The energy in Cleveland continues to rise with new developments, distinct events and intriguing exhibitions throughout the area. From sought-after sports events to world-class arts and culture (without a hint of world-class ego), visitors can experience the passion, creativity and authenticity of this lakefront Midwest city. The latest not-to-be-missed attractions, exhibits and upcoming events include:
a lineup of coveted sporting events coming to Cleveland
exciting additions for Cedar Point amusement park’s 150th season
a unique look at influential works from Pablo Picasso
the 25th anniversary of rock ‘n’ roll on the shore of Lake Erie
and new culinary concepts from acclaimed chefs.
NEW ATTRACTIONS, EXHIBITS AND EVENTS
Visitors to Cleveland this fall can enjoy a newly renovated home as the Cleveland Cavaliers tip off their 50th season, discover the future of the automobile and live out their rockstar fantasies. Here’s a look at many new and upcoming exhibits, events and developments.
SPORTS AND RECREATION
2020 NCCA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament
College basketball’s greatest players and biggest fans can experience the heart-stopping moments of NCAA Basketball in Cleveland at the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament in the spring of 2020. The newly renovated Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse will serve as the perfect setting for the tournament’s first and second rounds, as teams compete for a coveted spot in the tournament’s next round and ultimately vie to bring the championship trophy to their campus.
2021 NFL Draft
All eyes will be on Cleveland during spring 2021, when the city hosts the NFL Draft. This three-day celebration of the future of football will bring in tens of thousands of visitors eager to see their teams picks for the 2021-2022 NFL season. In Cleveland, the Draft is sure to be a non-stop party as various bars, restaurants and venues across the city will play host to fans of each NFL team, showing the country how Cleveland ‘Rocks the Clock.’
50th Season of the Cleveland Cavaliers and a newly renovated Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
The 2019-20 NBA season marks the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 50th season in The Land. All season long, fans can take a trip down memory lane, remembering the franchise’s special moments, including the 2016 NBA Championship. The Cavaliers tipoff the team’s milestone season in the glow of the newly renovated Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Guests immediately feel the transformation as they enter through an all glass façade reflecting the Cleveland skyline. More spacious concourses lead to eight new fan hospitality destinations, featuring specialty food and beverage experiences and cutting-edge technology.
Cedar Point celebrates 150 years
Founded on the Lake Erie shore in 1870, Cedar Point invites guests to the biggest celebration in the park’s history during the 150th anniversary season. To mark the occasion, guests can enjoy new additions at the park, including a river expedition ride, a reimagined Town Hall with retrospective exhibits, nostalgic food and merchandise items and a nightly celebration on the Main Midway. Stay tuned for even more announcements as more surprises will be revealed leading up to the start of the season in May 2020.
Proximity Golf Lounge
The historic 1931 Heights Rockefeller Building in Cleveland Heights is now home to Proximity Golf Lounge, an immersive golf simulation experience. Soaring stone arches, gothic chandeliers and a former bank vault space provide the 5,000-square-foot setting. Five Full Swing golf simulators feature realistic play on 84 courses from around the world while infrared sensors and an ion camera tracks the player’s movement. The fun doesn’t stop with golf; 13 other interactive games can be played on the simulators, including baseball, soccer, basketball, bocce and even zombie dodgeball.
ART & CULTURE
Cleveland Museum of Art: Picasso and Paper
Starting May 24 and running through August 23, 2020, Picasso and Paper will present nearly 300 works spanning the pioneering artist’s career. Picasso’s creative spirit and working methods will be examined through a collection of works on paper, ranging from watercolor, pastel and gouache to sculptures constructed from pieces of torn and burnt paper to monumental collages. This groundbreaking exhibition is organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in collaboration with the Musée national Picasso, Paris.
Cleveland History Center
Si Jolie! French Fashion in Cleveland
Running through June 2020, the exhibit highlights how Paris fashion motivated Clevelanders to travel abroad, influenced local trends and inspired the golden age of department stores like Higbee’s and Halle Brothers. Fashion lovers and museum guests can explore how Clevelanders showed off their fashion at cultural venues like the Euclid Avenue Opera and can expect to see pieces that range from the 1870s to today, including items from the golden age of Dior (the 1950s), Hermès, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton and more.
