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Holiday pop-up bars are the hot thing: Here are 33 of the best in Greater Cleveland and beyond

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Holiday pop-up bars are the hot thing: Here are 33 of the best in Greater Cleveland and beyond


CLEVELAND, Ohio — The holiday season in Cleveland always feels like a special time of the year, especially for folks looking to get together and enjoy the city’s best bars and restaurants.

In recent years, the idea of Christmas pop-up bars has exploded into a phenomenon, and it’s at a peak in 2024. Bars and restaurants across Northeast Ohio, from Madison to Sandusky to Cuyahoga Falls, are decking the halls and going all-out on Christmas decor and festive cocktails for this holiday season.

Various bars and restaurants across the U.S. have always strung up lights or put a tree up around the holiday season. However, in the age of flashy social media marketing campaigns, the trend of Christmas bars has exploded, with watering holes competing with each other to create the most Instagram-friendly decor.

Plus, Clevelanders have embraced the craft cocktail trend, and a holiday pop-up gives bars a rich opportunity to play around with seasonal recipes. Finally, holiday pop-ups are perfect for bar crawls, another popular trend in U.S. nightlife, with revelers bouncing from themed bar to themed bar — via Uber or a designated driver, of course.

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Boozy Hot Chocolate from the Holiday Land bar at Nano Brew in Ohio City.Alex Darus

A new addition to the list includes Nano Brew on West 25th Street in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. Owner Sam McNulty and his crew, spearheaded by colleague Kassie Mackay, spent two days in mid-November stringing lights and decorating trees to turn Nano Brew into Holiday Land.

McNulty, who also owns Market Garden Brewery, got the idea for the bar after the hugely successful launch of the Holiday Land mixed beer pack. The pack includes its Festivus Holiday Spiced Ale that started it all, joined by three new seasonal releases – Cool Runnings Rum Cake Stoud, Party Lights Winter Wheat and Spruce Tips IPA.

“It’s kind of like if you were to climb into the Holiday Land box, this is what it would look like,” McNulty said of the bar.

As for the trend in general, McNulty, who also owns Clandestina and Bright Side on the popular street, thinks that Clevelanders just love a reason to celebrate.

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“We’re always looking for a reason to party and get together with family and friends, and the holidays are a great reason,” he said.

He might be biased, but he thinks that Ohio City in general becomes popular during the season for locals to show out-of-town guests some of the best that the city has to offer, like the West Side Market.

“Nothing says the holiday like having a beer in Ohio City,” McNulty added.

In Madison, Grand River Cellars has brought back its Grinchmas Bar for the second year, turning its cozy winery into a Grinch-themed Christmas bar. After the bar’s debut last year was a success, owner Cindy Lindberg thought it was a no-brainer to bring it back to continue to spread Christmas cheer.

“Not only did our customers thoroughly enjoy it, but also my staff,” Lindberg said. “It made it a better experience for them during the holiday season.”

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Check out 33 different holiday pop-up bars across Northeast Ohio to check out before we ring in the New Year.

Downtown

xmas bar front door sign

XMAS Bar is taking over Hi 5 in the Flats for the 2024 holiday season. Josh Duke, cleveland.com

XMas Bar at Hi 5

1052 Old River Rd., Cleveland

The XMas Bar in The Flats is another annual part of holiday celebrations in recent years. The pop-up concept is also in cities like Columbus, Chicago and beyond. Themed cocktails, shots and even milk and cookies are on the seasonal menu.

Miracle on E. 4th Street

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2063 E. 4th St., Cleveland

Society Lounge on E. 4th Street turns into its Miracle holiday pop-up bar once November rolls around. The upscale cocktail lounge is sure to stun with a festive list of cocktails perfect for holiday sipping.

Re:Bar

2130 E. 9th St., Cleveland

Re:Bar debuted its first-ever Christmas pop-up bar on Nov. 22 in downtown Cleveland. The bar went with a retro vibe for its decor and specialty cocktail menu.

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Sleigh Bar Image

Sleigh, Jack Cleveland Casino’s holiday pop-up bar, returns for 2024 with over-the-top decorations and drink specials. Josh Duke, cleveland.com

Sleigh Holiday Bar at Jack Casino

100 Public Sq., Cleveland

Jack Casino is opening up its Sleigh Holiday Bar on Nov. 27 to celebrate on the weekends through the holiday season. The casino always goes over the top with its decor alongside a seasonal drink menu.

