CLEVELAND (October 2, 2023) – With dazzling fall foliage, crisp Lake Erie breezes and the excitement of Browns football, the fall months are an ideal time to visit Cleveland. This season, visitors to The Land can enjoy a front row seat to groundbreaking arts and cultural experiences, including a rare exhibit of Chinese art and a world premiere by the Cleveland Orchestra. The cultural experiences continue with a stop at some of the city’s newest restaurants, showcasing international flavors and styles as diverse as Cleveland’s residents.
Jump to: Performing Arts, Exhibits, Restaurants & Bars, Hotels and Looking Ahead
World-Class Performing Arts Groups Kick Off Historic Seasons
With everything from Broadway shows to history-making orchestra performances and an exhibit dedicated to 50 years of hip hop music, fall marks the start of many of Cleveland’s 2023-2024 performing arts seasons and can’t-miss experiences for visitors.
- Cleveland Orchestra 2023-24 Season (Sept. 2023-May 2024)
The Cleveland Orchestra’s 106th season of concerts at Severance Music Center features 14 guest artist debuts, 12 works performed for the first time by The Cleveland Orchestra, three world premieres, two U.S. premieres and nine works by living composers, including the world premiere of a Cleveland Orchestra co-commission of Johannes Maria Staud’s Whereas the reality trembles.
- Karamu House 2023-24 Season (Sept. 22, 2023-May 19, 2024)
Karamu House, the country’s oldest Black producing theatre, begins its 2023-2024 schedule with four new plays covering topics of race, society and individualism in modern America: “Clyde’s,” “The Breakfast at the Bookstore,” “It Happened in Atlanta” and “Choir Boy.” An expansion of the theater campus will be completed later this year, adding a bistro, outdoor stage and new performance space.
- Playhouse Square’s 2023-24 Broadway Season (Oct. 3, 2023-Aug. 11, 2024)
As the country’s largest performing arts center outside of New York City, Playhouse Square is a premier Broadway touring partner. The 2023-2024 KeyBank Broadway Series features multiple Tony® Award-winning productions and tour debuts: “The Wiz,” “The Girl From the North Country,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Funny Girl,” “Company,” the North American tour debut of “Back to the Future: The Musical” and “MJ.”
- Hip Hop at 50: Holla If Ya Hear Me (through December 2023)
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s newest exhibit commemorates 50 years of hip hop with never-before-seen and “new school” artifacts from artists like DJ Kool Herc, Roxanne Shante, The Sugarhill Gang, Salt-N-Pepa and Jay-Z. Through iconic jewelry, fashion and records, visitors can follow hip hop from moguls and social issues, east to west coast and all the beats, rhythms and art that happen in between.
Cultural Institutions Present Rare Art and New Exhibits for Fall
Museumgoers of all interests will enjoy a wealth of options this fall as prominent institutions present rare exhibits years in the making, introduce multimillion-dollar spaces for the first time and welcome visitors to festive seasonal experiences.
- Cleveland Museum of Natural History Visitor Hall Grand Opening (Oct. 15, 2023)
A new 50,000-square-foot Visitor Hall will open as part of the Cleveland Natural History Museum’s $150-million transformation, which will be completed in 2024. The Visitor Hall will be a community space that is open to the public. Permanent displays include a reconstruction of “Lucy,” the 3.2-million-year-old human ancestor first discovered by a team led by CMNH scientists as well as a geological sample from the moon and modern-day animals illustrating evolutionary change, biological diversity and human impact on the world.
- Cleveland History Center
- Fashion After Dark (Now-June 2024)
Located inside the preserved 1911 Hay-McKinney Mansion, this exhibit showcases the impact that gaslight and early electricity had on fashion and fabric selection in the Gilded Age. The exhibition simulates the atmosphere of an evening on Cleveland’s Euclid Avenue in the late-1800s with immersive lighting and sound. Vignettes display dressing, dining, entertaining and household service with a focus on the fashion of the period.