Electric, Steam or Gasoline: The Past, Present and Future of Alternative Power
The adage of learning from our past to guide our future rings true in this exhibit, on-display through April 2020. It begins with a look at an era when steam and electric cars dominated the market. Next, the exhibit explores the ramifications of a world filled with gas-powered automobiles. To complete the journey, modern cars are featured, including the Chrysler Portal concept and Tesla models.
Women and Politics
As the nation commemorates the Women’s Suffrage Centennial and prepares for a presidential election, Women and Politics will fill the museum with a series of permanent and temporary exhibits throughout 2020. Presented in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland, the exhibits will showcase the story of political women, from the early days of the suffragist movement to the successful fight for the 19th Amendment, and the creation and growth of the League of Women Voters.
Museum of Contemporary Art (moCa) Cleveland
Liu Wei: Invisible Cities
For this cross-venue exhibition with moCa and Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), Liu Wei developed displays in direct response to both spaces’ architecture. It features a selection of paintings and sculptures that examines the relationship between material and power, including abstract forms carved out of books, repurposed household appliances and architectural monuments made from rawhide.
Invisible Cities is Liu Wei’s first solo museum exhibition in the United States and runs through January 5, 2020, at moCa and February 9, 2020, at CMA.
Byron Kim: The Sunday Paintings
Every Sunday for the past 18 years, Byron Kim has captured a portrait of that day’s sky on canvas. In addition to the colors and light on display, the artist includes a short reflection on the day or week written directly onto the canvas. moCa Cleveland’s exhibition of The Sunday Paintings features 49 paintings from the ongoing series, beginning with the Sunday before the museum’s building opened to the public on October 7, 2012, up to the present day.
Great Lakes Science Center: Curiosity Carnival
Science can be all fun and games with Curiosity Carnival, a new exhibit created by Great Lakes Science Center. It debuts November 15, 2019 and runs through February 17, 2020. Guests can “step right up” for an immersive, multi-sensory experience that investigates STEM learnings from classic carnival rides, games and experiences. From styling a lion’s mane with magnets to uncovering optical illusions of the Fun House to learning scientific strategies to win at games of chance, a visit to the carnival has never been more amusing and informative.
MUSIC
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The Garage
Visitors can bring their dream of being a rock ‘n’ roll star to life in the Rock Hall’s newly opened interactive garage exhibit. The museum’s second floor has transformed into a hands-on area where visitors can play, mix and record their own hits on more than 15 drums, bass, guitars, keyboards and mixing boards.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary and 2020 Induction Ceremony
Built in 1995 and designed by world-renowned architect I. M. Pei, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will celebrate 25 years on the shore of Lake Erie in 2020. It is only fitting that during this milestone year, the annual induction ceremony will also be held in Cleveland May 2, 2020, bringing rock’s greatest stars and biggest fans to the city to celebrate one of music’s most pioneering genres.
Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll
After a premier at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Play It Loud takes residency at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame starting November 2019. A collaboration between the two museums, the exhibition follows rock music’s monumental impact on society and culture through the instruments and sounds that defined its voice. Featuring more than 130 instruments from artists like Chuck Berry, The Beatles, Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, Lady Gaga, Joni Mitchell and The Rolling Stones, the exhibition displays many instruments for the first time outside of a performance setting and celebrates the unique role instruments play in shaping the musical genre.
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra’s 102nd season, which encompasses 76 concerts over 26 weeks, continues a focus on new and underrepresented pieces to present innovating programming and distinct musical experiences. A highlight of the season is a citywide festival that explores music and art that was banned, marginalized, and destroyed during the Nazi’s Degenerate Art movement, shining a light on the role of art in society, government censorship and prejudice. Censored: Art & Power kicks off in May 2020 and centers around a performance of the influential 20th century opera “Lulu.” Partner programming and collaborations with notable Cleveland arts organizations, including the Cleveland Museum of Art and Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, rounds out the festival.