Southern Cheer Christmas Bar

811 Prospect Ave. E., Cleveland

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Southern Tier shows off its Christmas cheer with its holiday pop-up bar every year. The cellar turns into a holiday haven with cocktail specials, festive music and beyond through the month of December.

Foundation Room at House of Blues

308 Euclid Ave., Cleveland

The Foundation Room at House of Blues opens as a holiday pop-up bar from Thursdays through Saturdays during the season. Limited-edition cocktails, live music and more are planned in the festive lounge.

Margaritaville Christmas Island

Margaritaville transforms into a Christmas island during the holiday season of 2024.Josh Duke, cleveland.com

Christmas Island

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1150 Front Ave., Cleveland

Margaritaville’s Cleveland location in The Flats takes a festive approach to its typical tropical vibes during the holiday season. Dubbed Christmas Island, the pop-up bar includes festive decor, cocktails and beyond.

Deck the Vault

2017 E. 9th St., Cleveland

The Vault, the swanky basement bar at the 9 Hotel, is turning back into Deck The Vault this holiday season. The pop-up bar features plenty of decorations and seasonal craft cocktails through the end of the year.

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Jingle & Mingle at Shake & Slide

230 W. Huron Rd., Cleveland

Shake & Slide is turning its milkshake and burger cafe into a Christmas pop-up bar on the weekends this holiday season. Through Dec. 21, Jingle & Mingle will be open Friday and Saturday nights featuring holiday food specials, boozy milkshakes and beyond.

Brewdog

1956 Carter Rd., Cleveland

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Brewdog Cleveland is celebrating the holidays with several events in its decked-out space all season long. Festive menus, polar patios and Christmas-themed brunches are planned throughout the end of the year.

West

Winter Wonderland Bar, Velvet Dog

Velvet Dog is bringing back its second floor pop-up space dubbed Winter Wonderland Bar for the second year. Josh Duke, cleveland.com

Winter Wonderland at Velvet Tango Room

2095 Columbus Rd., Cleveland

The Velvet Tango Room turned its back room into the Holiday Hideaway this holiday season. Seasonal craft cocktails will start being served on Nov. 29 in the festive space.

Secret Cellar Christmas Bar

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2516 Market Ave., Cleveland

Great Lakes Brewing Company has turned the basement bar of its brewpub into the Secret Cellar Christmas Bar yet again this holiday season. It will officially open on November 29 for weekend hours until December 16, when it remains open 7-days a week through the holiday season. Christmas ale, a festive snack menu and good vibes are all in store at the Ohio City brewery this year.

Time Warp Bar

26261 Center Ridge Rd., Westlake

Time Warp is a dive bar in Westlake that takes the holiday season seriously with its pop-up bar. Live music and festive decor are in store all season long at the neighborhood hangout.

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Seeing Double Christmas Pop Up Bar in North Olmsted

During the holiday season, Seeing Double Speakeasy Bar (26880 Brookpark Ext, North Olmsted, OH 44070) transforms into a Christmas pop up bar, offering holiday-themed cocktails.Josh Duke, cleveland.com

Seeing Double

26880 Brookpark Ext., North Olmsted

Seeing Double in North Olmsted barely waits for the beginning of November to transform its space into a holiday headquarters. Christmas-themed cocktails and mocktails are available with live music and other events planned throughout the holiday season.

HolidayLAND at Nano Brew

1859 W. 25th St., Cleveland

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For the first year ever, Nano Brew in Ohio City is debuting its HolidayLAND pop-up bar. Craft cocktails, holiday beers and plenty of decorations are just a taste of what’s in store for the first year of the bar. Nano Brew will have DJ nights and seasonal trivia events on its calendar throughout the month. Additionally, for December, the bar will be open seven days a week for festive guests.

Pins & Needles

13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood

Pins and Needles will be decked out in its throwback holiday best all season long for 2024. Mahall’s is kicking off the holidays with its first ChristkindlMarket, which includes the basement pop-up bar.

Tommy’s Place

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1325 Linda St., Rocky River

Tommy’s Place has yet again turned its humble local watering hole into an entire Grinch-themed holiday pop-up. Floor-to-ceiling decor and a few specialty drinks will be a part of the seasonal fun and Tommy’s serves some food menu items from Wine Bar next door.

