On Saturday, Fresh Fest Cleveland returns with a full day of musical performances, art installations, local vendors, a farmers market and activities that focus on health and wellness. Headlining this year’s Fresh Fest is hip-hop legend Big Daddy Kane.
Fresh Fest, held in the Garden Valley community of Cleveland’s Kinsman neighborhood, celebrates local arts and urban agriculture with an emphasis on healthy living. Festival co-founder Brittany Benton says the event has been rooted in the community since the event first took place in 2019.
The event all started when festival co-founder Kim Foreman had an idea to create a community event that was interlaced with hip-hop, food justice and cultural representation.
“I sat across the table from Kim when she said she wanted to grow just an amazing block party [and] cookout for the whole community, and that it will be celebrating our culture, our music [and] real hip-hop,” says Benton. “And you know, just putting the whole city on.”
To capture Fresh Fest’s mission of providing access to health and wellness, the focal point of Fresh Fest is Rid-All Farm, an active urban farm with a community kitchen, composting, tree nursery and training programs.
The event continues to grow each year, gaining bigger headliners — including, in the past, Biz Markie, DJ Spinderella and KRS-One — and a larger audience. Registrations increased from 5,300 to 7,300 this year, according to Benton.
This year, be sure to check out the local music lineup, featuring acts like Jinari Kemet, Esther Fitz, Floco Torres, DJ Corey Grand, Curly Chuck and more. There’s also a basketball tournament, beer garden, puppet show and a kids’ spa.
Fresh Fest takes place Sept. 14 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Rid-All Farm and Otter Park at 8129 Otter Ave. Parking is free at two locations: at Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, 8120 Kinsman Road, and a parking lot directly across from Fire Station #26, at the corner of East 79th St. and Kinsman Road. Tickets are free and attendees can register on the Fresh Fest website. A complimentary shuttle will provide transportation from the parking lots to Fresh Fest from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m.
Find more details at Fresh Fest’s website.
https://www.freshfestcleveland.com/vendors-and-schedule
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