We try to make it to Ingenuity Fest every year. It is a huge area full of bands, activities and art installations. It makes me happy they are putting an older building to good use. It is also very family friendly and offers tons of activities for kids. There are things to do both inside and outside. It is not for the faint of heart. To see everything it involves lots of walking. There are some food trucks. I feel like there could have been more. Also the drink vendors inside did not have water available. The building is so large air is not an option and it gets very warm. If you want to learn about fun resources we have in Cleveland this is the place for you. Did you know Cleveland has a Ghostbusters team? It is a shame it only happens once a year, but the planning that goes into this event has to start when the last event ends. read more

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What is wrong with me that I forgot to update my review a longggg time ago? The 2019 IngenuityFest was simply exceptional. It was one of the best experiences I have had at a Cleveland arts event in recent history. I felt such a deep connection to every activation in every nook and cranny at this zany and wonderful event. At the 2019 festival, I was so thrilled at the commitment they made to accessibility. There were clear accessibility markers on their maps, accessible seating opportunities and just a general heightened awareness that felt palpable. It says so much to me about a business or organization that takes the time to live up inclusivity values and not just use them as buzzwords. As always, the immersive art, hands-on activities, music, dance and off-the-beaten-path installations were amazing. There was always something to see, do, touch or listen to. Everything is an intersection of science, technology and creativity. Ingenuity can be hard to describe if you've never been. Do yourself a favor and get there, explore and fall in love with Cleveland arts. You won't regret it! read more

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I know most people enjoyed the night life of ingenuity fest but the day time was a really fun time. I took an eleven and eight year old with me and they both had fun. It's great to let them do hands on technical and artistic expression. They asked a lot of questions which opened great talking points and learning opportunities. It was also good for them to see kids their age playing in bands and Orchestra. This was really a Sunday fun day. I'd say the food trucks were limited and pricey but if you pack a lunch that becomes a non issue. Shout out to my yelp CM for the tickets. read more

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This years Ingenuity Fest is located at 5401 Hamilton which is off of East 55 and one street north of St.Clair. It's open today 9/23/17 from noon until 1am and tomorrow from noon until 5pm. Admission is 5 bucks. What can I say? There are too many words and too many pictures to describe all the sights, sounds and feel of everything I experienced Friday night, the first place I entered was Rebuilders Exchange that was just a warehouse of everything you might be looking for to rebuild your century home and while I was looking around I saw examples of the work being done by 'Graffiti Heart' and I'll let the picture do the justice it deserves. After that it kept getting better and better, I saw a Lego table and sand tables for children to express themselves with, all kinds of really cool 3D art, plenty of unique one of a kind chairs to sit in, the thousand faces project that has to be seen to believe. I saw some sort of interpretive dance by belly dancers (sort of) that I couldn't stop watching it was so good. I saw art from around the world and was able to talk to the artists including a painting that mesmerized me by a young woman from Iraq. There was a ceiling swing attached to the support frame that had to be at least 80 feet up, rope forts, one of a kind tire swings, metal sculptures that shot out flames, a butterfly exhibit in a large netted enclosure and on and on and on not to mention all the different kinds of music being played around just about every corner. The was Skid Mark garage for bikers who need a special tool or knowledge to bring their bikes or just hang out, sit, drink a beer or just play a game of pool. I met Peter from 'Soulcraft' who told me his shop is dedicated to helping those with unique ideas build their dreams and then he showed me a project his daughter did in 5th grade that measured the speed of sound with propane flames, very, very cool. On the way out you have to stop by Games Done Legit and try out the virtual reality exhibit, I was blown away by the graphics and cannot describe in words how wonderful it was. If you have a chance this weekend visit ingenuity fest and have a blast, it'll be the best 5 dollars you spent in awhile. read more

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I've been an artist at Ingenuity Festival for three years now. It's been one of the most consistently rewarding experiences I have had in Cleveland. The lower level of the Veterans Memorial Bridge (Detroit Superior bridge) is one of Cleveland's true treasures. Filling it with artists once a year creates a unique energy that can't really be described. read more

