CLEVELAND (April 29, 2024) – This spring, visitors to Cleveland can see the city transform into a playground of captivating arts and culture experiences, distinctive flavors and not-to-be-missed events. The Land is blooming with a lineup of new exhibits, showstopping music experiences and a renovated hotel in the heart of the city. Travelers can consider Cleveland's newest and returning experiences to embrace springtime in the city. 

 

MAJOR EVENTS 

When it comes to major events, Cleveland is The Land of going all out. So far this year, the city has hosted a record-breaking NCAA Women's Final Four tournament and welcomed thousands of visitors for a spectacular total solar eclipse. The calendar continues to be filled with exciting events this spring and beyond.  

• Cleveland Asian Festival (May 18-19) 

At the annual Cleveland Asian Festival in the AsiaTown neighborhood, visitors can enjoy traditional musical and dance performances (including an Asian Pop Cover Dance Competition), shopping at a world marketplace of vendors and tasting their way through Asian cuisines from area restaurants and culinary entrepreneurs. 

Photos available here.  

• Pride in the CLE (June 1) 

The annual Pride in the CLE® starts with a march through Downtown Cleveland and culminates in a high-energy festival in the heart of the city on Malls B & C. The festival celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and advocates for equitable and just treatment for all with performances, live entertainment, food trucks, local vendors and a Speak Out Stage for community activists, organizers, poets and artists. 
Photos available here.  

• Cleveland Juneteenth Freedom Fest (June 14-15) 
  The family-friendly Cleveland Juneteenth Freedom Fest celebrates and commemorates the history and culture of Cleveland's Black community. Festivities include a Fashion in the Arts showcase, live performances, a vendor village of Black-owned businesses, interactive art demonstrations, food trucks and fireworks over Downtown Cleveland. 

Photos available here.  

• Mx. Juneteenth: A Black & Queer Liberation Celebration (June 15) 

Mx. Juneteenth celebrates freedom and community with an event featuring live music, drag performances, local vendors and educational workshops. The event honors the spirit of the Juneteenth holiday by providing a liberatory space and environment of respect. 

Photos available here.  

• 2024 Pan-American Masters Games (PAMG) (July 12-21) 
  Held every four years in the Americas, PAMG is an Olympic-like sports festival for athletes over 30 years old. It features 26 medal-contending sports including track and field, tennis, basketball, pickleball and cycling. The event is expected to be one of the largest international gatherings in Northeast Ohio's history, bringing up to 8,000 athletes from over 50 countries. 
• 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (October 19) 

The 2024 induction ceremony returns to Cleveland, bringing rock's greatest stars and biggest fans to the city to celebrate the pioneering music genre. The ceremony will take place October 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and will stream live on Disney+ with a special airing on ABC at a later date. 2024 inductees include Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne and A Tribe Called Quest.  

 

ARTS & CULTURE 

With new exhibits and galleries opening this season, visitors can explore diverse topics ranging from the region's manufacturing legacy to African artwork from the fourth century on display for the first time in the U.S. 

• Great Lakes Science Center: Cleveland Creates Gallery 

The Science Center's newest addition is inspired by the innovative spirit of the city and the region's legacy of manufacturing technology. At the Cleveland Creates Gallery, guests can engage with interactive exhibits that span different realms of technology at the forefront of Northeast Ohio's economy, including aeronautics, automation and remote robotics. Real-life representations of STEM professionals working in Cleveland are placed throughout the gallery, inspiring guests to imagine themselves in the STEM-rich workforce of tomorrow. 

• Cleveland Museum of Art: Monet in Focus (Through Aug. 11) 

Co-organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, Monet in Focus presents works created during the latter half of the artist's life. The featured pieces reveal how Monet immersed himself in capturing the effects of light and atmosphere on subjects and affirm Monet's status as one of the leading painters of his era. 

• Cleveland Museum of Art: Africa & Byzantium (Through July 21) 

Africa & Byzantium considers the complex artistic relationships between northern and eastern African Christian kingdoms and the Byzantine Empire from the fourth century and beyond. The first international loan exhibition to treat this subject, the show includes more than 160 works of secular and sacred art from across geographies and faiths, including large-scale frescoes, mosaics, jewelry and textiles. Lent from collections in Africa, Europe and North America, many works have never been exhibited in the U.S. 

• Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (moCa): BlackBrain: SCRD GRDN (Through May 26) 

BlackBrain Group is designed to transform individual work into dynamic collaborations grounded in a shared passion for storytelling. The group's latest project, SCRD GRDN, is an immersive painting installation about the human spirit and its existential journey through different experiences. SCRD GRDN is a project of moCa's artist residency with the Julia De Burgos Cultural Arts Center.  

• Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (moCa): Manabu Ikeda: Flowers from the Wreckage (Through May 26) 

The first North American retrospective of its kind, Manabu Ikeda: Flowers from the Wreckage presents over 50 works spanning 25 years. Using pen and ink, Ikeda creates works that bring attention and awe to the audience and also warn about the reality of climate change and environmental disasters. The artist will be in residence at moCa multiple times during the exhibition, working on a new, monumental drawing. 

• Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (moCa): Andrea Bowers: Exist, Flourish, Evolve (Through May 26) 

Cleveland-raised artist Andrea Bowers is building awareness and action around the dangers facing Lake Erie and the Great Lakes ecosystems in Exist, Flourish, Evolve. The exhibit will present a new film and works from the artist alongside a series of public programs that engage with local climate and environmental concerns and community issues. 

• Cleveland Museum of Natural History (December) 

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History will complete a $150 million expansion in early December. Pioneering a new model for natural history museums, the transformation will create a more visitor-centered experience, prioritizing relevance and inquiry-based learning while highlighting the connection between humans and nature. A new Visitor Hall opened in late 2023, creating a free community hub that presents eight of the museum's most iconic objects and specimens. In December, the Larry Sears and Sally Zlotnick Sears Dynamic Earth wing will debut immersive displays showcasing the systems and cycles that formed our planet, while the new Evolving Life wing will use featured museum specimens to show how humans are products of the same evolutionary processes that shape all life on Earth.  

 

MUSIC EXPERIENCES 

This season's music events span genres and influences, echoing the range of music-centered experiences that Cleveland offers visitors. 

• Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Revolutionary Women in Music: Left of Center (Now open) 

Designed to showcase and honor trailblazing women who have challenged the traditional gender roles in music, Revolutionary Women in Music: Left of Center features artists like Patti Smith, Beyoncé, Pink, Queen Latifah and Joan Jett. From never-before-seen items to the artists' private collections, the exhibit highlights all the ways and reasons these women have made their mark on music history and the world.  

Photos available here. 

• Tri-C JazzFest (June 20-22) 

The Tri-C JazzFest is recognized as one of the most diverse jazz festivals in the country, bringing internationally renowned artists to Playhouse Square's opulent stages. The lineup for the 45th festival features artists that push boundaries, advocate social change and explore the worlds of Broadway and Hollywood. Photos available here. 

• The Cleveland Orchestra:  Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival (May 15-26) 

The Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival returns for a second year and is centered around four fully staged performances of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. This year's festival explores the theme of “power,” a core element of Mozart's work that will be further examined through performances and panel discussions. Highlights include seven-time Grammy award winner Terence Blanchard performing Absence, an evening dedicated to his music mentor and jazz icon Wayne Shorter, and performances of The Magic Flute for Kids, an enchanting journey featuring storytelling, projected illustrations and interactive learning opportunities. 

• The Cleveland Orchestra:  Blossom Music Festival (June 29 – Sept. 1)  

The Orchestra moves to its scenic summer home in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park for the 2024 Blossom Music Festival. The festival features movie performances, the festive Salute to America on July 3 and guest performers, including banjo player Béla Fleck, fresh off his latest Grammy Award wins, and Tony and Grammy award-winning singer and actor Leslie Odom, Jr. 

 

RESTAURANT & BAR OPENINGS 

Cleveland's dining and beverage scene continues to gain attention, including a James Beard Foundation “Best Chef: Great Lakes” nomination for Cordelia's chef-partner Vinnie Cimino. The city's newest bars and restaurants build on this interest and highlight the variety of experiences and influences found in The Land. 

