Ohio

21 Things to do in Northeast Ohio this weekend

Published

2 months ago

December 25, 2025

21 Things to do in Northeast Ohio this weekend

CLEVELAND, Ohio – When you’re done cleaning up from Christmas, there’s plenty to do around Northeast Ohio. You can still catch holiday pop-up bars or get the family out for a lighting display through the New Year. The Cavaliers, Browns and Monsters are all playing home games. When you’re not shopping for a New Year’s Eve outfit, check out the places to celebrate the festive night around Northeast Ohio.

The multi-platinum rock group will play two shows at Rocket Arena on Friday, Dec. 26. The early performance will start at 3 p.m. followed by a 7:30 p.m. evening show.Peter Chakerian, Cleveland.com

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Trans-Siberian Orchestra is always busy this time of year spreading holiday cheer with a metal and orchestral mash-up of classic Christmas classics. The band brings its “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” tour, complete with laser light show and pyrotechnic, to Rocket Arena the day after Christmas. Tickets start at $55

3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., Friday, December 26

Rocket Arena, 1 Center Court, Cleveland

trans-siberian.com

Public Square Cheer Garden

Public Square is busy for the winter holidays with ice skating, an outdoor bar, firepits with tasty s’mores, and holiday tunes. The IlluminateCLE Holiday Light Show takes place every hour. Free, except for ice skating fee.

5 to 10 p.m., Friday, Dec. 26

Noon to 10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 27

Noon to 8 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 28

50 Public Square, Cleveland

winterlandcle.com

Holiday Lantern Tours

Take an interactive, lantern-lit walking tour of this outdoor living history museum as 19th-century villagers welcome you into their decorated homes and share seasonal traditions. Tickets $18-$28.

Through Dec. 28

Hale Farm & Village, 2686 Oak Hill Road, Bath

wrhs.org

Frost Cleveland Botanical Gardens — “Frost: An Ice-Capped Garden Experience” returns to the Cleveland Botanical Garden for the 2025 holiday season.Alex Darus

Frost: An Ice-Capped Garden Experience

Cleveland Botanical Garden turns into the an ethereal wonderland for the holidays, with towering ice arches, dazzling light installations, 500 poinsettias, kids activities and more. Tickets $7-$28.

Through Jan. 4

Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd. Cleveland

holdenfg.org

Magic of Lights

Now at Victory Park in North Ridegeville, this former drive-through holiday light display has been reimagined as a walk-through experience this year, letting visitors explore bright, festive scenes up close and at their own pace. Tickets $8-$17.

Through Jan. 3

Victory Park, 7777 Victory Lane, North Ridgeville

magicoflights.com

Wild Winter Lights

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s annual holiday display features over 1.5 million lights illuminating themed areas such as the Enchanted Forest, Swan Lake, Candy Lane, Polar Pathway and Santa’s North Pole Lodge. Tickets $24-$30.

Through Dec. 30

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland

clevelandmetroparks.com

The historic Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is transformed with a winter-woods-animal themed decor inside and dazzling light displays across the grounds.Brigid Gallagher, special to cleveland.com

Deck the Hall

It’s the most wonderful time of the year at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron. The historic estate has been decked out for the holidays, with multiple Christmas trees inside and more than a million lights outside. Tickets start at $28.

Through Dec. 30

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron

stanhywet.org

Kwanzaa

Greater Cleveland Kwanzaa Alliance Kwanzaa! Celebrating 60 years of Nguzo Saba. The celebration starts on Friday, Dec. 26 and continues through the week. Free

6 p.m., Friday, Dec. 26

East Cleveland Public Library, 14101 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland

facebook.com

Kwanzaa Celebration of Ujima at the Cleveland Public Library

The Cleveland Public Library offers immersion in the African and African-American cultural traditions of Kwanzaa. Clevelanders are invited to learn about the third principle of Kwanzaa: Ujima, a commitment to active and informed togetherness, where community problems are solved together. The event will include soulful music, storytelling and audience engagement. Free

Noon, Saturday, Dec. 27

Martin Luther King Jr. Branch of the Cleveland Public Library, 10601 Euclid Ave., Cleveland

cpl.libcal.com

A Night of Holiday Soul

Will Downing, Leela James and Avery*Sunshine perform together at KeyBank State Theater. Tickets start at $70.

