ARTS

GET GRAPHIC! COMICS DISCUSSION: Join us on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm at Bookhouse Brewing (1526 W 25 St.) for this free book club focused on comics and graphic novels. This month, we will meet on Thursday, June 5 to discuss Year of the Rabbit by Tian Veasna, which tells the true story of one family’s desperate struggle to survive the murderous reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Next month, we will meet on Thursday, July 3 to discuss The Underwater Welder, a fictional comic that focuses on underwater welder Jack Joseph as he handles the pressure of deep-sea work on an oil rig off the coast of Nova Scotia as well as the pressures of impending fatherhood.

GRANT APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN: Cuyahoga Arts and Culture invites nonprofit organizations producing, presenting, or creating arts and cultural programs in Cuyahoga County to apply for funding in 2026. Visit cacgrants.org/apply to start your application today. Need help? Contact us at info@cacgrants.org or 216-515-8303. You can also visit cacgrants.org/grants/events-deadlines for a list of upcoming virtual workshops and office hours designed to help you through the process. The deadline to apply is July 31 at 4:30 pm.

ST. PAUL’S STREET STUDIO, 1-3 pm on Saturday, June 21 at St. Paul’s Community Church, 4427 Franklin.  Join in to share music, poetry/spoken word in a peaceful atmosphere of respect. You are welcome to add your voice or simply listen and provide support. Piano, mics, drums, and acoustic guitars provided along with an encouraging circle to listen. For more information, contact Ian Heisey at heisey2140@sbcglobal.net or at 216-973-1486.

COMMUNITY

FREE GENEALOGY CLINIC: The Cleveland Public Library’s Genealogy Clinics are informal sessions that allow you to drop in to receive help with your family history and genealogy projects from library staff and expert volunteers from the African American Genealogical Society of Cleveland. Join us anytime between 10:30 am and 1:30 pm on select dates on the 6th floor of the Louis Stokes wing of the Main Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (525 Superior Ave). Free and open to all! Those new to genealogy, please arrive by 10:45 to take advantage of our group instruction for beginners. The next clinic will be Saturday, June 14.

FAMILY MOVIE FRIDAYS: Join us for a free screening of a family-friendly movie on the last Friday of each month from 3 pm to 5 pm at the Eastman Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (11602 Lorain Ave). We will be showing Star Wars: Return of the Jedi on June 27, Toy Story on July 25, and A Wrinkle in Time on August 29.

EDUCATION

FREE BOOKS for kids ages 0-5: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio mails kids one free book each month until their 5th birthday. Any child in Ohio between birth and age 5 is eligible for the program. To sign up, visit: OhioimaginationLibrary.org.

SEEDS OF LITERACY offers free adult basic education and GED classes and one-on-one tutoring. Services are available at both their westside (3104 W 25 St, third floor) and eastside locations (13815 Kinsman Ave). Call 216-661-7950 or visit seedsofliteracy.org to enroll.

ENVIRONMENT

MASTER GARDENERS OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY, a group of volunteers trained by Ohio State University, offers free informative presentations on select Saturdays at the Eastman Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (11602 Lorain Ave). Join them for “Butterfly Gardening”, which will discuss why butterflies matter, why they’re in trouble, and what we can do in our yards to help, on Saturday, June 28, 11 am – 12 pm. Next month, “Native Plants” will cover trees, shrubs, perennials, and grasses that are native to our area that you can plant in your yard, Saturday, July 26, 11 am-12 pm.

WARD 14 DUMPSTER DAYS: In an effort to keep our neighborhoods clean, Dumpsters will be placed in Ward 14 neighborhoods for residents to discard trash from their yards, garages, and streets on select days. (Dumpsters are for residents only. No commercial debris please!) The Dumpsters will be available inClark-Fulton (at W. 30th & Meyer Ave.) on May 31,  July 26, and  September 6, in Brooklyn Center (at 4322 Denison Ave.) on June 14, August 9, and September 20, in Stockyards (at 3358 W. 46th St. ) on June 28 and August 23, and in West Boulevard  (at W. 73rd & Neville Ave.) on May 17 and July 12. All Dumpsters will be available from 8 am-2:30 pm.

