Strawberry Shortcake's History, CVNP's Culinary Collab, Weekend Fun: CLE Daily

☀️ 88°; Sunny and Humid
💰 Future Funding: Cleveland won a $160 million grant for advanced manufacturing, beating out more than 300 other communities for the funding.
🏊 Swimming Rec: Enjoy Westlake Aquatic Center's lazy river on these hot days. (Find more swimming places in our guide.)
🎶 Listen Local: Tune in to Angelgirl Eva's experimental club track "Bad Boy" in this month's Cleveland Current playlist.
⚾️ Star Power: Guardians pitchers Parker Messick and Cade Smith both retired their sides in All-Star game appearances last night. Travis Bazzana played, too, and the American League won 4-0.

🗳️ Nominate Your Favorites: Best of Cleveland nominations close today! Put your favorite businesses, artists and products on the ballot by the end of the day!

ICYMI: Big Boy 4014 made its way through Cleveland earlier this week, and continues from Fostoria to Continental, Ohio, today.

Support our local journalism with a print subscription to Cleveland Magazine and by getting this free news roundup in your email inbox each morning.

Today's Trivia

Which Cleveland architect designed the Cleveland Trust Rotunda?

Arts & Culture: Inside Strawberry Shortcake's very Cleveland origin story.

By Annie Nickoloff

Strawberry Shortcake is more than a character: It’s an entire franchise, developed at American Greetings in the 1970s by a team of creatives.

• Big Success: The greeting card line, first drawn by Barbi Sargent, quickly transformed into children’s toys, a television show and movies, many of which continue to be rebooted today.

Muriel Fahrion, an artist born and raised in Cleveland, developed much of Strawberry Shortcake’s signature style, first drawing the character in 1977. Today, she's well-known for her work on the project, along with Care Bears, another franchise she helped to develop during her years at American Greetings.

• Sweet Beginnings: Fahrion shares her own story, which is intertwined with the expanded Strawberry Shortcake universe. She developed many of the characters during her time at American Greetings.

Muriel Fahrion: "I had to go and design 14 more designs with Strawberry Shortcake, and since it was Valentine's Day, I introduced Huckleberry Pie — she had to have a boyfriend, right? To share that soda with. And Apple Dumplin’. That was my idea, because I looked at Apple Dumplin’ as her little sister. And she had a best friend, of course, and that was Blueberry Muffin."

• Tune In: We talked with Fahrion in this week's episode of The CLE Connection, Cleveland Magazine’s podcast that takes a look at Cleveland’s surprising ties to major pop culture moments.

Read more and listen to the podcast below.

Talk of the Town

An outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an illness caused by a parasite on contaminated food and water, has led to at least 171 cases since June 20 in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The Cleveland Clinic recommends cooking fruits and vegetables, and thoroughly washing or peeling produce, along with a few other prevention tips.

Cleveland's long-running Puerto Rican Parade is on pause for 2026. Organizers announced on social media that the event is set to return Aug. 7-8, 2027.

Unionized Cleveland Public Library employees voted to strike Monday, reports Cleveland Scene. The union, SEIU District 1199, has not formally sent its notice to the library but plan to begin the strike on Aug. 24. The employees are asking for higher wages and improved work conditions. 

Take extra heat precautions — especially if you're an older adult on medication, the Cleveland Clinic says. Older adults and those on medication can have a harder time staying hydrated and regulating their body heat. Drink water, take breaks, and look out for concerning symptoms such as darkened urine or decreased urination.

Cordelia chef Vinnie Cimino and Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park are partnering on a fundraising event on Sept. 26. The event, an open house and dinner celebrating locally grown ingredients, supports Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center, an effort to create youth camping experiences. 

Things To Do: Food Fests, Concerts, Cultural Festivals and More To Enjoy This Weekend. 

By Jeff Niesel

Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets at Beachland Ballroom | Music | July 19
Veteran singer-songwriter Nick Lowe teams up with instrumental rockers Los Straitjackets for this special concert that takes place at 8 p.m. at the Beachland Ballroom. 15711 Waterloo Road, Cleveland, 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com

A Taste of Black Cleveland at Rocket Arena | Food & Drink | July 16
The annual event spotlighting local Black chefs returns to Rocket Arena. It begins at 6 p.m. The ticket price includes access to food tasting from more than 20 local Black chefs and dessert vendors as well as two drink tickets. One Center Court, Cleveland, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com

Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival at Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds | Festival | July 17-19
A slew of local, national and international musical acts will perform at this year's Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival. The festival takes place Friday through Sunday at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea. Friday's hours are 5 to 11 p.m. 19201 East Bagley Road, Middleburg Heights, 440-243-0090, clevelandirish.org

Zac Brown Band at Rocket Arena | Music | July 18
Known for live shows that often feature a slew of oddball covers in addition to original material, the versatile Zac Brown Band brings its Love & Fear tour to Rocket Arena. The concert begins at 7 p.m. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com

Taste of Tremont | Food & Drink | July 19
One of Cleveland’s longest-standing neighborhood festivals returns on Sunday as Tremont welcomes more than welcome more than 20,000 people to Professor Avenue for the annual Taste of Tremont. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from various vendors. There will be live music throughout the festival, which takes place from noon to 8 p.m. Professor Avenue, Cleveland, experiencetremont.com

For our full list of things to do visit clevelandmagazine.com/things-to-do.

Yesterday's Trivia Answer

Cleveland was once home to the first electric traffic signal. At which intersection was it installed in 1914? Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street.

Check back tomorrow for the answer to today's question.

From the Editor

Speaking with Muriel Fahrion was inspiring. Our interview went long, and she was an open book about her experiences in art-making and what the lifelong practice means to her. She even shared that she leaned on sketching during life's hardest moments, including while her late husband underwent treatment for cancer.

"It doesn't matter if I'm happy, if I'm sad, if a storm is going through my town," she says. "Drawing matters, and when I do a drawing, I'm part of that drawing."

I've always felt the same way about writing and storytelling — and I hope you can give the podcast episode a listen, and follow along as we continue to roll out even more episodes. -Annie Nickoloff, Senior Editor

Have a story idea? Tell us what we should cover at conversation@clevelandmagazine.com.