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They’re starting to play “12 Days of Christmas” in the stores – as if to remind you that you need to make some purchases ASAP. You can see anxiety and urgency on the faces of shoppers, but also the merrymakers and partyers... So many things to do, so little time.

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In today’s 216 Scoop Edition: 

• Beloved Big Fun toy store returns, with vintage toys and memories of another time

• Hollie Strano vs. WKYC: Just-filed lawsuit shows its getting colder

• Fiamma opens Italian eatery opens in old Mabel’s space in Eton

• Autogeddon: Cash-strapped Americans drive older vehicles longer, spend less to maintain them

• Holiday markets everywhere: This weekend’s openings

• Vintage Cleveland: Higbee’s, 1965

• Yorktown Lanes hosts rock ‘n’ rolls with real bands

• Ugly Sweater madness is here

• Beer, beer, beer

• Photo of the day: Cleveland’s most hulking abandoned factory

  
  
  by John Petkovic, Mark Espinosa, Victor Takakura

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IN THE NEWS

Beloved Big Fun toy store returns, with vintage toys and memories of another time

Big Fun was definitely something else… a big circus tent of a store that brought together retro hounds, toy nerds and kitsch cultists. It recalled the iconoclastic spirit and personal touch that made Coventry a bohemian hang out since the 1960s.

It’s owner, Steve Presser was the Willy Wonka of pop-cultural oddies and all things fun.

Man, miss that place…

But, wait: Big Fun is back in its former location, 1814 Coventry Road, Cleveland. Presser has reopened it as a pop-up store that features old Big Fun stock – everything from vintage Halloween and Mexican wrestling masks to vintage posters, magazines, patches. Even bottle caps and, yes, lots of retro toys and novelties. 

“The space was empty the week before Thanksgiving  and we loaded up 23 pallets of stock I had at my warehouse and packed into a 27-foot truck,” says Presser. “It took four days, day and night, to load it all in and set it up. And now people walk in and say, “Wow, you have a whole store here.”

Big Fun is also selling vintage, never-worn sweaters, dresses, skirts and pants made in Cleveland, mostly in the 1960s and '70s, by iconic Ohio Knitting Mills factory – as well as 562 handmade Afghan blankets.

“I used to go all over the city looking for them because my wife likes to make jackets out of them,” says Presser. “People would call me the Afghan king because I bought so many.”

You could call him the King of All Things Eccentric and Eclectic.

“We have all kinds of crazy, whacky stuff here: bags and boxes from the old Hough Bakery, rock ‘n’ roll backstage passes from concerts spanning decades, old posters and bumper stickers, all kinds of things,” he adds.

Of course, the stores is also stocked with memories – not just of Coventry, but of a time when mom-and-pop businesses and unique shops were a vibrant part of the shopping experience.

“We’ve seen the homogenization of retail and it’s killed so many cool, community shopping districts in America,” says Presser. “It’s frustrating for creative people looking for something interesting and different.”

Big Fun is back with both. It’s open noon to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. The pop-up runs through Jan. 12. For more info, go here.

Hollie Strano vs. WKYC: Just-filed lawsuit shows its getting colder

Things are getting frigid between meteorologist Hollie Strano and her former employer WKYC.

The TV personality filed a lawsuit against WKYC in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas that alleges that her firing from the station was due to discrimination.

The suit claims that she was let go because of her social media posts detailing her struggles with alcoholism and depression. The complaint alleges that WKYC has “negative biases against substances disorders” and “did not want Strano to speak publicly about this disability.”

Strano’s July firing came months after numerous social media posts on Instagram and TikTok in which she discussed “overcoming her demons.” She went public after crashing her vehicle in Summit County in 2023.

WKYC reported on the crash: “A  police officer spotted Strano driving on Akron-Peninsula Road at about 70 mph in a 35 mph zone. A dashcam video obtained by WKYC shows the officer turn around and begin following Strano with his emergency lights on.

Moments later, Strano’s vehicle begins weaving and goes off the right side of the road, striking a utility pole and causing the vehicle to spin around. The pole was broken by the impact, the video shows.”

Strano ended up pleading guilty to one count of operating a vehicle under the influence.