Mistake by the Lake Record Shop
Cleveland record label Mistake by the Lake will open a record store in November 2019. The store will be located inside the West of Venus vintage shop, which resides in the city’s Lorain Station Historic District. The store joins a collection of other vinyl shops in the city for music lovers to survey and will offer both used and new records with a focus on soul, experimental, punk and Cleveland artists and bands.
NEW RESTAURANTS & BREWERIES
Cleveland’s booming culinary scene blends the more than 100 diverse ethnicities found throughout the city. Recently opened or soon to open eateries include:
Lindey’s Lake House (Spring 2019)
Bringing the ease of the beach to Downtown Cleveland, Lindey’s Lake House is one of the newest additions to the bevy of dining options in the Flats East Bank. Striking the perfect balance between casual and formal dining, the restaurant includes a spacious patio, indoor-outdoor cast-concrete bar and large windows, which look out to the Cuyahoga River. Guests can indulge in menu favorites like jumbo lump crab cakes and brick-oven cracker-thin pizzas.
Michael’s Genuine (Spring 2019)
Miami-based Chef Michael Schwartz is making a splash in Cleveland with his colorful, electric and spicy venture, Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink at the new Van Aken District. This intimate, 65 seat neighborhood bistro serves up a globally inspired, seasonal menu offering approachable dishes like classic deviled eggs and house-smoked bacon cheddar burger to more adventurous plates, such as crispy pig ears and wood roasted octopus.
Sawyer’s (Fall 2019)
James Beard Award-Winner Jonathon Sawyer opened his newest venture, Sawyer’s, in October 2019. The restaurant highlights a love of flame-roasted flavors with most dishes being cooked over oak coals, cherry wood, grape vines and house-made charcoal. The bright, contemporary space features arched passageways, a semi-open kitchen and a host station that doubles as a satellite bar.
Zhug (Fall 2019)
Acclaimed chef Doug Katz will open a new concept, Zhug, in Cleveland Heights before the end of 2019. The chef/owner of fire food and drink and chef/partner of Provenance at the Cleveland Museum of Art will focus on Israeli cuisine for the new venture, along with other traditional foods from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures.
Goma (Fall 2019)
Award-winning chef Dante Boccuzzi will open the Japanese fusion Goma in the Pinecrest lifestyle center this year. Building on the chef’s established career with multiple restaurants in the Cleveland area and experience serving as executive chef at Nobu/Milan, Goma will offer an extensive selection of sushi rolls and shareable plates, along with a full sake menu including sake-infused cocktails.
Cleveland’s Ever-Expanding Cocktail and Brewery Scene
Since 2016, 23 new breweries have opened in Northeast Ohio, helping the beer scene get recognized by USA Today 10Best and crowning Cleveland’s Ohio City one of “America’s 7 Hottest ‘Neighbeerhoods’” by Cheap Tickets. Upcoming openings and developments include:
2019-2020 Brewery Passport
The second edition of Destination Cleveland’s Brewery Passport is sure to excite last year’s participants and entice newcomers. With four additional breweries and three prize levels, the passport encourages visitors to sip their way through Northeast Ohio’s thriving beer scene. Participants can explore as many as 34 breweries within a 25-mile radius of Downtown Cleveland, collecting stamps along the way, to get a taste of what makes Cleveland’s brews one-of-a-kind.
Platform Beer Company’s Phunkenship (November 2019)
Brewing mega house Platform Beer Co. will open a dedicated barrel souring facility and tasting room called Phunkenship. It will be located in the city’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood. Recognized as one of the fastest-growing breweries in the country, the Cleveland brewhouse’s flagship location features recently debuted hard seltzers as well as more than 20 house beers to sample.
Arsenal Cider (Fall 2019)
Pittsburgh-based Arsenal Cider will open a 30-seat taproom in the Ohio City neighborhood this fall. The U.S. Civil War-themed winery specializes in small batch hard apple cider, “cider-style” fruit wines and mead served in a welcoming, rustic space.