Griswold’s at Old School Pizza and Wings

445 Avon Belden Rd., Avon Lake

Old School Pizza and Wings in Avon Lake is going all-in on the “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” theme with its holiday pop-up bar called Griswold’s. The restaurant put a replica of Clark Griswold’s lit-up house from the movie on top of its restaurant to set the tone upon entry. Opens Nov. 29.

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Christmas Corner Bar

Around the Corner Bar in Lakewood once again transforms into the Christmas Corner Bar for the holiday season.

The Christmas Corner Bar

18616 Detroit Ave., Lakewood

Around the Corner Bar is the shining star on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood every holiday season when it becomes The Christmas Corner Bar. Floor-to-ceiling lights and decorations are just the tip of the experience that includes a special drink menu, Christmas music and plenty of fun events.

Danny Boys

6207 Milan Rd., Sandusky

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Danny Boys transformed its Sandusky location into a Christmas wonderland for the holiday season. The restaurant will show off its impressive holiday decor and seasonal menu throughout November and December.

East

The Yard Who Stole Christmas

38040 3rd St., Willoughby

The Yard on 3rd is turning into an outdoor Christmas bar starting Nov. 27. The space includes igloo rentals, several Christmas trees and holiday cocktails, some even served in take-home ornament glasses.

Bomb Bar: Christmas Explosion at Rollhouse Mentor

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7300 Palisades Parkway, Mentor

Shotskis, mesmerizing light displays and festive cocktails are just a taste of what’s in store at Rollhouse Mentor’s holiday pop-up bar. The Bomb Bar: Christmas Explosion is open for the holiday season featuring wall-to-wall decorations and more.

The Workshop at Mavis Public House

6025 Kruse Dr. #148, Solon

Mavis Public House opens The Workshop, its covered and heated Christmas pop-up bar, officially on December 5. The cozy space is a great place to enjoy holiday-themed drinks and is available for private party rentals.

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Grand River Cellars Winery

Festive drinks from the Grinchmas bar at Grand River Cellars Winery.Paris Wolfe

Grinchmas Bar at Grand River Cellars Winery

5750 S. Madison Rd., Madison

Fans of Dr. Seuss’s “The Grinch” have to stop by the Grinchmas Bar at Grand River Cellars Winery this holiday season. The winery will showcase festive cocktails and a Whoobilation comfort food menu alongside its over-the-top decor through New Year’s Eve. Reservations are encouraged.

Rudloph’s Revenge at Debonne Vineyards

7840 Doty Rd., Madison

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Debonne Vineyards is Grand River’s sister winery that is also debuting its own pop-up this winter. The pop-up is dubbed Rudolph’s Revenge. The winery has its own themed food and drink menu. Two local hotels, the Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Experience, also offer overnight packages with shuttles to each pop-up location.

Chill at Etta

12502 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland

Poppy has created an immersive pop-up bar experience dubbed Chill at Etta that’s open throughout the weekends during the holiday season. The frosty space has a curated cocktail menu that matches the snowy chalet vibe.

Kava Sol Winter Wonderland

The Winter Wonderland pop-up experience at Kava Sol in Willoughby.Alex Darus

Winter Wonderland at Kava Sol

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4055 Erie St., Willoughby,

Kava Sol in Willoughby is bringing back its Winter Wonderland pop-up on Dec. 1 to give folks a non-alcoholic festive option. An outdoor igloo and cozy indoor lounge spaces make it the perfect place to feel “snowed in” at, regardless of the weather outside.

South

Let It Snow at Brew Garden

16555 Southpark Center, Strongsville

Brew Garden in Strongsville makes a tradition out of turning its bar into a winter wonderland dubbed Let It Snow at the end of every year. It also hosts events like a New Year’s Eve celebration and breakfasts with Santa throughout the season.

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Blitzen’s Holiday Pop-Up Bar

80 N. Main St., Hudson

Hudson has an option for holiday pop-up bars with Blitzen’s, located inside Hudson’s Restaurant on Main Street. The pop-up bar is open through January with specialty food, cocktails and desserts, including edible cookie shots.