- The Cleveland History Center’s Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum highlights the detail and engineering feats of the last century with two new exhibits:
- BMW Centennial: A Symphony of Cylinders (Now-Jan. 31, 2024) showcases the diversity of the BMW engine range with models from the late 1930s up to the 2000s.
- Cleveland National Air Races: Speedway of the Skies (permanent gallery) features the aircraft, artifacts and memorabilia from aviation’s Golden Age (1920-1950) and the National Air Races held frequently in Cleveland.
- Cleveland Botanical Garden: “Frost: An Ice-Capped Garden Experience” (Nov. 18-Dec. 31)
As the cooler temperatures of fall arrive in The Land, the lush gardens of the Botanical Garden will be transformed into a winter wonderland of towering ice arches, light installations, a tunnel of flowers, larger-than-life animals, more than 500 poinsettias and seasonal soundscapes to create a completely immersive new world for the holiday season.
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Degas and the Laundress: Women, Work, and Impressionism (Oct. 8-Jan. 2024) This groundbreaking exhibition is the first to explore Edgar Degas’s representations of Parisian laundresses, with a selection of works united for the first time. The exhibit contextualizes these works with others of the same subject by the artist’s contemporaries, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Also featured are posters, photographs and books that reveal the interest of Parisians in the topic of laundresses during the late-1800s.
- China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta (Now-January 2024) This exhibition was developed with the cooperation of Chinese museums and features more than 200 objects from 40+ international museums on view for the first time to the American public. Pieces illustrate the rich history of the Jiangnan region, one of China’s wealthiest, most populous and agriculturally fertile lands.
- Egyptomania: Fashion’s Conflicted Obsession (Now‐January 2024) This exhibition brings together nearly 50 objects that explore the influence of Egyptomania in fashion by juxtaposing contemporary fashion and jewelry with fine and decorative artworks from CMA’s collection.
- Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (moCa) Summer/Fall 2023 (now‐December 31)
moCa’s 2023 exhibitions and artist residencies focus on identity, nature, memory and collaboration with debut exhibitions by inspiring artists. “A soft place to land” highlights textiles’ ability to embody collective and individual memories. “Don’t Mind If I Do,” a group exhibition co‐curated by Shannon Finnegan, features works by artists from the disability arts ecosystem. All things can be picked up and touched, bringing the art to the visitor. “¡Juntos! (Together)” features works from a diverse group of Cleveland Latino artists that illustrate their distinct backgrounds and unique artistic styles.
- The Archive at Cleveland Public Library (now-January 2024)
Thousands of delicate flowers suspended from the ceiling create a dreamlike effect in Cleveland Public Library’s new exhibit, The Archive. Designed by British artist Rebecca Louise Law, known for immersive exhibits with natural materials, the free experience is composed of over 50,000 preserved flowers carefully arranged to create an ethereal display to walk through.
Restaurant & Bar Openings Highlight Cleveland’s Diverse Communities
Cleveland’s newest restaurants underscore the increasing diversity of diners’ preferences as well as the evolving immigrant population, with recent openings featuring authentic cuisines from Central and South America, the Philippines, Italy and Spain.
- Clandestina (July)
This mezcal and tequila-focused bar brings 130+ mezcals, tequilas, exotic Mexican spirits and South and Central American liquors to the Downtown-adjacent Ohio City neighborhood. A menu of street food offerings includes tlayudas, burritos and tamales as well as Mexican-inspired light bites.
- Tripi (July)
A new Italian American deli and market in Ohio City sells salads, ready-to-serve hot entrees and Italian sandwiches crafted by Chef Anthony Zappola. For home cooks, a retail section is stocked with specialty items like dried pasta and imported canned foods.
- Luna Bakery & Café (August)
Downtown Cleveland now boasts its own location of this popular scratch bakery, serving handmade crepes, paninis, salads and soups for breakfast and lunch.
- Restaurante Guanaquitas 2 (August)
Owner Blanca Hernandez’s first restaurant developed a loyal following for its pupusas and other Salvadoran specialties. Restaurante Guanaquitas 2 expands those offerings with a blend of traditional Salvadoran and Spanish items alongside American diner-style foods.
