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The Steel Mill Star: A Cleveland-Cliffs Holiday Icon
Visible every season for decades, Cleveland-Cliff's steel mill star is a sure sign the holiday season approaches. By Annie Nickoloff
by Annie Nickoloff | Nov. 13, 2023 | 1:00 PM
Erik Drost
A festive blip on a nighttime drive through Cleveland: each holiday season, the humdrum Interstate-77 ride showcases a beloved star, strung between the Cleveland-Cliffs steel mills’ smokestacks, and perfectly visible in front of the glowing city skyline.
The star’s bright bulbs signify a start to year-end festivities — a glimpse through steam to celebrate one of Cleveland’s longtime industries. Hanging here, it’s shone for multiple generations of steel mill workers since the tradition started in the 1980s, according to a United Steelworkers social media post. In 2020, it became a new symbol of hope, when the local star’s color changed to blue, and remained up for extra months during the pandemic.
When the star goes up this year, we’ll know it’s Christmastime in Cleveland once again.
Annie Nickoloff
Annie Nickoloff is the senior editor of Cleveland Magazine. She has written for a variety of publications, including The Plain Dealer, Alternative Press Magazine, Belt Magazine, USA Today and Paste Magazine. She hosts a weekly indie radio show called Sunny Day on WRUW FM 91.1 Cleveland and enjoys frequenting Cleveland's music venues, hiking trails and pinball arcades.
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