7 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 28

KeyBank State Theater, 1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland

playhousesquare.org

Home for the Holidays at Hilarities

Eight to 10 of Cleveland’s favorite comics, both old and new, will perform at Hilarities this weekend. Tickets $24

6:30 p.m. & 9:15 p.m., Friday, Dec. 26

Hilarities, 2035 E. 4^th Street, Cleveland

hilarities.com

“The Hobbit”

Dobama Theatre transforms its intimate Cleveland Heights stage into Middle-earth for an imaginative staging of J.R.R. Tokien’s classic novel. Follow Bilbo Baggins as he leaves the shire and joins a band of dwarves on a quest filled with trolls, goblins and a fire-breathing dragon. Tickets $30-$48.

Through Jan. 4

Dobama Theatre, 2340 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights

dobama.org

Candy Land: It’s Wild in Ohio

Lake Metroparks turns the Candy Land board game into a nature-themed adventure, with crafts, scavenger hunts, exhibits, hot chocolate and weekend programs. Free.

Through Jan. 4

Penitentiary Glen Reservation, 8668 Kirtland-Chardon Road, Kirtland

lakemetroparks.com

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Phoenix Suns

Celebrate New Year’s Eve Day with the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the Phoenix Suns. Fans get a Cavalanche beanie. Tickets start at $62.

3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 31

Rocket Arena, Cleveland

nba.com/cavaliers

Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Browns takes on their favorite rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers in Cleveland this weekend. Tickets start at $75.

1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 28

Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland

clevelandbrowns.com

Cleveland Monsters vs. Rochester Americans

Cleveland Monsters face the Rochester Americans on the ice at Rocket Arena. Tickets start at $21

6:30 p.m., Dec. 29

Rocket Arena

clevelandmonsters.com

Cleveland Monsters vs. Toronto Marlies

Cleveland Monsters take on the Toronto Marlies. It’s Superman promotion night. The first 2,500 kids ages 14 years old and under receive Superman Monsters Capes. Tickets start at $21

6:30 p.m., Dec. 30

Rocket Arena

clevelandmonsters.com

The Harlem Globetrotters

The Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their ball-handling wizardry to Rocket Arena. The crowd will marvel at their skill and laugh at their comedy. Tickets start at $52

3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 28

Rocket Arena, Cleveland

rocketarena.com/events

Cleveland Metroparks Toboggan Chutes

Find your thrill in the chill at the Chalet in Strongsville, whooshing down twin 700-foot refrigerated ice chutes on an old-timey toboggan. Reservations required. Tickets, $13-$15.

16200 Valley Parkway, Strongsville

Through Feb. 22

clevelandmetroparks.com

Renaissance to Runway: The Enduring Italian Houses

The Cleveland Museum of Art’s largest fashion exhibition to date explores how Italy’s artistic past influences modern design. Pieces from Versace, Valentino, Armani, Ferragamo and Gucci are displayed alongside Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces. Tickets $8-$17.

Through Feb. 1

Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland

clevelandart.org

LeRoy Neiman: A Keen Observer of Style

LeRoy Neiman (1921-2012) was for his brilliantly colored, expressionist paintings and screenprints of athletes, musicians, and sporting events. A special exhibition at the Kent State University Museum looks at his early work as a fashion illustrator and how it influenced his his interest in capturing the clothing, gesture and style of his subjects.

