurship via the Fresh Gear T-shirt line. (And don't miss our recent story about Freshtoberfest, where hip-hop meets horticulture.)

More space, more outdoor areas, and more exhibits add up to an all-new wonderland for Cleveland's kiddos. After closing the doors to its University Circle location nearly two years ago, the Children’s Museum of Cleveland will re-open on Monday, Nov. 6 in its new location. Get the details on the new exhibits and amenities here.

Before hunkering down to hibernate, redecorating may be in order—especially if your walls reflect those increasingly gray skies. Though gray has been popular for the past five or six years, the tide is turning, says Sherwin-Williams’ director of color marketing Sue Wadden, who recently announced that the vibrant blue Oceanside (SW 6496) is Color of the Year 2018.

When motorcycles, art, and photography collide, it makes for one revved-up rendezvous. Check out this recap of Fuel Cleveland 2017 from Lowbrow Customs.