CLEVELAND – Whether it’s the Lake Erie shoreline filling with sailboats and beach parties or cheers from crowds at Guardians baseball games and outdoor concerts echoing through the city, The Land comes to life in the summer and fall. Clevelanders know these seasons can’t be beat, and travelers can see why as they experience great weather as well as new exhibits, events and openings, including:
- a contemporary art triennial that fills the region with compelling exhibits and installations
- a photographic journey through the golden age of soul, R&B and funk music at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and
- a recreation center with rooftop bar and restaurants at a new LGBTQ community hub.
Jump to: Sports & Outdoors, Music & Performing Arts, Arts & Culture, Food & Beverage, Hotels & Developments
Athletic & Outdoor Activities Bring the Action & Excitement
Visitors can experience the thrill of the game and enjoy some friendly competition with sporting events and new attractions, including:
- Tennis in the Land – WTA 250 (Aug. 21-27)
The top tennis athletes will compete in the second
Tennis in the Land, a Women’s Tennis Association 250 event and part of the U.S. Open Series. A temporary stadium court will be constructed in view of the downtown skyline at the riverfront Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica.
- Cleveland National Air Show (Sept. 3-5)
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will headline the
2022 Cleveland National Air Show over Labor Day weekend. The show will be the Cleveland debut of the Blue Angels flying a larger jet platform with the F/A-18 Super Hornet and a new logistics support aircraft, the C-130J Super Hercules.
- The Fieldhouse at Studio West 117
Nearly 100,000 square feet of real estate on Cleveland’s west border is being renovated to create
Studio West 117, a new LGBTQ community hub. The first phase will be completed in October with
The Fieldhouse, an indoor/outdoor recreation center home to a trailblazing LGBTQ youth sports league, an inclusive
Gymnasium, new restaurants and a rooftop lounge. With free membership, visitors can utilize the facilities while in town.
The Flats neighborhood near Downtown Cleveland is home to a newly opened indoor golf simulator and bar.
West Bank Golf Club offers a realistic golf experience and a relaxing entertainment environment for all levels of golfers. Three FullSwing Golf simulators enable visitors to hit the virtual green on more than 80 of the highest regarded courses in the world. The space also offers arcade games, pool tables and a conference room for group rentals.
Music Exhibits & Performing Art Events Engage Fans
Cleveland hits all the right notes for music fans with the opening of a new exhibit at the world’s only Rock Hall and a new season of classical concerts from the acclaimed Cleveland Orchestra.
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
- Hotter Than July: Photographs by Bruce Talamon (through summer 2023)
Hotter Than July offers a visual representation of Blackness during the golden age of Soul, R&B and funk (1972 - 1982) through the lens of photographer Bruce Talamon. Featuring photos of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Bootsy Collins, the exhibit transports guests to the smoke-filled clubs on the Crenshaw Strip in South Los Angeles and the largest arenas around the world, where Talamon captured the passion and beauty of the music and the moment.
- The Beatles: Get Back to Let It Be (through March 2023)
Visitors can follow the band’s creative journey through original instruments, clothing and handwritten lyrics, including items loaned by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the estates of George Harrison and John Lennon.
The exhibit features high-definition film clips, audio and custom projections to transport fans into The Beatles’ vibrant world of January 1969, including rehearsals, studio sessions and the band’s final live performance.
Photos available here.
- The Cleveland Orchestra’s 105th Season (Sept. 2022–May 2023)
The
Orchestra’s 105th season illustrates the ensemble’s remarkable versatility and artistic ambition. Season highlights include 20 guest artist debuts, acclaimed guest conductors and thirteen works being performed for the first time by the Orchestra, including four world premieres and one U.S. premiere. The season starts off on September 29 with a performance of
Mahler’s Resurrection, an evocative symphony about humanity’s search for meaning in life and death.
- Playhouse Square Broadway Series
Visitors to Playhouse Square – the country’s largest performing arts center outside NYC– can catch a show in the
2022-2023 KeyBank Broadway Series, which includes “Les Misérables,” “Cats,” “Beetlejuice,” “Hadestown,” “Tina - The Tina Turner Musical,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” and “Six the Musical.”
New Exhibits & Cultural Events Celebrate the City’s Diversity
Cleveland visitors can explore a playground of arts and culture experiences at both traditional and unexpected venues this season.
- FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art (through October 2)
The second edition of
FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art is comprised of more than 75 artist commissions displayed at more than twenty sites in Cleveland and nearby cities of Akron and Oberlin. Visitors can embark on a free region-wide art scavenger hunt with projects including a
virtual reality arcade, a series of silent films on view at a
neighborhood bar, creation of the
city’s largest public art piece with a mural from Julie Mehretu and a
public, Bluetooth-enabled dancefloor from Swedish architecture trio Dansbana!
Photos available here.
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Impressionism to Modernism: The Keithley Collection (Sept. 11–Jan. 8, 2023)
The
new exhibition celebrates the gift of more than 100 works that Clevelanders Joseph P. and Nancy F. Keithley made to the museum in March 2020 – the most significant gift in more than 60 years. The collection focuses on Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and modern European and American paintings and includes works from Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro, Gustave Caillebotte, Édouard Vuillard and Henri-Edmond Cross. The exhibition also features a selection of European and American decorative arts and Chinese and Japanese ceramics.
Photos available here.
- Museum of Contemporary Art (moCa)
- Renée Green: Contact (through Jan. 1, 2023)
Contact weaves together Cleveland artist Renee Green’s own works – some newly commissioned by FRONT 2022 – along with an array of invited participants. The exhibit occupies all of moCa’s public spaces and engages with the building’s unique architecture to establish a spatial and cinematic conversation between multiple artworks and agents.
- Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival (Sept. 15-23)
With a theme of Afrofuturism, the 11
th Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival will take viewers on an intergalactic journey that stretches back long before the term existed and far into the future. The 9-day festival showcases independent Black films and provides a forum for the work of diverse filmmakers to be viewed and discussed with panels, workshops and symposiums.
New Restaurants for Hungry Travelers
Cleveland visitors can always eat well with a culinary scene that highlights the more than 100 diverse ethnicities found throughout the city and fresh offerings from urban and nearby farms.
Soaring ceilings, bronze light fixtures and a large, preserved tree trunk with silk leaves welcome guests to
Bartelby, which opened in the 1920s-era Union Bank Building near the historic West Side Market. Modern supper club fare is complimented by a beverage program designed by the owner of the popular bar The Spotted Owl.
Cordelia is a celebration of “Midwest Nice” hospitality on Downtown Cleveland’s East 4
th Street. A menu of sharable “modern Grandma” cuisine highlights in-house butchering, fermentation and curing along with the seasonal bounty from local farms.
Chef Josh Admon relocated his family from Jerusalem to Cleveland Heights to open neighborhood bagel shop and bakery
Nubeigel. Admon’s fresh-baked bagel flavors of plain, salt, sesame and mish-mosh will be paired with schmears, lox, fish salads and vegan spreads.
- Bright Side and Bird of Paradise (June 2022)
The Ohio City neighborhood gains two modern and colorful bar and restaurant concepts with
Bright Side and the tropical-themed
Bird of Paradise basement lounge. Bargoers and foodies will flock to the inviting interiors with rose gold disco balls, gold ceilings and pastel accents. The menu features veggie-forward dishes along with naturally leavened pizzas and “table snacks” like crispy deviled eggs and duck confit pierogi.
Photos available here.
- Pioneer, Edda and Jaja (Summer 2022)
Across from the historic West Side Market, three new concepts are opening in the new Intro Cleveland building.
Edda Coffee Roasters is an all-day café that features single-origin coffees, sandwiches and pastries. The camping-themed sports bar
Pioneer highlights a massive live-fire grill, custom Airstrem bar, a menu of smoked meats and expansive patio seating. The soon-to-open
Jaja will be a conrtemporary Argetine steakhouse with a retractable skylight roof.
- 1942 Tacos and Tequila (May 2022)
Dining options for theatergoers has expanded with the opening of
1942 Tacos and Tequila near Playhouse Square in Downtown Cleveland. Guests can enjoy a menu of Mexican dishes with quesabirria tacos, street corn and margaritas.
Amba engages guests with dark, elegant interiors and showstopping small plates that pay homage to the flavors and ingredients of India. Acclaimed chef Doug Katz opened the restaurant in the Ohio City neighborhood, along with the adjoining
A Bar, where visitors can enjoy handcrafted cocktails in a casual, intimate lounge space.
Photos available here.
- Sophie la Gourmande (April 2022)
Cleveland chef, caterer and culinary instructor Bob Sferra delights Francophiles with the opening of patisserie and café
Sophie la Gourmande in Cleveland Heights. The bakery features pain au chocolat and palmiers alongside lunch options of quiche, salads and croque monsieurs.