Through June 27

The Kent State University Museum, 515 Hilltop Drive, Kent

kent.edu

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Ohio

Ohio woman sentenced in $775,000 Medicaid scheme

Published

4 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

COLUMBUS — A Lake County woman was sentenced this morning to jail time and ordered to pay $775,000 in restitution for fraudulently billing Medicaid, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced. “She inflated her earnings through brazen fraud, but her scheme burst wide open when our investigators got the case,” Yost said. “Cheating taxpayers comes with […]

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Ohio

‘Catastrophic’ Ohio farm fire kills 6,000 hogs and pigs, officials say

Published

16 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

‘Catastrophic’ Ohio farm fire kills 6,000 hogs and pigs, officials say

A wind-swept blaze at an Ohio hog farm complex caused “catastrophic” damage and left thousands of pigs dead, fire officials said, marking another devastating barn inferno contributing to the deaths of millions of animals in recent years.

The massive fire occurred on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Fine Oak Farms in Union Township, Madison County, located west of Ohio’s capital of Columbus, according to the Central Townships Joint Fire District. Fire crews received a report of a barn fire shortly before 12 p.m. local time.

The incident was later upgraded to a commercial structure fire after Chief Brian Bennington observed a “large column of smoke visible from a distance” and requested additional resources. Multiple local fire departments, along with several other emergency agencies, were called to the scene.

“What our crews encountered upon arrival was a very difficult and heartbreaking incident,” Bennington said in a statement on Feb. 26.

The fire chief described the facility as a large farm complex used for hog production consisting of five large agricultural buildings, including four that housed about 7,500 hogs. When crews arrived at the scene, they found two of the barns engulfed in flames, Bennington said.

Crews were challenged by windy conditions that significantly impacted fire suppression efforts, according to Bennington. Three barns were destroyed in the fire, and about 6,000 hogs and pigs were killed.

Firefighters saved one barn and about 1,500 hogs, the fire chief added. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Bennington highlighted the assistance of the farming community throughout Madison and Clark counties, as multiple farmers responded with water trucks to help with water supply efforts. “Rural Ohio’s agricultural community is tight-knit, and they truly step up when one of their own is in need,” he said.

The incident remains under investigation, and the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office will determine the fire’s cause and origin. Bennington said there is no suspicion of arson and no ongoing threat to the public at this time.

‘Rapidly changing fire behavior conditions’

Heavy smoke from the fire could be seen for miles, and Bennington said first-arriving units were met with fire conditions coming from the opposite side of the hog farm complex.

The fire chief noted that the incident required extensive water-shuttle operations due to rural water-supply limitations in the area. Crews attempted to cut the fire off by deploying multiple handlines and using an aerial device, but “faced extremely challenging conditions throughout the incident,” according to Bennington.

Sustained winds of about 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph accelerated the fire’s spread, Bennington said. The high winds made it “extremely difficult” to contain forward fire progression and created “rapidly changing fire behavior conditions” across the agricultural complex, he added.

After about four to five hours, the fire was contained by fire personnel from four different counties, according to the fire chief.

“Unfortunately, the fire resulted in catastrophic damage to the business,” Bennington said in an earlier statement on Feb. 25. “A significant portion of the agricultural structures were destroyed.”

Latest major fire to impact an Ohio hog farm

The incident at Fine Oak Farms is the latest major fire to cause significant damage to an Ohio hog farm in recent years.

In August 2024, about 1,100 pigs were killed in Versailles, a village about 50 miles northwest of Dayton, Ohio, according to data from the nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute. In March 2022, about 2,000 hogs died in a barn fire at Kenneth Scholl Hog Farm in Brown Township, just west of Columbus.

Before the fire at Fine Oak Farms, the Animal Welfare Institute reported that other barn fires in Ohio this year killed 162 sheep, horses, cows, chickens, and other animals.

Hundreds of thousands of animals killed in barn fires each year

Data from the Animal Welfare Institute shows that hundreds of thousands of animals are killed in barn fires across the country each year. Since 2013, over 9 million farm animals have been killed in barn fires, according to the organization.

