Celebrating 20 years of cool.
Maybe you heard how it all began. Almost exactly 20 years ago, Cirque du Soliel were in residence for a few weeks and I ran into some of their young artists and asked them how they liked it around here. They used words like “boring” and “dead,” so I laughed and sent them an email listing just a few of the delightful and delicious things my friends and other artists and entrepreneurs were cooking up around the region. Word spread quickly and our list grew. We added graphics, a website, mobile apps and our own cool events. Early on some nonprofits asked how they could reach this newly engaged audience, and CoolCleveland was off and running.
The delights continue with more to celebrate. Twenty years after their debut LP, recorded in their Akron basement on a Tascam 388 8-track reel-to-reel, Black Keys make a triumphant return to the region at Blossom this week. Skunkfest celebrates its 21st year in North Ridgeville. Lakewood Alive hosts a free pop-up in Madison Park. You can “Walk With The Spirits” and learn Medina history, or you can discover Monarchs and meadow insects courtesy Geauga Park District.
And there’s lots of great food. The King of Kolbasa will be crowned at the Slovenian Sausage Fest, Walkabout Tremont features specials from the neighborhood’s storied eateries, the author of “How We Eat” discusses new ways people are approaching food, and the Berea Arts Fest takes over Front Street with artist exhibitions, of course, but also tasty selection from food trucks, booths, and offerings from downtown Berea restaurants. Just don’t let the kids eat the chalk at the CMA’s Chalk Festival. We’re gonna need them to grow up healthy and take things to the next level 20 years from now, after we’re long gone.
–Thomas Mulready