A night of new klezmer arrives in Cleveland as the Case Western Reserve University Klezmer Music Ensemble performs original instrumental and vocal works by director Steven Greenman. The program spans compositions from 1997 to 2025, drawing on Eastern European Jewish cultural traditions and the evolving sounds of klezmer and Yiddish music.

A free presentation in Mentor will offer a rare, up-close look at life during the American Revolution. Historian and collector Todd Brighton will showcase original artifacts from his private collection, sharing the personal stories of seven Patriot soldiers. The event is May 20, 2026, at 7 p.m. at the Springbrook Gardenhouse.

Demolition crews have moved in at Cedar and Miramar in University Heights, clearing a 2.1-acre site for a new Aldi. The project will raze the Waterstone Medical Center and a former Huntington Bank branch, with site work expected to take six to eight weeks. City leaders say the store will anchor broader Bell Tower Center redevelopment and traffic signal upgrades now underway.

Cleveland’s child poverty crisis is fueling an urgent demand for family shelter, with The City Mission reporting a wait list of more than 200 women and children. A new partnership with West Park Barber School is offering free haircuts to teen boys at Laura’s Home, adding a sense of normalcy and mentorship as families work to rebuild.

Great Lakes cruising is forecast to generate more than $300 million in economic impact in 2026, with officials citing rising shoreside spending and a jump in port visits. Ten ships and seven cruise lines are slated to run 148 itineraries, driving an estimated 175,000 passenger visits at regional docks and intensifying competition on the water.

Cleveland’s future WNBA franchise says it completed a major community pledge three months ahead of schedule, hosting 28 events for more than 2,600 girls and young women across Ohio, western Pennsylvania and western New York. The final event was an all-girls youth clinic at Rocket Arena as the team prepares to begin play in 2028.

Sandusky’s Ghostly Manor Thrill Center offers nearly a dozen indoor attractions year-round, from its nationally recognized haunted house to 3D blacklight mini golf, laser tag, a 4D dark ride, a roller rink, an arcade and more. The Epic Pass bundles multiple activities with a meal and an arcade card, giving families an all-in-one option just off Route 250 on Milan Road.

Dirty Dancing is headed to Severance Music Center with a concert-style twist. A digitally remastered screening will play on a massive screen as a live band and vocalists perform every song from the original soundtrack in sync with the film. An encore party follows, inviting fans to sing and dance along.

Rosinski, an award-winning choreographer who teaches dance throughout the region, designed both programs to be inclusive regardless of a persons previous experience. The Adult Hip Hop Dance Team includes a mix of professional dancers and people who have never set foot on a stage before joining. They have appeared on "New Day Cleveland" and performed at major local venues such as Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Public Hall and the Wolstein Center. According to Rosinski, the group

Cedar Point is launching Barrels & Bites, a new summer festival running June 5-28, 2026, along the park’s Frontier Trail. The event will feature tasting stations for beer, bourbon and wine paired with dishes created by the park’s culinary team, plus local artisans, limited-edition items and rotating live music. Tastings cost extra, and the festival is closed Tuesdays.

A touring flock of 12-foot-tall “Giant Quackers” rubber ducks begins rolling through Northeast Ohio on March 19, building buzz for the Ohio Rubber Duck Dash Festival in downtown Cuyahoga Falls, April 23-25. The multiday event features a six-story “World’s Largest Rubber Duck,” an All-City Art Walk, food vendors, and a Saturday dash with prizes.

For SJ Santiago, the transition from the high-stakes environment of a hospital ward to the mystical landscapes of her debut novel was a process years in the making. Santiago, a registered nurse currently pursuing her master's degree, recently released her first fantasy book, "Blood Spells: The Awakening." The story follows a young woman named Aradia who, upon her 18th birthday, discovers magic is a tangible part of her biological heritage. According to Santiago, the narrative

A Cleveland garden expert says Memorial Day may be too late for some crops. Kelly Crotty of Kelly's Creations in the CLE has opened her Spring Cool Season Plant Reserve, offering starts timed for the region’s unpredictable spring. The reserve includes cool-weather favorites like lettuce, bok choy and herbs, grown locally and ready for outdoor beds or containers.

Two huge fireballs lit up U.S. skies in a single week, including the “Ohio Giant,” a 7-ton meteor that ended its 4.5 billion-year journey in Medina County. Researchers and collectors are now searching the strewn field for rare fragments that could offer a pristine look at the early solar system.

The Northern Ohio Mountain Bike Series has released its eight-race 2026 schedule, opening April 26 at Camp Tuscazoar in Dover and building toward the Ohio Mountain Bike State Championship on Aug. 2 in Ravenna. The lineup includes technical stops, a women-focused weekend at Mohican State Park, and a season finale with double points at Vultures Knob.

Firefighters from Parma Heights and neighboring departments responded to a house fire on Parkhill Drive, working quickly to keep flames from spreading to nearby homes. Officials said the fire was brought under control rapidly, with no injuries reported. The cause has not been released as investigators work to determine the origin.

Sandusky Bay Pancake House is becoming a go-to stop for locals and tourists along Milan Road, serving scratch-made classics alongside vegan and gluten-free options. With a family-friendly dining room, patio seating and steady daily hours, the restaurant is carving out a bigger role in Erie County’s fast-growing breakfast scene.

Nearly 90,000 bottles of Children’s Ibuprofen Oral Suspension are being recalled after consumers reported finding a gel-like mass and small black particles inside. The FDA has upgraded the action to a Class II recall, citing possible temporary or medically reversible health effects. Parents are urged to check lot numbers and stop using affected bottles.

BlueWater Chamber Orchestra continues its 16th season with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a Prague-themed program at the Church of the Covenant in University Circle. World-renowned pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi will perform Kabalevsky’s “Prague Concerto,” alongside works by Janacek and Mozart. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish, with multiple parking options nearby.

Cleveland physician and educator Dr. Kwaku L. Carlisle Woods has been inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who biographical registry. The honor highlights a five-decade career spanning medicine, entrepreneurship and community mentorship, including work with youth football programs and Coach Sam Rutigliano’s Aiming Higher initiative. Woods also leads the Prometheus Reborn Universal Foundation.