🍼 Name This Baby Sloth Bear! 🐻

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Good morning, Cleveland! March is about balance—so after all that fried fish and green beer, it’s time to indulge! The Chocolate, Wine & Whiskey Festival at Lago Custom Events pairs decadent desserts with the finest spirits and wines. 🍷🍫

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In today’s 216 Scoop Edition:

From March Madness to truly maddening… Downtown is going to be buzzing the next six days with basketball fans and St. Patrick’s Day partyers.

The action starts with the 2025 MAC Basketball Tournament.

At 11 a.m. today, the MAC women start their side of the tourney when Ball State faces Western Michigan. It’s the first of four games. The winners play each other on Friday. The championship game is 11 a.m. Saturday.

The MAC men get started 11 a.m., when top-seed Akron takes on Bowling Green. There are three other games, including the final game of the day, when Kent State plays Western Michigan. Winners in the bracket move to play on Friday. The championship game is 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

For game and ticket info, go here.

The tournament will attract out-of-towners from Michigan, Indiana, New York and around Ohio.

Check out our MAC Bar and Restaurant Guide in the 216 Rundown below. And, yes, we’ll be running our St. Patrick’s Day Guide on Friday.

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Building a vibrant comedy scene means more than just booking big names. Nick Kostis knows that very well.

For 40 years, he’s owned and operated Hilarities, the Cleveland club that has booked the stars of comedy – from Tim Allen to Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Burr, Jimmy Dore, Louis CK and Marc Maron. And he’s had the privilege of hosting many, like Seinfeld and Burr, long before they were stars.

“Bill Burr was an opening act when we booked him,” says Kostis. “A lot of club owners think they’re in showbiz, but our role is to provide a stage and nurture and develop comedy – without that stage there is no scene.”

He’s seen the local scene develop and grow – thanks to that stage, but also by pairing area comedians with national headliners.

“You bring in national acts and then pair them with local performers and see the interactions with the audience,” he says. “The excitement is infectious; it grows the audience and introduces people to talent we have here.”

At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, you can catch a glimpse of the scene when Hilarities hosts the 5th Annual Cleveland Comedy Award.

​The event honors and showcases talent in Cleveland’s comedy scene with, yes, awards, but also that all-important stage. More than an opening of envelopes and presentation of awards, it rolls out a variety of acts, hosted by John Armstrong. For more info, go here.

The stock market is down and the world’s a mess. But even the most die-hard of pessimists will melt when they see the latest addition to the Cleveland Metroparks.

The zoo has just announced the birth of a sloth bear cub. She was born in December at a mere 16 ounces.

After bonding behind the scenes – sloth bear cubs are completely dependent on mom after they’re born – she’s almost ready for her coming-out party.

This spring, the cub will debut at the zoo’s Susie’s Bear Hollow.

But first: The zoo is asking the public to vote on a name for the cub, who’s now 8.2 pounds and able to climb. Go here.

Voters can make a donation to support the conservation of the vulnerable species.

“The public naming opportunity gives our community the ability to make an impact to secure a future for wildlife by helping to protect sloth bears in the wild,” Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s Executive Director Dr. Chris Kuhar. 

Sloth bears are native to India and Sri Lanka and face major threats, including habitat loss and degradation due to human population growth and human-wildlife conflict.

The wrecking ball is coming for an iconic American department store. The Sears building in Middleburg Heights is being demolished to make way for a Meijer superstore.

Closed since 2017, the location remained a popular stop for “ruin porn” photographers in search of Abandoned America.

Not just because it represented a long-gone era of shopping and the death of the mall. It’s a hulking example of Googie-style design that became all the rage in the Space Age ‘60s.

Cleveland has few examples of the design left standing and the Southland Mall building was one of the biggest.

Opened in 1962, it was an attempt to modernize the brand, which started in 1887 and once had 4,000 locations and a dozen in Northeast Ohio.

Sears revolutionized shopping with iconic catalogs that sold everything from houses to hubcaps. Ah, those were different times. Sears went bankrupt in 2019.

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Geraci’s Slice Shop, 603 Prospect Avenue: A slice of pizza or a calzone served with an old-school vibe and ’80 tunes playing over the speakers makes for a fast, fun stop in between games.

Whiskey Bar, 2123 East Second Street: It’s located around the corner from the arena, boasts killer whiskey and Scotch lists and a simple, yet sophisticated food menu. Also feels like a European inn.

Clevelander, 834 Huron Road: It's always a magnet for party-hearty sports fans. Cheap beer pitchers. Rah-rah sports memorabilia on the walls. And a crowd that's proud to get loud.

Masthead Brewing, 1261 Superior Ave., Cleveland: Pizza and beer, beer and pizza. Both are great here – so are the vibes.

Bar 32 at the Cleveland Hilton Downtown, 100 East Lakeside Avenue: If you’re an out-of-towner, hit the 32nd floor of the Hilton. Fine cocktails, but the sights stir the drink… Lots of windows offering views of the lake and the city.

Barrio, 503 Prospect Avenue: The downtown location of the build-you-own taco empire is usually packed – but the service is fast nd the tequila is fine.

Betts at Kimpton Schofield Hotel, 2000 East Ninth Street: A shelter from the crowd that has big-city chic. But there's nothing stuffy about this hang and the prices hit right down the middle.

Pizza 216, 401 Euclid Avenue: A go-to stop because it's high-temp oven can complete a pie in a handful of minutes. The menu focuses on a wide range of thin-crust pizzas, including the Pierogi Pie.

Jack Cleveland Casino, 100 Public Square: The sportsbook area is a fun place to people watch – and the screens are big and are loaded with games.

Nuevo Modern Mexican, 1000 East Ninth Street: The Mexican-American spot rolls out margaritas, tequila, Mexican food and stellar views of North Coast Harbor and Voinovich Park.

Corner Alley, 402 Euclid Avenue: Yes, the bar area shows games on the TVs. You can play, too – thanks to the bowling alley and arcade-style games.

Harry Buffalo, 2120 East Fourth Street: A short walk from the arena means it’s usually packed before a game. Beers, wings and TV sets.

Wild Eagle Saloon, 921 Huron Road: Old-school video games, ping pong, bocce and pool tables to go with a party-hearty vibe, lots of beers and fast-serve menu.

Good Pizza, 2057 East Fourth Street: Unique takes on NY-style pies along with salads and an olive-oil cake – and a five-minute walk from Rocket Arena.

Welcome to this beautifully updated home in Cleveland! This charming residence has been completely renovated with modern finishes and thoughtful upgrades throughout.

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Swiss thrash-metal kings Coroner is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a U.S. tour that brings it to No Class, 11213 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland. Formed in 1985, the band has mixed thrash with avant-garde, classical and jazz to create a particular brand of musical mayhem. Also on the bill is Deceased and Necroprophecy. For tickets, go here.

The 1941 photo of the main Cleveland location of Sears, 8501 Carnegie Avenue. the department store revolutionized shopping via its catalogs — in 1888 — but those were very different days. It filed for bankruptcy in 2019.

7Ooh and don’t forget! Tag @The216Scoop & @OfficialThe216Scoop to get your photos in the Scoop!

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Wednesday

45🌡️ 37 | 🌤️ | 20% | 💨 SW 11 mph

Thursday

48 🌡️ 40 | ☀️ | 0% | 💨 SW 7 mph

Cavaliers

Away vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m., Friday.

Men’s and Women’s MAC Basketball Tournaments

March 12-15 at Rocket Arena

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