- Tita Flora’s (August)
Diners can now enjoy authentic Filipino recipes, from crispy lumpia and pork sisig to longsilog in a warm, family-run atmosphere at Cleveland’s first sit-down Filipino restaurant.
- La Playa Fresh Seafood (August)
The vibrant colors of La Playa Fresh Seafood’s interiors transport guests to the owner’s home state of Jalisco, Mexico. The seafood-centric menu is inspired by Mexican beach culture and features ceviche, steamed shrimp, seafood cocktails and grilled fish.
- Sushi 86 and Bites (September)
Sushi 86 and Bites brings sushi, poke bowls, sandwiches, salads and breakfast foods to visitors to some of Downtown Cleveland’s top lakefront attractions, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Great Lakes Science Center.
- Colina Wine Bar (Fall)
This opening will bring an intimate wine bar and restaurant with South American and Northern Italian influences to the artsy Larchmere Boulevard neighborhood.
- Parilya (Fall/winter)
A popular immigrant-run Filipino food truck makes the transition to brick-and-mortar with the opening of Parilya, a casual 20-seat restaurant serving dishes like lumpia, pancit and chicken tocino as well as traditional Filipino dessert options.
- La Cave Du Vin (Fall/winter)
A beloved wine bar will reopen in a new space and neighborhood late this year by popular restaurateur Will Hollingsworth’s Buildings & Food group. The La Cave Du Vin revival is positioned as an intimate gathering place to enjoy a glass of wine in the Tremont neighborhood.
- Evelyn (Fall/winter)
Featuring 1940s Art Deco décor, Evelyn will feature elevated tapas and paella in a whimsical environment. The new spot in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood joins a growing restaurant group from James Beard‐nominated chef Jill Vedaa and business partner Jessica Parkison.
Accommodation Offerings Continue to Expand with New 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.
- Glidden House (May)
Originally the home of Frank and Mary Glidden (of the Glidden Paint Co.), the Glidden House was built in 1910 and represents the French Gothic Eclectic architecture style that was prevalent in the stately mansions of the time. Recent renovations to the 52 traditional guest rooms reflect the grandeur of the family home with local hand-crafted furnishings, upscale finishes and original works from local artists. Photos available here.
- Hotel Cleveland (2024)
After extensive renovations, the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel will be rebranded as Hotel Cleveland, returning the city’s oldest hotel to its original name. The 491‐room hotel will be part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, a group of hotels crafted to leave a lasting imprint on guests. Photos and renderings available here.
- Fidelity Hotel (2024)
A once‐vacant office building and downtown landmark will be transformed into a 97‐room boutique hotel. The independent property will be named Fidelity Hotel in a nod to the building’s original name and will include dining, meeting rooms and a speakeasy‐style bar.
- 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.
Looking Ahead
Next year, Cleveland will welcome visitors for several notable events. Here’s a look at what’s ahead.
- 2024 NCAA Women’s Final Four
After hosting this championship in 2007, Cleveland will again welcome the NCAA DI Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four in 2024 to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The top teams in collegiate women’s basketball will face off for the championship trophy.
- 2024 Solar Eclipse
It will be a blackout on April 8, 2024, as the city is in the direct path of the Total Solar Eclipse. With unobstructed views along Lake Erie and in the acres of greenspace throughout the area, and special programming by local science institutions—including NASA’s Glenn Research Center and Great Lakes Science Center—The Land is an ideal location to witness the celestial event.
- 2024 Pan-American Masters Games (PAMG)
Held every four years in the Americas, PAMG is an Olympic-like sports festival for athletes over 30 years old. It will feature 26 medal-contending sports including track and field, tennis, basketball, pickleball and cycling. The event is expected to be the largest international gathering in Northeast Ohio’s history, bringing over 10,000 athletes from more than 50 countries.
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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 2021, visitation to Cuyahoga County rebounded to 16.1 million visits, a 17% increase after the COVID-19 global pandemic reduced visitation by 30 percent in 2020. For more information, visit www.thisiscleveland.com.