EVENTS

CASE BOOK SALE: The ACE Annual Book Sale is held each year during the 1st weekend after Memorial Day. One of the region’s largest book sales, it has 10s of thousands of books, DVDs, CDs, vinyl records, rare and collectible books available for purchase. ️The sale will be held at 3631 Perkins Ave. this year, on Saturday, May 31 from noon to 5 pm and on Sunday, June 1 from noon to 5 pm. Discount day, Monday, June 2, will feature reduced prices, and Tuesday, June 3 will feature a $5 per box deal.

FATHERHOOD CONFERENCE: Save the date for the 19th Annual Fatherhood Conference! On Friday, June 13, join the Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative for this free event, which features a resource fair, fatherhood awards luncheon, town hall meeting, informational workshops, and more. 8 am to 4 pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (1260 Euclid Ave). The keynote speaker for this year’s Awards Luncheon is retired Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Ronald B. Adrine. Harry Boomer, a news anchor from Channel 19 News, will be the moderator of the Town Hall Meeting and Wayne Dawson, a news anchor from Channel 8 News, will be the Master of Ceremonies for the Awards Luncheon. Register now at hhs.cuyahogacounty.gov/fatherhood. Questions? Call 216-348-3967.

JUNETEENTH FREEDOM FEST: Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery on June 19, 1865 – the day when all African Americans were freed from slavery. Set to take place on Saturday, June 14  from 11 am to 8 pm on Mall C in the heart of Downtown Cleveland, this family-friendly celebration and commemoration of Juneteenth is one you don’t want to miss. Visit juneteenthcle.com for more information.

PARADE THE CIRCLE: The 33rd annual Parade the Circle and Circle Village will kick off summer on Saturday, June 14. The Circle Village, featuring a variety of crafts, activities, and live music, runs from 10 am to 4 pm. The parade will begin at noon at the north entrance of the Cleveland Museum of Art. For more information, visit clevelandart.org/events/parade-circle.

PRIDE IN THE CLE: Cleveland’s annual gay pride parade and festival will take place this year on Saturday, June 7. The parade will begin at 11 am, starting at Public Square in the center of downtown and marching over to its final destination, Mall B. After the parade, the festivities will continue on Mall B, with free live music, food trucks, vendors, and more. Visit lgbtcleveland.org/pride for more information.

REDISCOVER VETERANS MEMORIAL BRIDGE: Visitors can experience the historic streetcar level of the Veterans Memorial Bridge for a glimpse into our region’s history and unparalleled views of the industrial valley, downtown Cleveland, and Lake Erie on Saturday, June 21 from 10 am to 6 pm. Admission is free. All visitors must sign a release before entering the bridge tour.

SLOW ROLL CLEVELAND is a mass happening, a leisurely paced parade of bikes through the nooks and corners of our city. Our 10-mile rides each Monday night throughout the warmer months attract hundreds of riders of diverse backgrounds and experience levels. We’re fully supported by Slow Roll’s one and only Squad: a crack unit of yellow-shirted volunteers who keep the ride safe and running smoothly each week. This month’s rides include: June 9 at Edgewater Park, June 16 in Hough, June 23 in Shaker Square, and June 30 in Old Brooklyn. Visit slowrollcleveland.org for more information.

TRI-C JAZZ FEST: The 46th annual Tri-C Jazz Festival will take place from Thursday, June 26 through Saturday, June 28 in and around Playhouse Square. The event includes various free outdoor performances underneath the chandelier outside of Playhouse Square on Euclid Ave. throughout the festival weekend.

HEALTH

CLEVELAND CARE CALLS is a free service offered by Cleveland’s Department of Aging and Public Safety that provides free, automatic calls to check on a person’s well being. The program is open to residents aged 60 or older or to adults with disabilities aged 18-59. You can select the date and time of the call, between 7 am and 11 am, Monday thru Friday. The automatic system will make several attempts to call you in a thirty minute period. If there is no response, the department will contact anyone you have designated as an emergency contact, who can then decide if they want to do a home visit to check on you. You must complete an application to participate in this program. Contact the program’s director to sign up at 216-664-6316 or 216-664-2833.