In a Sept. 2 Instagram post, she wrote: "I am sad to share that after 22 plus years of dedicated work, WKYC and Tegna decided to terminate my employment after I shared my recovery journey publicly, I believe the actions of WKYC and [parent company] Tegna demonstrate the stigma surrounding addiction that so many in our community experience every day.”

 Strano’s lawsuit states that she was fired “purportedly for tagging” the soft drink, Poppi, in a social media post against company policy. It also claims that she was told by station management to stop posting about her addiction and instead focus on the weather.

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Fiamma opens Italian eatery opens in old Mabel’s space in Eton

Eton Woodmere has seen restaurants come and go and come again. Just when it loses a high-profile eatery, like Mabel’s in 2024, or Paladar in 2023 , another one moves in.

The latest arrival is Fiamma, which opened yesterday in the old Mabel’s BBQ space, 28869 Chagrin Boulevard, Woodmere.

The second restaurant by Mendel Segal pairs a rustic vibe with an Italian menu that boasts an array of wood-fired 10-inch Neapolitan-style pizzas, fresh seafood dishes, pastas and inventive takes on Italian staples that don’t obscure why you like them in the first place.

The lasagna features a white instead of the usual Bolognese sauce, as well as artichokes and lentils. The drink list offers wines and beers, but also a variety of tequilas, bourbons and whiskies.

Fiamma also pairs Italian with Segal’s interest in Jewish culinary traditions. It’s a kosher kitchen, like his other spot, Mendel’s Kansas City BBQ, in Shaker Heights.

Kosher traditions eschew the pairing of meat and dairy – which means none of the latter at the barbecue spot and the inverse at Fiamma. In other words:  seafood with lots of non-fish offerings and unique takes on Italian.

Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday; 7 p.m.-midnight Saturday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday. For more info, go here.

Autogeddon: Cash-strapped Americans are driving older vehicles longer, spending less to maintain them

Autogeddon is coming. Americans are buying fewer new vehicles and the average age of a car on the road is at record highs.

The four-year average for annual vehicle sales is 15.5 million, down from 17.7 million before the pandemic. As a result, the average age of vehicles on the road in the United States is 12.6 years, a record high and far above the 11.5 average of a decade ago.

It’s even older for passenger cars: 13.6 years vs. 11.8 years for light trucks. Why? If you have to ask, then you haven’t been paying attention inflation and interest rates.

Older vehicles usually result in higher spending on maintenance. But the same economic pressures are. Carfax data shows 30% of vehicles in the U.S. are overdue for tire rotation and 19% for an oil change.

Meanwhile, tire makers Goodyear and Monro have struggled as Americans opt for cheaper off-brands and imports. Spending on brakes and shocks dropped even more. Even evergreen brands like Napa auto parts and Valvoline have experienced sales declines.

If you can’t afford to fix it you might as well drive it into the ground.

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THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

Holiday markets everywhere: This weekend’s openings

The holiday markets are trying to play catch-up with the holiday pop-up bars. Especially this weekend:

Cleveland Bazaar Holiday Bazaar at 78^th Street Studios, 1300 West 78st Street: The longest-running holiday shopping event celebrates its 20^th anniversary this weekend… 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to  4 p.m. Sunday. It features more than 150 local artisans and vendors spread all over the floors of the sprawling 78^th Street Studios complex, 1300 West 78^th Street, Cleveland. If you’re looking for art or jewelry of décor or, well, a lot of other stuff, this place is for you. Even if you aren’t, it makes for a fun stroll – where the people-watching is entertaining and you’re likely to run into someone you know. The bash also features food and drinks. For more info, go here.

7^th Annual Screw Factory Holiday Market, 13000 Athens Avenue, Lakewood: The repurposed Lake Erie Building, aka the Screw Factory, is a hulking wonder – a site to see and experience, especially when there are more than 100 artists and makers displaying their photos, prints, sculptures and jewelry during this popular holiday event. The event runs 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. For more info, go here.

ChristkindMarket at Mahall’s, 13200 Madison Avenue, Lakewood: The initial installment of this holiday market has a fun theme. And why not, Mahall’s is always creative with themes. Set in multiple rooms throughout the bar-restaurant and club areas, it replicates a European Christmas markets and includes themed drinks, baked goods and deserts – not to mention 30 artisans and venders. For more info, go here.

