The closer you look, the more surprises you see. There are so many holiday markets popping up for the next couple of weeks, CoolCleveland has pulled together a guide: from the Morgan Conservatory to the Twist Drill Building to the LGBT Community Center, shop here for gifts first.Music is coming at you from all sides this time of year: from a Hip Hop Nutcracker at PHS to a program on Polka King Frankie Yankovic to Church of Starry Wisdom to swing dancing in Bainbridge to Handel’s Messiah with Apollo’s Fire, Over the Rhine, The Jesus Lizard and Yugo Rock.
Then close the deal with a few extras: MIX at CMA, Little Italy’s Holiday Walk, the Fiber Affair at Praxis, the LatinUs masquerade benefit, Pete Buttigieg at the City Club, or Star Wars Burlesque. Come a little closer.
Get ready for an unforgettable night at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s exclusive Grand Opening event—Epoch! on Fri 12/13 at 7PM. Featuring DJ @mick—who has performed for A-listers like Jay-Z and LeBron James—this event promises to be the highlight of the season.
What to Expect: VIP After-Hours Access: Explore our completely reimagined exhibits in a unique and exclusive setting. Sample Delectable Bites & Drinks: Savor delicious food and craft cocktails that will keep the good times flowing on and off the dance floor. For 21+ event with cash bar, your $35 ticket includes entry, late-night bites, and one drink ticket.
Don’t miss your chance to party like a VIP. Secure your spot at the biggest party in (natural) history! Tickets here.
Get that holiday gift list together: this weekend and next are the time to hit some of the many seasonal markers’ markets to find handcrafted local items that most likely won’t be duplicated by other gift-givers and whose purchase will help the local creative economy.
You can head out to Mulberry Creek Herb Farm in Huron for their German-style Christkindlmarkt and enjoy some wine in their new tasting room. Or visit the former Artcraft artists, now happily ensconced at the Twist Drill Building, and celebrating their 36th annual sale. There’s an eco-friendly market at Rockefeller Greenhouse, a Cleveland Bazaar at Lake Affect Studio, a members market at the Morgan, and Queer the Halls is back at the LGBT Community Center. What are you waiting for? Start shopping! Read more.
At a party back in 2008, local singer/songwriter Chris Allen was hit with an inspiration: why not gather together some of his musician friends and start a just-for-fun seasonal band? And the Ohio City Singers were born, featuring a lineup of some of the area’s top musical talent. What’s unusual is that they don’t just recycle the standards: they’ve created a repertoire of original songs and released five albums. You can catch them at the Music Box Sat 12/7 and at the Rock Hall Sat 12/14. Read more.
Canalway Partners is once again holding its Towpath Trail Lantern Parade to greet the spring, taking place March 8, 2025, with community members invited to join the festive dusk march. Currently, it’s looking for artists to create some oversized solar- and batter-powered lanterns from recycled materials to lead the procession. Applications will be accepted through January 3.Read more.
Floyd Longworth was well known in Cleveland’s 80s/early 90s punk scene as leader of the no-holds-barred Floyd Band with its memorably titled album I Burped and Puke Came Out My Nose. Then he dropped out and moved to North Carolina to raise is daughter far from the music scene.In 2018, daughter grown, he was driven back north to Cleveland by a hurricane that destroyed his house, and after resettling with the help of his local friends, he found a whole new identity: he started painting. Specifically he’s become known for the magnets he paints depicting a wide range of pop culture subjects: music, movies, cartoons, artists, political figures, even Cleveland icons such as Jane Scott and the Ghoul. A whole new generation has come to know him from his constant presence at local maker markets. Writer Donna Shimko tells his story. Read more.
TUE 12/10 Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Cleveland baroque chamber orchestra Apollo’s Fire rolls out that holiday favorite, Handel’s Messiah, for four performances starting tonight in Akron.
WED 12/11 Your Opinion Wanted
NOACA is an organization that coordinates development efforts across five northeast Ohio counties. This week they’re holding community meetings in each county, including three in Cuyahoga, to solicit input from the public on what should be prioritized..
Jennifer Brunner is currently completing the last two years of a six-year term as Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. In the November election, her two Democratic colleagues Justices Micheal P. Donnelly and Melody J. Stewart, were defeated, along with Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Forbes, who was seeking an open seat on the court. Come January, Republicans will have a 6-1 majority on Ohio’s highest Court. With the defeat of Senator Sherrod Brown, Brunner is now the only Democrat to hold a statewide office in Ohio.
Several years ago, the Ohio legislature decided to put the political designation of the candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court and the State Courts of Appeals on the ballot. So now, Ohio voters can simply vote a straight party ticket when choosing judges of Ohio’s highest courts, rather than consider qualifications such as judicial experience. When and if Brunner runs for re-election, the designation of Democrat next to her name will probably be her death knell. Read more.