OHIO COMMISSION ON MINORITY HEALTH announces the availability of Request for Proposals (RFP) for Minority Health Month 2026. The RFP outlining grant requirements and prerecorded technical assistance sessions will be available on our website, www.mih.ohio.gov, on June 9. The deadline for funding application submission is July 21. Questions? Contact us at 614-466-4000.

SUMMER PROGRAMS

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS will be offering free summer programming for youth ages 6-18 at locations throughout Northeast Ohio, including Bridge City Church (3381 Fulton Rd). Summer session will start June 10 and end August 15. Tentative times will be 8 am to 4 pm, on weekdays. Free transportation may be available to and from some Clubs. Visit .bgcneo.org/find-a-club/join-us-for-the-summer/ to sign up. There is no charge to join a Club!

FREE SUMMER ART CAMPS: This summer, Art House Inc. is once again offering FREE art-centered day camps at their campus at 3119 Denison Ave. The fun begins June 23 with camps Monday – Thursday from 10:00 AM – 11:30AM and 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM. 2nd graders and up are welcome to attend independently. Children younger than 2nd grade should be accompanied by an adult for assistance. Please register in advance so the teaching artist can plan accordingly for supplies and activities! To see a full list of available sessions and to sign up, visit arthouseinc.org. Questions? Call 216-398-8556 or email us at: eraby@arthouseinc.org or lvoss@arthouseinc.org.

KIDS NATURE LUNCH AND LEARN: Join Cleveland Metroparks this summer to explore, learn, and play games while visiting our mobile nature center every Friday (except July 4) from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at Lower Edgewater, near the Edgewater Beach House, from June 6 to August 8. Free lunches are provided for youth ages 18 and under by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank (while supplies last). Books for youth are provided by the Kids’ Book Bank. Each week’s session will have a different theme, including Migration (on June 6), Squirrels (on June 13), Dragonflies and Damselflies (on June 20), and Turkeys (on June 27).

UTILITIES

HEAP SUMMER CRISIS PROGRAM is accepting applications now thru September 30. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Summer Crisis Program is a one-time benefit that can help pay electric utility bills (up to $500), purchase air conditioners or fans, or repair central air conditioning units during the summer months. For more information and to see if you qualify, contact the Department of Senior Adult Services (DSAS) Information Services Unit at 216-420-670 or visit energyhelp.ohio.gov.

SEWER DISTRICT SATURDAY OFFICE HOURS: The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District office, at 3900 Euclid Ave., is now open the first Saturday of each month from 8 am to 11 am. Customers can take advantage of the new hours to make a payment, get help with their account, and apply for cost-saving options. For more information, visit neorsd.org or call 216-881-8247.

VOLUNTEER

WEST SIDE MARKET:  Cleveland Public Market Corporation is launching the first ever volunteer program at Cleveland’s iconic West Side Market. Market Ambassadors will fulfill a versatile role, assisting customers with tasks such as carrying groceries, providing food recommendations, and sharing details about the market’s master plan. We are also seeking Survey Collectors, volunteers who will visit the market twice a month on randomly selected during operating hours and use iPads to engage with customers and collect survey responses. Shifts will range from 1 to 4 hours and will require minimal training. Visit westsidemarket.org/volunteer-opportunities to see a full list of opportunities and to complete a volunteer inquiry form.

THE KIDS’ BOOK BANK, a local nonprofit that gives high-quality, gently used children’s books to organizations of all sizes that can distribute them to children and families in need, has a variety of volunteer opportunities available. Help us sort, process and package books in our warehouse, host a book drive in your community, assist families in choosing free books to take home at various events, and more. Visit kidsbookbank.org for more info or contact us at volunteer@kidsbookbank.org or 216-417-1803.