As of Feb. 26, the Animal Welfare Institute reported that 118,738 farm animals have died in U.S. barn fires this year, including the incident at Fine Oak Farms. The majority of farm animals killed were chickens in separate incidents in North Carolina and Georgia in January, and another incident in Missouri earlier this month.

“Most fatal barn fires occurred in colder states, particularly the Upper Midwest and the Northeast. New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois had the highest number of barn fires, respectively,” according to the organization. “The amount of cold weather a state experienced appeared to be a greater factor in the prevalence of barn fires than the intensity of a state’s animal agriculture production.”

In an updated report on farm animal deaths due to barn fires in 2025, the Animal Welfare Institute said more than 2.53 million farm animals were killed in barn fires from 2022 to 2024. The organization noted that the high death toll was “driven primarily” by fires at large operations that housed several thousand to over 1 million farm animals.

The majority of deaths in these incidents during that period, over 98%, were farmed birds, such as chickens and turkeys, according to the Animal Welfare Institute. But in 2023, a massive fire at a west Texas dairy farm became the single deadliest event involving livestock in the state’s history and the deadliest cattle fire in America in at least a decade.

18,000 head of cattle perished in the fire at the South Fork Dairy farm near Dimmitt, Texas. At the time, Roger Malone, who is the former mayor of Dimmitt, called the incident “mind-boggling.”

“I don’t think it’s ever happened before around here. It’s a real tragedy,” Malone said.

Contributing: Rick Jervis, USA TODAY; Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch

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Ohio

Ohio’s LaRose pushes back on voter fraud critics, Democrats

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Ohio’s LaRose pushes back on voter fraud critics, Democrats

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose discussed voter fraud and Ohio’s efforts to prevent it during a recent radio appearance.

LaRose appeared on “The Bill Cunningham” radio show, where he defended the state’s efforts to minimize voter fraud. A clip posted on X shows audio of LaRose arguing that policies aimed at preventing voter fraud are necessary even though cases are rare.

Here’s what to know.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose says voter fraud in Ohio is rare, compares prevention efforts to TSA security

In the clip, LaRose says that Democrats claim voter fraud is rare, and should be ignored.

“The left claims that voter fraud is rare, so we should just ignore it,” he said. “Well, airplane hijackings are also rare — we don’t abolish the TSA. The reason why we keep voter fraud rare in states like Ohio because we do these very things that they’re trying to take away from me.”

LaRose announced the inaugural meeting of the new Ohio Election Integrity Commission, which replaces what he called the flawed Ohio Elections Commission, in January 2026. The new committee, he says, will be used in “enforcing Ohio’s election laws, reviewing alleged violations, and ensuring accountability in matters relating to voting.”

In October 2025, LaRose said that he forwarded more than 1,000 cases of voter fraud to the U.S. Department of Justice. The cases involved 1,084 noncitizen individuals who appear to have registered to vote unlawfully in Ohio, and 167 noncitizens who appear to have also cast a ballot in a federal election since 2018.

In February 2026, President Donald Trump said Republicans should “nationalize” elections. He also accused Democrats of bringing migrants into the United States to illegally vote, a claim that is not backed by evidence, USA TODAY reports.

Voter fraud in the U.S. is considered rare nationwide, according to NPR, but there are still debates from both political sides on how frequently it occurs.

What is voter fraud?

Electoral fraud is defined as illegally interfering with the process of an election, according to Ballotpedia. This includes in-person voter fraud, absentee or mail ballots and illegal voter suppression.

Criminal penalties can include fines or imprisonment for up to five years, according to U.S. code. In Ohio, election interference can carry a felony of the fourth degree, according to Ohio Code.

Voter fraud is often a topic of debate among Democrats and Republicans, where organizations such as the conservative Heritage Foundation maintains a database claiming to show nearly 1,500 cases of election fraud since the year 2000.

Meanwhile, research by law professor Justin Leavitt published in 2014 found 31 cases of in-person voter fraud among billions of ballots cast from 2000–2014, according to Ballotpedia.

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