Tu Mele Kalikimaka at Tiki Underground

1832 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls

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Tiki Underground is always an immersive cocktail bar experience in Cuyahoga Falls, but it takes it to a festive level with its Tu Mele Kalikimaka pop-up. It will be open through Jan. 4, with planned events like a virtual food drive, an ugly sweat crawl and more.

That Christmas Bar and Kitchen

1649 N. Main St., Canton

That Pop Up Bar gets into the holiday spirit in a major way with the Christmas rendition of the seasonal space. The decorations are just a part of the experience. The bar serves festive drinks in holiday-themed barware as well as a full-themed food menu for 2024.

Jingle Bar at Amici Restaurant and Bar

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13000 Royalton Rd., North Royalton

Amici’s created its own festive drinking oasis dubbed the Jingle Mingle Bar for 2024. Alongside its typical Italian menu, the holiday cocktail lineup includes sips like a Snowflake martini and Jingle bellini. Plus, several selfie spots for holiday photo ops.

The Reindeer Room at The President’s Lounge

341 Darrow Rd., Akron

The President’s Lounge is bringing back its Reindeer Room holiday pop-up bar with even more festive flare. The historic tavern will serve Christmas drink specials throughout the holiday season and host plenty of live music events.

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Alex Darus writes about food, dining and drinking for Cleveland.com, check out her latest posts here. You can reach her with story ideas at adarus@cleveland.com. Follow her on Instagram @alex_darus.

Be one of the cool kids and follow all Cleveland.com’s food, dining and drinking coverage in the weekly “DineDrinkCLE” newsletter. It curates the latest on openings, closings, tastings and other events, plus recommendations, features and guides from our team of writers and critics. SUBSCRIBE Follow us on Instagram @dinedrinkcle





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Man shot on Cleveland’s Public Square

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Man shot on Cleveland’s Public Square


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A man in his 30s was shot in the leg in downtown Cleveland on Thursday afternoon.

The shooting happened on Ontario Street near Public Square in front of Jake’s Deli around 5 pm.

The victim drove himself to East 18th and Euclid Avenue, where he called the police.

The man was taken to the hospital for treatment.

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19 News has reached out to Cleveland EMS for his condition.

Police said information suggests this appears to be an isolated incident following a confrontation between two individuals.

Cleveland Police officers and detectives are working to identify the suspect.



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Browns firing of Kevin Stefanski: Determining factors in decision

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Browns firing of Kevin Stefanski: Determining factors in decision


The Cleveland Browns have been in business since 1946. For the first 49 years, the organization had 10 head coaches. The franchise was put on hiatus for several years and then resumed in 1999. For the next 26 seasons, the Browns hired and fired 12 head coaches.

STEFANSKI HAS TEAMS LINED UP

The most recent was Kevin Stefanski, who was a Black Monday victim. What happened?

How did Cleveland owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam come to this conclusion? After all, he was named NFL Coach of the Year not once, but won this prestigious award twice in 2020 and also in 2023. He orchestrated the first playoff appearance by the Browns in 17 years, then won their first playoff game against the hated division foe, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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With all of these accolades, why would the front office decide to give him walking papers after being with the team for six years? This organization is famous for hiring coaches and then letting them go after one or two years at the helm. And yet, here is a guy who gave the team much-needed stability.

The demise of Stefanski began last year.

In 2023, the Browns went 11-6-0 and captured the highest Wild Card seed, then got slammed by the Houston Texans in the first round of the postseason. Just three weeks prior, Cleveland dominated the Texans, taking home an easy 36-22 win in a contest that wasn’t that close. So, the playoff loss was not expected.

CLEVELAND, OH – CIRCA 1980’s: Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer of the Cleveland Browns talks with his quarterback Bernie Kosar #19 on the sidelines during a mid circa 1980’s NFL football game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Schottenheimer was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1984-88. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
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Having won 11 games and gone to the playoffs, Browns fans and the media were expecting this to continue and string along several years’ worth of postseason berths, you know, like the Marty Schottenheimer years.

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Instead, the Browns went 3-14-0. In the season opener, they got taken to the woodshed by the Dallas Cowboys 33-17, who then finished their season 7-10-0 so it wasn’t like the beating came from a great team. At first, Cleveland lost four games by a touchdown or less. But as the season rolled along, they were getting beaten pretty regularly by scores like 34-13, 20-3, 35-14, 35-10, and 24-6.

