Just about 20 years ago, we had the somewhat bright idea to throw the spotlight exclusively on our regional arts & culture, our local entrepreneurs, and our brilliant neighborhoods. We never for a minute thought there would still be the need for that focus two decades later. With the only comprehensive guide to locally owned boutiques, museums, markets, shops, restaurants, after-hours joints and hip hangouts in NEO, the CoolCleveland site is a shining star in a galaxy of its own.We believe in events and live performance, and believe they help define a local community. When CityMusic Cleveland offers free concerts in cool venues all around town, it’s more than music; it’s a lifeline. While the LGBT Community Center hosts Queer The Halls to offer holiday crafts, it’s also a way to celebrate and elevate local artists. When the City Club hosts a conversation between Mayor Justin Bibb and outgoing CMSD CEO Eric Gordon, it will be a chance for us to learn about the progress that has been made, and the important work remaining. And when GenZ convenes at the Happy Dog to talk politics, culture, activism and the workforce, we’ll also get a chance to hear from those who will be taking on that crucial work.
As the holidays approach with blinding speed, we recommend you secure your seats in advance, and consider giving the gift of music to a show that sheds light on one of brightest stars of all time. Cracked Actor is a unique multimedia performance across three locations, with iconic music and illustrative interviews that will enlighten, delight and demystify. Light it up.
Last year the Cleveland Museum of Natural History broke ground on a transformative upgrade project intended to bring the 100-year-old museum fully up-to-date.
The project will be complete in 2024, but this week CMNH is unveiling some significant changes and upgrades, including a re-imagined interactive space for kids, 3-D movies in the Mueller Observatory, a program about the Webb Telescope in its Shafran Planetarium, and an art gallery devoted to work on nature, plus two temporary exhibits on virtual reality flight and small insect species. And you can still see live otters! Read more.
OK, maybe not EVERYWHERE. (This weekend he’s only at the WInchester with his band, the Mean Machine.) But the versatile singer, songwriter & guitarist has made a huge mark on the local scene over a decade, even though he’s just turned 30.
He’s known for performing with a startling range of the best local musicians, from his peers to veterans old enough to be his grandfather. And this weekend he’s celebrating a prolific two years of recording and releasing two new songs each month. Take THAT, pandemic! Read more
Cleveland Independents is the largest collaborative group of local chefs in the country. The holidays are the perfect time of year to take advantage of their incredible savings on Gift Cards ($10, $25, $50 & $100), Gift Certificates (30% discount) and The Deck (52 card deck with $450 in savings for under $30), all available now for holiday gift giving. Or just enjoy the savings yourself!
View the interview with Steve Daniels of the acclaimed Astoria Café and Market as he discusses how these astounding offers from Cleveland Independents allows regulars to save big while making it easy to discover new local favorites. Read more.
The Children’s Museum of Cleveland debuts a new permanent exhibit on Monday December 11 devoted to bubbles, where children can blow, stretch and chase them. This is supposed to help their STEM learning skills but we think it sounds like so much fun, they should have adult nights! Read more
On selected Fridays this fall, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History will be keeping the lights on until 8PM. This Friday 12/9, stop by the new Corning Gallery and see celebrated works of art from our permanent collection: our set of Andy Warhol’s 1983 series of screenprints, Endangered Species, and our bound first-edition set of John James Audubon’s 19th-century masterpiece, Birds of America.
Enjoy beer, wine and Cleveland Whiskey and learn about these works from Museum Librarian & Archivist Joe Tait, who will give a gallery talk on the intersection of art and natural history. Read more.
Cracked Actor.Face it, every family harbors a huge David Bowie fan. Maybe it’s your best friend. Now is the perfect time to pick up some tickets as fun gifts for the upcoming holidays to shows in Cleveland, Akron and Cleveland Heights.
Since 2013, Thomas Mulready and the high-energy Vanity Crash have celebrated David Bowie’s birth and death anniversaries each January. Because 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Aladdin Sane album, the band will be showcasing Bowie hits and deep cuts, along with a handful of brand new originals planned for their upcoming release. Throughout the evening, you’ll experience exclusive interviews with Bowie’s band, The Spiders From Mars, plus experts and clinical professionals exploring how the artist nurtured his mental health through his music. There’s even a Bowie Brunch, if you have the appetite. Read more.