- Cleveland Sandwich Co. (April 2022)
Chef Kevin O’Connell brings his culinary experiences from Buffalo and Los Angeles to Downtown Cleveland, where he is rebuilding a food empire after serving time in prison.
Cleveland Sandwich Co. utilizes hand-carved meat and products from local vendors to elevate classic sandwiches into an inspired culinary creation. On select Friday nights, the chef hosts
Cleveland Supper Club, a foodie experience with a 5-course tasting menu that is limited to 20 guests.
Ultra-modern décor and a DJ-guided soundtrack provide the backdrop for Instagrammable moments at the new dining and nightlife destination
Filter. Chef Jarrett Mine guides the not-your-typical-steakhouse menu, while the décor and atmosphere promise to leave a lasting impression.
- Juneberry Table (April 2022)
Breakfast is on the menu with the opening of
Juneberry Table, a contemporary urban diner by acclaimed chef Karen Small. The all-day breakfast and lunch menu is influenced by Appalachian classics like greens, cured meats and preserves.
Cheers to New & Expanded Breweries
The Cleveland area boasts more than 40 brewhouses and dozens of beer bars serving up craft brews of all kinds. New breweries and recent updates include:
- Terrestrial Brewing Co. (July 2022)
After five years of pouring signature brews and building a following of fans (and
their dogs),
Terrestrial Brewing Co. has expanded the brewery and taproom space with an 80-seat restaurant. The gastropub menu features signature brews in dishes, such as beer-braised duck poutine, beer-battered walleye sandwich and a dark chocolate stout pot du crème.
- Pulpo Beer Co. Taproom (Summer 2022)
The
first Latin-owned brewery in Ohio will open a new taproom at the Crocker Park lifestyle center, located a short drive west of Downtown Cleveland. Visitors can sip craft creations like a Blonde Mamacita ale, Pulpo Libre lager or El Generalissimo stout in the new 4,000-square-foot taproom.
- Wyne Tasting Bar (Summer 2022)
Wine lovers of all levels can soon grab a glass in a new wine lounge and retail shop in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
Wyne Tasting Bar will feature a high-tech wine preservation and pouring system that will offer 32 different bottles with a range of varietals.
Hotel Enhancements & Developments Welcome Visitors
The latest updates to Cleveland’s hotels enhance the visitor experience as well as the city’s landscape. Recent and upcoming projects include:
- Kimpton Schofield Hotel (July 2022)
The
Kimpton Schofield Hotel has doubled the number of available suites with the recent remodel of the building’s eighth floor. Ideal for extended stays, seven former residential units have been meticulously updated to provide guests the comforts of home, including full kitchens, walk-in showers, in-suite washers and dryers and record players complete with a vinyl collection.
- ROOST Apartment Hotel (March 2022)
ROOST Apartment Hotel blends the comfort and practicality of an apartment with the amenities and design of a boutique hotel. The hotel spans three floors of The May building, an adaptive restoration of a historic department store designed by architect Daniel Burnham in 1915. The 62 studio, one- or two-bedroom apartments are available for short- and long-term stays, with amenities including a yoga studio, three-story open-air atrium and panoramic rooftop terrace.
Photos available here.
A 1960s modernist skyscraper in Downtown Cleveland will host a new
W Hotel, opening in 2023. 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 38
th floor with panoramic city views.
After extensive renovations, the
Renaissance Cleveland Hotel will be rebranded as the Hotel Cleveland, returning the city's second-largest hotel to its original name. The 491-room hotel will be part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. Renovations to the 1918 building are underway and set to be completed in 2023.
Looking Ahead
Over the next few years, 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 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The top teams in collegiate women’s basketball will face off for the championship trophy.
It will be a blackout in Cleveland on April 8, 2024, as the city is in the direct path of the
Total Solar Eclipse. The moon will completely block out the sun for nearly four minutes in Cleveland, one of the longest durations for major cities in the path. With unobstructed views over Lake Erie and in the acres of greenspace throughout the area, as well as 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 features nearly 20 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 7,500 athletes from more than 50 countries.
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ABOUT DESTINATION CLEVELAND: Destination Cleveland is Cleveland’s destination marketing and management organization. This private, non-profit organization’s mission is to drive economic impact and stimulate community vitality for Greater Cleveland through leisure and business travel. 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. Destination Cleveland continues its work to rebuild the travel and tourism industry, with the goal of exceeding pre-pandemic success as quickly as possible. For more information, visit www.thisiscleveland.com.