Jingle Bells Holiday Shop at the Grog Shop and B-Side, 2785 Euclid Heights Boulevard, Cleveland: Expect a lot of music-related stuff at this holiday pop-up – but the Grog is promising more. After all, there will be 40 vendors between the ground-level club and its basement bar, B-Side. It’s part of a broader celebration: Winter Wonder, which brings ice sculptors, music and activities to Coventry Village. Jingle Bells runs 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For more info, go here.

VINTAGE CLEVELAND

Shoppers pack Higbee’s before Christmas in 1965. The iconic department store in Public Square also served as the filming location for the opening scene in the 1983 movie, “A Christmas Story.” The building is now used to house the Cleveland Jack Casino.

NOTES ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Yorktown Lanes hosts rock ‘n’ bowls -- with actual bands

Yorktown Lanes has been going strong since 1959. The classic bowling alley, 6218 Pearl Road, Parma, still attracts retro hounds and real game bowlers – not to mention punks and rockers who like to swig beers as bands play in the Inferno Lounge.

At 9 p.m. Saturday, the Inferno will host Missile Toe – the band that doles out punk-rock Christmas music. The Crones open the evening. Admission is free and you can always step and walk around the bowling alley and imagine you’re in “The Big Lebowski.”

Egads, it’s Ugly Sweater madness

Ugly is the in the eye of the beholder, but ugly sweaters are always a hard sell – especially when you've had too many drinks.

A number of places are hosting ugly sweater soirees this weekend. But there is none bigger than Lakewood’s 8th Annual Ugly Sweater Crawl – 3 p.m. Saturday.

It starts at with a big bash at Around the Corner (18616 Detroit Avenue) and runs, er, crawls around the neighborhood through five other bars, beginning with Harry Buffalo, West End, Riverwood Café and Vosh.

It ends at  Mercury Lounge, which will host the closing party. Participants will get discounted drinks, get to compete in trivia contests and a holiday gift. Tickets are $25-$30. For more info, go here

Beer, beer, beer and more beer

Market Garden is celebrating its beer, Festivus Holiday Ale with, you guessed it, a Festivus Bar Crawl. The “Seinfeld”-inspired bash runs 6:30 p.m. to 10 pm. Friday and starts Market Garden before proceeding to three other West 25^th bars: Bright Side, Bartleby, and Clandestina. It concludes with a blow-out and ugly sweater contest at Nano Brew. The bars will roll out DJs and themed food menus. For info and registration, call 216-621-4000.

The locked gate outside of Cleveland’s most hulking abandoned factory.

Every edition, watch this space for a random snap from somewhere in Cleveland (and surrounding areas 😉). Where are we? Only true Clevelander will know. Tell us your guess on Instagram or Facebook, or simply reply to this email.

And don’t forget! Tag @LiveMusicInCleveland or @The216Scoop to get your photos in the Scoop!

WEATHER

Friday
28°F 🌡️ 24°F | ☁️ | 24% | 💨 SW 15 mph (13 knots)

Saturday
43°F 🌡️ 36°F | ☁️ | 24% | 💨 SW 15 mph (13 knots)

Sunday
47°F 🌡️ 41°F | 🌧️ | 90% | 💨 SW 15 mph (13 knots)

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Live Shows in the 216

Friday

Agora Theatre | Baldassarre Rock Orchestra | 8 PM

Beachland Ballroom | Bearly Dead | 7 PM

Mahall’s | Electric Freak Show + Mud Whale + Others | 7 PM

Saturday

Beachland Ballroom | CLE Mosh | 3 PM

Happy Dog | Factual Brains + Clutter + Others | 8 PM

The Winchester | Gary Hoey | 7 PM

Sunday

Beachland Tavern | Eric Johanson + Ray Flanagan | 7 PM

Agora Theatre | Kash Doll | 7 PM

Society Lounge | The Ladies Night | 4 PM

For tickets and more information visit: livemusicincleveland.com

The 216 Sports Arena

Upcoming Games

Cavaliers
Home vs. Washington Wizards, 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 13

Browns
Home vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 15

Cleveland Monsters
Home vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 12
Home vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14

Cleveland Charge
Home vs. Wisconsin Herd, 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 13
Home vs. Wisconsin Herd, 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14

Thanks for reading The 216 Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who is going to Festivus Bar Crawl.

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