Wide open spaces and peaceful time for connection and relaxation aren’t normally what one might associate with a busy children’s museum, but the new “Meadow” exhibit at the Children's Museum of Cleveland is designed to deliver exactly that. Scheduled to officially open next Monday, October 1, The Meadow caters to the infant and toddler crowd as the newest addition to the museum’s lineup of four existing exhibits.
 

Every tree tells a story, but this one is for the (record) books. Aptly located behind the athletic complex at James Ford Rhodes High School, the Jesse Owens Olympic Oak tree pays homage to the track star of the same name who brought home four gold medals from the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin—and, right now, the tree is having a moment.

Driving down Pearl Road from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to its intersection with State Road, it’s hard not to notice the eight whimsical carrot sculptures that dot the streetscape and ponder their significance. “There has been a lot of curiosity about it,” shares Vince Reddy of LAND studio, which helped bring the project to fruition. “People are always wondering, ‘Where did these things come from?’”
 

After four years of planning, Western Reserve Distillers is set to take its spot as one of just a handful of certified organic distilleries in the country. The family-owned business—run by husband-and-wife team Ann and Kevin Thomas—celebrated its grand opening in early September.

Fresh Water's monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up the freshest free events in Cleveland.

Barbershops offer much more than traditional haircuts in Old Brooklyn—where barber chairs double as school desks, as psychologists’ couches, as job counselor offices, and as safe spaces. 

Like a trail of cookie crumbs, Vicki Kotris’ whole life has essentially been leading up to this moment—from making Food Network cupcake recipes at age eight to that time she traveled to New York just to try the Cronut. Now she and her husband, Steve, are preparing to launch Cleveland’s first mobile cookie dough business: the CLE Cookie Dough Co.

Where chocolate and cheese intersect, there are always plenty of foodies to be found, and this weekend’s joint pop-up between Lilly Chocolates & Confections and Old Brooklyn Cheese Company was no exception. It’s fitting these two businesses would team up at this moment in time—after all, both are poised to do big things in Old Brooklyn in the near future. 

From Beyonce to David Byrne, it’s been an impressive summer for concerts in Cleveland. As the season approaches its end, denizens of The Land will be treated to one last hurrah: the inaugural InCuya Music Festival, the first contemporary, multi-day music fest to be held within city limits in quite some time.
 

At 10:30 a.m. on September 2nd, Gateway Church Old Brooklyn will hold the first service in its brand-new home at 4542 Pearl Rd. in a shared space with Unity Lutheran Church, located on the southeast corner of Behrwald Ave. It's the hard-earned culmination of five years of community building in Old Brooklyn for pastor Tony Loseto and his wife, Beth.

Lakewood may be a huge hub for the “shop small” movement, but the personalities of the city’s emergent local businesses are anything but small. This summer, the city has welcomed two niche stores: Coven and Cleveland Curiosities. Catering to those with interests that may be off the beaten path, Coven focuses on all things witchy, while Cleveland Curiosities is packed with oddities that can’t be found anywhere else.

Fresh Water's monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up the freshest free events in Cleveland.

Not just a first for Cleveland, Flaming River Con is actually the inaugural LGBTQIA+ geek convention for the Midwest. (The only similar event takes place in New York City.) Like other comic cons, Flaming River Con includes panels, vendors and events highlighting geek-culture like comics, tabletop gaming, books, and arts and crafts—but with a focus on inclusivity, a trait that’s sometimes lacking at similar events.

Northeast Ohio’s largest temporary art event will celebrate its fifth year this weekend in Slavic Village. Led by curators Dana Depew, Scott Pickering, and the Visit Arts Collective, Rooms to Let will transform a trio of properties slated for demolition into interactive public art installations—with the intention of lovingly honoring the condemned homes in a creative way before they’re leveled.

At the intersection of Eastern and Western medicine is where Chelsea Sposit finds herself today—but it’s been a long, difficult road getting there. Last October, Sposit suffered an injury to her right eye that impacted her vision and forced the closing of her business, Lotus Layer Medical Spa. With support from her family, friends, and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Sposit picked herself up with a new business plan and applied to the inaugural Healthcare Innovation Bootcamp (held jointly by MIT and Harvard). Sposit is one of just 70 people selected from thousands of applicants worldwide and will travel to Cambridge, MA, in mid-August to study in a program that is the first of its kind.

With the kickoff of the FRONT Triennial last week, Cleveland has become an insta-darling of the international art world. So what better time to debut The HeART of Cleveland, a coffee table book containing over 100 colorful examples of the diverse array of artists who hail from and/or have resided here?

Fresh Water's monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up the freshest free events in Cleveland.

Home to the Cleveland Orchestra, this gorgeous outdoor concert venue is turning 50 years old in 2018. Blossom has housed hundreds of classical music concerts over the years with world-renowned musicians, in addition to pop and rock artists including Fleetwood Mac, Pentatonix, and the Beach Boys...but you already know this. Here are five things you don’t know about Blossom Music Center.

Just a few months ago, Give Box CLE was an idea. Now, six of the Little Free Library-style boxes are painted and ready to be installed throughout Cleveland’s East Side neighborhoods—but instead of books, they offer non-perishable goods, personal care items, toiletries, and other daily necessities.