• Banter Gordon Square (January) 

Banter specializes in gourmet house-made sausages and Quebec-style poutine. At the restaurant's second location, guests can savor popular favorites like fried cheese curds, corndogs and Cleveland's classic Polish Boy sandwich. A selection of craft beers and fine wines from around the world (and around the corner) round out the experience. 

• Never Say Dive (January) 

A renovated 1920s-era tavern in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood is home to a new "high-low" concept Never Say Dive. Neon, marquee-style menu boards and campy art create a “revived dive” vibe. Guests can choose from a menu of small plates with vegan and vegetarian options along with house-made hard seltzers, draft cocktails and craft beers. 

• Lil Ronnie's (February) 

A new eatery from the owners of the popular Il Rione opened in the Tremont neighborhood. Dubbed Lil Ronnie's, the shop offers slices and full pies in a space connected to a longstanding neighborhood bar. Since opening in 2017, Il Rione has been acclaimed for its New York-style pizza.  

• YY Time (March) 

Transforming an auto service shop to a food hall, YYTime spotlights the latest trends in Asian street food. The 10,000-square-foot space in the AsiaTown neighborhood is home to Dagu Rice Noodle along with other stations serving dumplings, bao, yakitori skewers and of course, bubble tea. 

• The Astro (April) 

The team behind the popular Haunted House Restaurant brings The Astro, now open for dinner and weekend brunch in Downtown's Tower City Center. From The Jetsons to Star Wars and beyond, The Astro is dedicated to all things space and sci-fi. With room for nearly 200 guests on two levels, the restaurant also features a 30-seat “Men in Black” bar with bartenders dressed as movie characters. 

• Sunset Kitchen (April) 

Sunset Kitchen is a recent addition to a hub of bars and restaurants in the museum-filled University Circle neighborhood. The restaurant and lounge offers globally inspired small plates and handcrafted cocktails for dinner and Sunday brunch. 

• Kiln (Summer) 

James Beard-nominated chef Doug Katz will open Kiln in Summer 2024. Described as a modern take on a classic European bistro, the name reflects Katz's love of pottery and wood-fired cooking. The two-level space in the Van Aken District entertainment center will also feature a rooftop bar and lounge. 

 

HOTEL PROJECTS 
The latest updates to Cleveland's hotel landscape add restored historic buildings and renovated skyscrapers to an already wide array of visitor accommodations. 

• Hotel Cleveland (June) 
  Following a $90 million renovation, the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel is rebranded as Hotel Cleveland, returning the city's oldest hotel to its original name. The hotel features 491 guest rooms including 50 suites, three ballrooms and two new restaurants. Maker is an upscale restaurant and lounge with shareable dishes and show-stopping cocktails. The Mowrey—a name that gives nod to the site's original 1800s tavern—serves breakfast favorites. A grand opening is set for early June. 

• Fidelity Hotel (December) 
  A once‐vacant landmark building constructed in 1919 is being transformed into Fidelity Hotel. The downtown property will have 97 guestrooms and suites, a full-service restaurant, bar, event and meeting spaces and a private dining room. The hotel will also feature a social impact component, with a booking option to direct a percentage of the overnight rate to area nonprofits. 
• W Hotel (2025) 
  A 1960s modernist skyscraper in Downtown Cleveland will host a new W Hotel and the first location for W Apartments. Plans for the 210-room hotel include a 15,000-square-foot ballroom and event center, a full-service spa and gym and a restaurant and bar on the 38th floor with panoramic city views. 

 

To keep up to date on new developments and activities, please visit www.thisiscleveland.com or follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. 
 

### 

 

ABOUT DESTINATION CLEVELAND: Destination Cleveland is Cleveland's destination marketing and management organization. The private, non-profit organization's mission is to stimulate economic growth by attracting people and connecting them to experiences that illustrate Cleveland's diversity, creativity and contagious passion. In 2022, visitation increased 12% over the year prior to 17.9 million visits. For more information, visit www.thisiscleveland.com.