The two bright spots were the 29-24 come-from-behind win over the Baltimore Ravens, plus the 24-19 win over the Steelers, both games at home. Each of these two teams was not only in the division but also ended up going to the playoffs.

Following a 14-loss season, that alone might cause an owner to send his head man packing. But the Haslams were patient. They said in the 2025 training camp, the roster looked like a winner. The Haslams had a press conference on July 31 after a practice. They haven’t gathered for the press since the April NFL draft, so there was a lot to cover.

Here are a few excerpts from that presser in regards to Stefanski:

Q: In terms of wins, what would be a successful season?

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Jimmy: You really think we’re going to answer that? We’ve got to do better than three, okay? To put a number on it, I don’t think we will ever do that. Everybody – coaches, players, personnel, ownership, all know that 3-14 won’t cut it. We’ve got to do better. I think we’ll know what better looks like.

Q: People always talk about patience as an organizational value. What does that look like? What does patience look like?

Jimmy: Well, I think it’s, it’s what we’ve just talked about. We realized that we went 3-14. There was great uncertainty at quarterback. You probably weren’t going to go 14-3. So, let’s try to build the team the right way. And I’m repeating myself, and it’s premature, but I like the guys we picked. And time will tell how good they are. But Mason (Graham), Carson (Schwesinger), (Harold) Fannin Jr., Shedeur (Sanders), Dillon (Gabriel), etc. look like, Dylan Sampson, look like not only really good players, but really good people. And I’ll say this for the two quarterbacks coming in, and I know everybody has a vision of Shedeur (Sanders), but he’s come in, in the building, worked hard, kept his head down, and done what he’s supposed to do, as has Dillon (Gabriel), which was no surprise for either of them.

Q: How do you convince fans that to get your message across to them, this is a building process because you know how loyal they are and how frustrated they are?

Jimmy: Well, listen, we’re frustrated too. And we share the fans’ pain, okay? And we – Dee, says this all the time. We’re stewards of this franchise, and we need to do a better job. And we want to win for a lot of different reasons. The main reason we want to win is for our fans. They really do. We have great fans.

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BEREA, OHIO - JUNE 12: Head coach Kevin Stefanski talks with team owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam of the Cleveland Browns at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 12, 2025 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

BEREA, OHIO – JUNE 12: Head coach Kevin Stefanski talks with team owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam of the Cleveland Browns at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 12, 2025 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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Q: With that type of philosophy, sort of a little bit of a patient attitude for this season. What does that mean for Kevin Stefanski? Because people are already asking if he’s on the hot seat.

Jimmy: Yeah, listen, you all, we talk to you all fairly frequently, and we’re very supportive of Kevin (Stefanski) and Andrew (Berry). Now, do they need to do better? Yeah, but so do Dee (Haslam) and I. You know what I mean? And these are high-pressure jobs they have, but we really like them in their roles as coach and GM, and we really like them as people. And I say this all the time. They’re 38 and 42 years old.

Q: How much has that patience approached, how much have you guys kind of talked about your history owning the team? Just how much have you kind of learned that?

Jimmy: I think we did a poor job early on, and hopefully we’re doing a better job now. And listen, we talk about it organizationally. This isn’t just ownership, but we talk about it — all Andrew’s (Berry) staff, all Kevin’s (Stefanski) staff, everybody is aware of the plan, and that’s how good teams work together.

Basically, the Haslams knew that the team would have to take its time in order to become an annual member of the postseason tournament. Dee or Jimmy never called it a “rebuild,” and from the roster standpoint, it did not appear that the roster needed to be purged. A few pieces here and there, and on paper, it looked like the team could compete. The recent NFL draft brought in some promising players in need positions.

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And the Browns did – on defense.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski talks with guard Joel Bitonio during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021 in Berea. Browns19 1

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski talks with guard Joel Bitonio during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021 in Berea. Browns19 1

Special teams fell apart, and the offense never got into any type of rhythm, which was Stefanski’s wheelhouse. To be fair, the Week 1 offensive line was supposed to be the catalyst to propel the offense. It was the same lineup that just two seasons ago was ranked #3 in the league, except for LT Jed Wills, who was substituted by Dawand Jones, who was viewed as an upgrade.

