Rid-All Green Partnership celebrates community and sustainability at Fresh Fest

Bob Perkoski Wednesday, September 17, 2025
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Rid-All Green Partnership’s annual Fresh Fest last weekend brought hundreds of people to the urban farm in the Kinsman neighborhood together to celebrate food, community, and sustainability.

Now in its sixth year, the festival featured more than 80 local vendors, a health and wellness zone, kids’ activities, and a music lineup headlined by hip-hop legend MC Lyte, and eight other musicians, including Esther Fitz and Lillian Ruffin.

Guests were also treated to tours of Rid-All’s greenhouses, tree nursery, aquaponics system with tilapia farm, classrooms, community kitchen, and gathering space on the farm’s 26.5 acres.

The event highlighted Rid-All’s mission to provide healthy food access, environmental education, and workforce development while showcasing the power of urban agriculture to transform neighborhoods.

Guests sampled fresh produce, connected with community organizations, and enjoyed a festive day focused on healthy living and local pride.

What began in 2019 as a way to showcase Rid-All’s urban farm has grown into one of the city’s biggest block parties—celebrating fresh food and culture, as well as the resilience and creativity of Kinsman and other East Side Cleveland residents.
Bob Perkoski
Bob Perkoski

About the Author: Bob Perkoski

Bob is managing photographer with FreshWater as well as a Cleveland freelance photographer. His photographic approach is rooted in the art of storytelling. Whether freezing the energy of an event, encapsulating the magic of a performance, or astutely anticipating the decisive moments, his work displays an innate ability to distill the essence of any scene or subject into a single frame or series of work. In addition, Bob is the official photographer for LAND studio and Holden Forest and Gardens and has worked with various Cleveland organizations. In 2019 he published a book of his photos Rust Belt Burlesque. He's had work published in other books like LGBTQ Cleveland by Ken Schneck, Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology, Rust Belt Chic: The Pittsburgh Anthology and Moon Cleveland by Douglas Trattner. Previously he was co-founder/art director for Balanced Living Magazine. You can view his versatile portfolio of work, which includes news coverage, portraiture, architectural and fine art at Perkoski Photography. Originally from Conneaut, Ohio, Perkoski now lives close to the city in Parma. He has been Fresh Water's managing photographer since the publication's September 2010 inception.

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