Stories
Stories from Street Level
Canalway Partners is hosting outdoor summer programming at Canal Basin Park with free bike rides, Shakespeare Festival performances, music, and volunteer events through September—encouraging Clevelanders to experience the city's historic riverfront.
Cleveland composer Chris Neiner and Stars in the Classics will perform 'Tales of Euclid Beach Park' at the Cleveland History Center on June 25. Inspired by the amusement park's history and iconic Grand Carousel, the performance combines live chamber music with Ohio Contemporary Ballet dancers as part of the museum's America250 celebration.
The Gates Mills Garden Club welcomed visitors to its biennial Through the Garden Gate tour, offering rare access to seven private gardens throughout the village. The event highlighted the club's 95-year commitment to gardening, conservation, and preserving the natural beauty of Gates Mills.
Three new exhibits opening June 20 at The Sculpture Center feature site-responsive works by Noelle Choy, Jacklyn Brickman, and Malena Grigoli. Through various media, the artists explore memory, place, belonging, and the unseen forces that shape everyday life—inviting visitors to reconsider the histories and relationships embedded in the world around them.
Stories from Features
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For 25 years, Inlet Dance Theatre has embraced a mission of "using dance to further people." Inlet founder Bill Wade reflects on the philosophy that shaped the company, its nationally touring productions, and its commitment to community-centered artistry as they prepare for a Cain Park celebration.
The handcrafted displays, interactive exhibits, live performances, and cultural experiences at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Asian Lantern Festival create a colorful summer tradition. FreshWater writer and photographer Elizabeth Hille captures the event in a 22-photo essay—highlighting this year's most memorable scenes.
At Cleveland Public Theatre's monthly Dark Room sessions, unfinished scripts come to life through volunteer readers and audience feedback—giving playwrights a collaborative space to refine new work while building a creative community.
A week of airport tours, flight instruction, and hands-on learning gives NEO students a taste of careers in aviation and aerospace through the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals' ACE Academy Cleveland.
Stories from Breaking Ground
A new $21 million supportive housing development in Lorain will create 62 affordable apartments—including 12 reserved for veterans—while offering wraparound services designed to help residents achieve long-term housing stability and independence.
Applications are now open to local residents and CDC leaders for two free Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation programs. The NLDP and CDCLDP offer training, coaching, and networking to emerging neighborhood champions.
FreshWater Cleveland continues to celebrate the power of independent journalism. Since 2010, our independent newsroom has been telling the stories of Cleveland's neighborhoods through community-centered, solutions-focused reporting. Learn why your support matters.
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress is investing $1.66 million in the city's 18 Community Development Corporations (CDC)s to strengthen staffing, operations, and organizational capacity—recognizing that healthy neighborhood organizations are essential to long-term revitalization.
Stories from Buzz
The Salvation Army's West Park Corps and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank will distribute more than 12,000 pounds of fresh produce this Friday, July 17, in a monthly program that serves hundreds of individuals and families.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and partners will host the sold-out eighth annual "A Taste of Black Cleveland: The Food Showcase 8.0" tonight at Rocket Arena, featuring tastings from 28 Black-owned restaurants, chefs, caterers, dessert makers, and food trucks while celebrating Cleveland's Black culinary community.
Hundreds of railroad fans and onlookers lined the historic Nickel Plate Road rail corridor to watch Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 roll through the region as part of the America 250 celebration. FreshWater writer Elizabeth Hille shares her firsthand account from Avon Lake of the historic train’s passage and the community excitement it inspired.
Can't wait for Parade the Circle? The Cleveland Museum of Art is offering two free family events. This weekend, build mini floats and march in a mini-parade around the Pivot Center. On parade weekend, create puppets inspired by the larger-than-life creations that make the annual celebration a Cleveland favorite.
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After months of preparation, the Cleveland Museum of Art's 34th annual Parade the Circle filled Wade Oval with color, creativity, and community spirit. Enjoy photos by Reuben Kutash and Bob Perkoski, who captured this year's "Momentum"-themed celebration.
The Cleveland Museum of Art just released additional tickets for its annual Solstice celebration on Saturday, June 20. The sold-out event returns with live music, acrobatics, dance, art, food and drinks, and after-hours access to museum galleries and exhibitions.
Cuyahoga County Public Library will host the inaugural first Fiber Fest at the Warrensville Heights Branch Innovation Center, bringing together fiber artists, makers, and beginners for a day of demos, workshops, and vendors. Sew4Service joins the event—highlighting the growing interest in hands-on creativity while showcasing the CCPL branch's textile-focused makerspace.
The Cleveland Museum of Art's 34th annual Parade the Circle is this Saturday, June 13, and lead artist Héctor Castellanos Lara shares his photos as he reflects on this year's theme, the artists and participants involved, and the creative energy driving one of Cleveland's favorite traditions.
Can't wait for Parade the Circle? The Cleveland Museum of Art is offering two free family events. This weekend, build mini floats and march in a mini-parade around the Pivot Center. On parade weekend, create puppets inspired by the larger-than-life creations that make the annual celebration a Cleveland favorite.
More than 150 Cuyahoga County nonprofits received project support grants from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture for 2026—helping fund everything from neighborhood concerts and youth theater productions to arts education programs. The grants provide critical resources to strengthen community connections, expand opportunities, and elevate local arts programming.
Rhythm on the River returns to Cuyahoga Valley National Park on Sunday, June 7—with Apostle Jones opening the season. Other acts this summer include Hubbs Groove, Athea René, and Forecast, with local community groups opening some of the acts. Organizers have redesigned the event footprint, expanded programming, and enhanced ways for visitors to enjoy music, nature, and fun at Howe Meadow.
The Cleveland Museum of Art celebrates its 110th birthday on Saturday, June 6 with free admission to two special exhibits, member perks, and special discounts. The milestone reflects more than a century of fulfilling its founders' vision to provide world-class art "for the benefit of all the people forever."
The South Euclid Food Truck Park kicks off its fourth season on June 5 with live music, food trucks, and a full summer calendar of concerts, food trucks and events. After infrastructure improvements, city officials say the park has evolved into a true gathering place in the downtown district.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is hosting Museum Family Day: Dino Day on Sunday, May 31, with dinosaur-themed activities, fossil digs, live animal encounters, crafts, and film screenings. Sponsored by Real Good Foods, guests can explore prehistoric life through hands-on programming and experiences.