Cuyahoga County secured $23.1 million in state historic tax credits for 10 projects in the second half of 2025, with the West Side Market and a former Flats grain mill each receiving the maximum $5 million allocation. The credits are crucisl to Cleveland's urban revival, generating hundreds of millions in investment while preserving the city's historic identity.

Josh Bartell, a 38-year-old former Marine and Tremont resident, created "Dudes of Cleveland" to address male social isolation after realizing he lacked meaningful connections with other men. Two years later, the group hosts monthly meetups focused on low-pressure activities—providing a space for men of all ages to build genuine friendships.

The Short.Sweet.Film Fest opens its 15th year this week, showcasing 338 short films from 26 countries across 33 programs at Atlas Cinemas Shaker Square. The festival has grown from a small basement gathering to a platform for independent short filmmakers. Highlights include Women in Focus, featuring 29 films directed or produced by women.

Sustainable Economies Consulting helps Northeast Ohio conservation organizations develop communications plans and strategies to share positive environmental impact stories. Founders Elizabeth Schuster and Marissa Ferrari work with park districts, museums, and land trusts to tell their stories of how they are quietly fighting climate change on thousands of acres of protected wetlands, forests, and prairies.

Cleveland's annual Brite Winter festival landed in the Waterloo Arts District last weekend, offering a much-needed winter escape with music, art, and community celebration. Brite Winter has been the winter arts and culture scene for more than 15 years, and photographer Reuben Kutash documented the 2026 version on Saturday.

Piccolo Authentic Italian restaurant in Mayfield Heights is one of more than 30 local eateries participating in Cleveland Restaurant Week, March 2-14, offering $39 prix fixe menus. Piccolo's menu features family recipes passed down from owner Christopher Licht's Sicilian great-grandmother. The event coincides with the 20th anniversary of Cleveland Independents, which encourages diners to support locally-owned restaurants.

Lake Erie Ink and Cleveland Museum of Art will host the 14th annual Kids' Comic Con with free workshops, seminars, and events for young artists. The three-day event at CMA's Clark-Fulton Community Arts Center includes virtual programming with Nickelodeon storyboard artists, a teen cosplay party, DIY workshops, and craft talks—all in a space where young comic enthusiasts can learn, create, and connect.

Photographer Jason Toth is partnering with Opus 216 founder and violinist Ariel Clayton Karas to produce "The Smallest Concert in Cleveland," in Toth's 78th Street Studios space. With limied space, the March 6 event will feature improvised original music by Opus 216 ensemble members, The passion project is the realization of Toth's dream to create special musical experiences.

Towards Employment will host its annual Work & Reentry Experience this Tuesday, Feb. 24 at Cleveland Public Library Rockport Branch, combining live jazz by trumpeter Dominic Farinacci with personal narratives from three people who have overcome adversity. The free event brings together community partners to celebrate stories of transformation, resilience, and the power of second chances.

Cleveland Heights native Laila Edwards helped Team USA's women's hockey team capture the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics this week Fans cheered at at New Heights Grill and Reuben Kutash documented the celebration.

The mythical Kurenti symbolically chased away winter at the 14th annual Cleveland Kurentovanje parade down St. Clair Avenue and the festival at the Slovenian National Home. Photographer Reuben Kutash documented the parade, bocce games, and live music before the Kurenti retreated for another year.

The annual Brite Winter festival will ignite the Waterloo Arts District this Saturday, Feb. 21, with more than 30 bands performing on stages, interactive art installations, fire pits, and local food vendors. Headlined by local favorite LoConti, the festival starts at 2 p.m.

The Cleveland Botanical Garden's annual orchid show heads to the Wild West his year with "Orchid Rodeo," featuring more than 3,000 orchids throughout its glasshouse biomes. The exhibit challenges  fallacies about orchids' fragility while celebrating their resilience in harsh environments.

Two Cleveland advocates will pitch their project, "The Concrete Quilt," at the Cleveland Leadership Center's Accelerate Pitch competition on Feb. 26. The concept is for a public art installation at Edgewater Park that will honor those lost to AIDS and offer HIV/AIDS education and awareness.

AIA Cleveland recently hosted architects Sung Ho Kim and Heather Woofter for an immersive Body of Work lecture at their interdisciplinary firm Axi:Ome. The event showcased their philosophy of using physical model-making as a primary design tool—offering attendees a  glimpse into how architecture is imagined and tested through hands-on experimentation.

Hundreds of Northeast Ohio residents gathered at Asia Place in AsiaTown last weekend to celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Fire Horse. FreshWater photographer Reuben Kutash captured the festivities at Asia Plaza, documenting the community's vibrant cultural celebration.

Literary Cleveland and partner organizations this week are launching a year-long celebration honoring the legacy of author and Lorain native Toni Morrison, the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The celebration kicks off in Cleveland on Feb. 18 at Karamu House, followed by monthly events throughout Ohio exploring Morrison's 11 novels.

Chuck Roberts had to make the difficult decision 24 years ago to donate his daughter Alicia's organs after her tragic death, just weeks before her 16th birthday. That decision saved the life of 15-year-old Candice Monroe, who needed a heart transplant. The families share their story to show how one person's tragedy can become another's miracle.