Honor and reflect
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a wonderful time to experience arts and culture across our region, with many institutions offering free admission on Monday. The Cleveland Museum of Art hosts a daylong celebration centered on preserving history through storytelling, art, dance and film. At the Community Arts Center in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, artmaking and live performances are inspired by Dr. King’s legacy. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Cleveland Orchestra examine King’s impact on music while a gallery guide at the Akron Art Museum helps guests view artwork through the lens of social justice.
36 hours of sci-fi
The annual Case Western Reserve University Science Fiction Marathon isn’t just a weekend of films, it’s a test of endurance and determination. How many attendees can stay awake for an entire 36 hours of movie madness? Hosted by the CWRU Film Society since 1976, this year’s eclectic lineup ranges from 1920’s “Algol: Tragedy of Power” to 2025’s “Superman.” The marathon begins Friday night and the last showing is shortly after midnight Sunday morning at Strosacker Auditorium on campus.
Fireside concert
Escape January temperatures and cozy up by a fire with local music for the Cleveland Metroparks’ Fireside Concert Series. Lauren Brabson, an emerging country singer-songwriter from Barberton, performs Friday at 7 p.m. at the rustic Look About Lodge within the South Chagrin Reservation in Bentleyville. Online registration is required, and the concert series continues through February with a variety of other local artists.
Winter Fest
Farmers markets certainly bring warm thoughts of summer to mind. In Stark County, the markets continue year-round indoors at the Canton Museum of Art. Visit Saturday, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., for 35 local farmers and makers, plus hot drinks, soup samples, a recycling demonstration and activities for the kids. The art museum is open until 5 p.m. – plenty of time to view the current exhibition, “Shattered Glass: The Women Who Elevated American Art.”
‘The Woman in Black’
Volunteers of the Little Theatre of Tuscarawas County have been going strong for 70 years. Their latest production, “The Woman in Black,” is a haunting ghost story based on the 1983 gothic horror novel of the same name. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., followed by a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m. at the theater in New Philadelphia.