Voodoo Brewery (Fall 2019)
A relaxed environment with 14-16 beers on tap and pub fare for noshing are the hallmarks of the Meadville, PA-based Voodoo Brewery’s new taproom. The brewery’s first location outside of Pennsylvania will open this fall in Cleveland Heights’ Cedar-Lee neighborhood.
NEW ADDITIONS & RENOVATIONS
Cleveland’s latest updates to infrastructure and public spaces not only enhance the visitor experience but also the city’s landscape. Recent projects include:
Flats East Bank Phase III
The next phase of the Flats East Bank transformation is underway, giving visitors more riverfront access and a variety of new entertainment and food and beverage options. Phase Three will see the addition of 320 apartments, a movie theater, and four different restaurants, bar and nightclub concepts. All dining concepts will be housed in two new buildings, constructed at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River as it pours into Lake Erie. A pedestrian alleyway that is envisioned as a beer garden will separate the buildings. Amongst the new entertainment concepts are a speakeasy-style bar, a nightclub and an Asian-fusion restaurant. Rooftop patios are sure to give all visitors spectacular views of Cleveland’s greatest assets, the water.
Tru by Hilton Cleveland Midtown Hotel
Within a few minutes’ drive of the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic sits the newly-opened Tru by Hilton Cleveland Midtown hotel, offering visitors an affordable opportunity to unwind in the city’s Midtown neighborhood. Efficiently designed rooms with bright murals and bathrooms, a large, buzzing lobby ready for game play and lounging, and a 24-hour Eat. & Sip. Market, featuring local treats, snacks and single-serve wine and beer, gives the young and young-at-heart another reason to visit Cleveland.
Residence Inn by Marriott
Conveniently located across from the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic and less than one mile away from Cleveland’s arts & culture hub, University Circle, is the Residence Inn by Marriott – Cleveland University Circle/Medical Center. Whether visiting a loved one in care or checking-out the latest museum exhibit, guests will appreciate one of 175 new extended stay suite options complete with a fully equipped kitchen, pullout sofa bed and work area in this new $38 million, eight-story property.
Louis Penfield House, a Frank Lloyd Wright created home
Visitors seeking one of Northeast Ohio’s most unique and inspired overnight accommodations now can stay in a literal glass-house. The completely restored, 1,730-square-foot Louis Penfield House is a product of Frank Lloyd Wright, one of America’s most noteworthy architects. Surrounded by 30 wooded acres in Lake County, just 20 minutes east of Downtown Cleveland, the home is available for weekend getaways. It features breathtaking design elements such as a floating staircase, 12-foot floor-to-ceiling glass walls, heated floors, locally sourced kitchen counter tops and a panoramic view of the nearby Chagrin River. On top of that, all the Wright-designed furniture is included in the home, which was completed in 1955.
Gervasi Vineyard Expansion
Gervasi Vineyard, a Tuscan-inspired winery resort in Canton, recently underwent a major expansion, adding to its footprint a new combined distillery, coffeehouse and craft cocktail lounge, as well as a luxury boutique hotel. Coffeehouse by day, cocktail lounge by night, offering signature cocktails, draft beers, Gervasi wines, live music and small bites, The Still House is the perfect hang-out for day and overnight guests. The new 18,000-square-foot hotel, The Casa, offers 24 Tuscan-mission style, individual suites, featuring king-sized beds, fireplaces and an adjacent covered veranda, wrapped around a picturesque courtyard and pond, making this the ideal getaway in Northeast Ohio’s wine country.
LOOKING AHEAD
Over the next five years, Cleveland is slated to host some of the largest sporting, arts & culture and rock ‘n’ roll events. Here’s a look at what’s ahead.
2022 NBA All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association’s top talent will head to Cleveland to compete in the 2022 All-Star Game. This is sure to be a star-studded February weekend as top names in sports, music and entertainment flock to The Land to see and be seen at the slam-dunk contest, celebrity game and rising stars competition.
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.
2024 Solar Eclipse
It will be a blackout in Cleveland on April 8, 2024. The city is in the direct path of the Total Solar Eclipse and is one of just 13 states left in the dark as the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun. The darkness will be longest in Northeast Ohio, for an estimated 3 minutes and 52 seconds.
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