However, just like every other year, one guy would go down, followed by another. In Week 18, it was seven-time LG Joel Bitonio, two backups, and two practice squad guys starting along the offensive line for the Browns. In the finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, C Luke Wypler was injured, and Zak Zinter filled in. That meant the backup to the backup was inserted. Cleveland used seven different line combinations during this season.

Everyone knows this group must have stability and continuity to be successful. Real chemistry. Even the trades for OTs Cam Robinson and KT Leveston were total busts, as both players were viewed as liabilities instead of redeemers.

The quarterback situation is a running joke on late-night TV and Browns podcasts. In the past three seasons, the Browns have started 14 different QBs:

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  • 2023: Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker, Jeff Driskel
  • 2024: Watson, Jameis Winston, DTR, Bailey Zappe
  • 2025: Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders

The Browns set three NFL records with the QB situation. First, they tied the 1987 New England Patriots by starting the most QBs in a single season with five. The second, they set a record for the most starting quarterbacks in two years, with nine. In 2025, Cleveland used a staggering 22 different starting quarterbacks, setting a new NFL record.

Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski talks with quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) before he enters the game against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski talks with quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) before he enters the game against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
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The offense was basically the cause of another double-digit loss season. And because this unit was supposed to be why they hired Stefanski in the first place, after losing 26 games in two seasons and the regression, the Haslams basically had no choice but to make a change.

Stefanski showed up as the offense’s play-caller, which he then gave up. The quarterback situation was always in flux, the offense finished this year ranked #30 in the league with the third fewest offensive touchdowns (30), and #31 in scoring offense (16.4).

The year before, the Browns’ offense ranked #28 overall, dead last in offensive touchdowns scored (29), and dead last in scoring offense (15.2). The Haslams believed this year’s team was capable of winning more games.

What led the Browns to move on from Stefanski?



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East Cleveland City Schools celebrate ‘We are EC Day’ marking end of state oversight

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East Cleveland City Schools celebrate ‘We are EC Day’ marking end of state oversight


EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — Classes across East Cleveland City Schools were briefly interrupted on Wednesday for a celebration.

After nearly seven years of oversight from the state’s Academic Distress Commission, the district has officially been released and is once again fully in control of its operations.

“This isn’t a Cinderella story. This is a story of a community that decided that excellence is now the standard,” said East Cleveland City Schools Superintendent and CEO Dr. Henry Pettiegrew.

He said turnarounds don’t come easily.

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“We scratch. We claw. We grind (and) we hustle to get what we need,” Pettiegrew said. “And this community deserves this recognition today. Our teachers have gotten stronger. Students are performing better. It’s really amazing where we are today.”

The state placed him in the district in 2019 with a clear mission— to improve a failing district and boost academics so all students can succeed.

In September, around the time state report cards were released, he told me the district was using data to drive decisions, providing better support to teachers and communicating more with families.

“We’re knocking on doors. We’re having those real conversations, and if parents or students need particular things, supports or items, we’re right there to help,” Pettiegrew explained then.

He said teachers, students, and families rose to the occasion, applying focus and dedication.

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Students earned a four-star rating in the progress category and an overall three-star rating on the most recent state report card. For the first time in more than a decade, the district is meeting state standards.

The district also met 16 of the 20 academic benchmarks set by the state, leading to its release from oversight. On Wednesday, a video played across the district in every classroom for what it called “We Are EC Day: Three Stars and Rising.”

In the video, Pettiegrew thanked everyone for the progress made. Congratulations also poured in from community members, business leaders, and celebrities, including Cleveland Browns player Shelby Harris.

Each student received a special school hoodie representing the mantra “Three Stars and Rising.” Staff members got a similar jersey.

“Throughout history, we commemorate when wonderful things happen and East Cleveland is no different,” Pettiegrew said.

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He added that the district can’t and won’t let up on its path to continued success.

Pettiegrew said the district will be focusing hard on improving literacy outcomes and graduation rates, among other priorities. He said the goal is to match, if not exceed, the results from the last state report card on the next one.

Here’s a link to the full video the district released.

Damon Maloney is a Cuyahoga County and We Follow Through anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @DMaloneyTV, on Facebook DamonMaloneyTV or email him at Damon.Maloney@wews.com.





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