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My first time here, what a great disappointment. I thought this event would be the highlight of my Saturday night but it was just so boring. Maybe it wasn't for me but everything was sort of closed down when we got there but they should have at least more excitement for the late comers, but nope. The only things I liked were the chairs exhibit, doodle board, and a techno rave. I wanted to see more artwork but mainly were bunch of local artists playing their music. The entire festival was held under the bridge so the space was utilized but the capacity was large enough to place more content! An utter disappointment, I wished there were a lot more to see but barely anything. We basically walked from one end to the other, and left. We did however, took a few pictures and wrote on the doodle board. Maybe next time, I'll try to go during the day and one tip: wear comfy shoes! read more

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How ye mighty have fallen. Ingenuityfest had been an source of interactive art and technology exhibits, art installations, performances of art, music, film, even more niches like magic, dance, and vaudeville (some of which were experimental and would make you wonder: "what am I really seeing?" in a good way) for the last decade. This year's Ingenuityfest was embarrassingly pathetic. I arrived on Saturday night at 8:30pm. Before arriving, I was looking to find a descriptive schedule on the website and found a schedule on the website listing the events but they didn't have any descriptions. I eventually found them on a different page without the times listed by events. I also noticed there was no mention of parking on the website but I was biking it in, so no big deal. I chalked it up to some poor website design and thought this year would be as good as in the past. And upon walking in. Wow. There was less than 12 total art installations. Just twelve. That's it! Remarkably fewer compared to years past. I walked around and asked myself, is this it?! There were probably more vendor booths (selling t-shirts, kitschy arts, food and even kitchen renovations) than exhibits/demonstrations ! At one point around 9:30PM, there was only one live performance going on. Just one! Other Logistics were horrible. The installations were quite spread out along the lake, north of the GLSC, within the port warehouse, its parking lot, and the Rock Hall but there no signs detailing where to go were posted. Lighting was quite poor in many parts. It's a real shame for Cleveland how Ingenuityfest has deteriorated. Hopefully someone will take up a mantle to offer a great outdoor festival of all types of media and art that's accessible to high-brow and the public, because Ingenuityfest surely is no longer doing it. read more

70% hipsters, 20% nerds, or 10% people genuinely interested in technology and/or the arts (aka myself) looking disinterested, completely confused, and overall underwhelmed. I wasn't sure what to expect with this being my first Ingenuity Fest, but apparently some people have found it entertaining in the past. Unfortunately, watching a few teens play mario cart on a gigantic projector, groups of people obnoxiously swing around on gigantic swings and tires rigged to the ceiling of a warehouse, and smoosh paint and water around on an overhead projector isn't my idea of a fun time. Just a bunch of lights, poor performances (hoola hooping girls swung the hoola hoop across the room at the crowd unintentionally a few times), horrible acoustics (I get that it's in a warehouse, but just a bunch of echoing bass after a while can be annoying). Tables were wobbly, seating areas were filthy and looked like soiled sheets draped over cushions. Tons of empty space with very few vendors. Barely any descriptions of exibits or artists present to describe or present their art. Just a bunch of random, sparse, weird stuff everywhere. As one review put it this "festival" was basically a poor science fair. This festival has much potential, and the idea to have it in an industrial warehouse was a really neat idea, unfortunately it seemed poorly planned, low-budget, unprofessional and highly overrated. read more

This year was different from past years, but that's what makes this festival cool, right? Like other yelpers have mentioned, art is subjective. So, whether you prefer IngenuityFest with more art installations, performing arts or you like interactive art is completely up to the individual--and it's ever changing here! I've been going come to this festival since the first year on the bridge. I think it was called the Bridge Fest? Either way, I personally prefer more art installations and perfomance. I loved the past waterfall displays, galleries, videos, etc. This year? The text hearts were sweet, the doodle bar was back, as well as the interactive graffiti wall--both really fun. We were there with my boyfriend's son, so we really appreciated the wind-sock, recycled craft section that the Cleveland Clinic put up. We also really liked the interactive light installations, the band on the viaduct, the drums and the comedy show. I could have done without the death metal band on one end, and the euro-trash club music on the other. But, many of my friends were there for some great music. I think that's what makes IF so great. It's a ton of people, a ton of creatives and there's something for everyone. You could come back everyday and find new, cool things to experience, see and hear! It's ever-evolving as the years pass and new creatives come about. And it's free! You really can't beat it and the venue is an incredible piece of Cleveland history. Almost spooky at night, but always fascinating and frickin' awesome. I've never minded the "suggested" $5 donation, either. No one hawks you as you walk in to pay it--It's completely up to you. And honestly, it's worth more than a measly 5 bucks, anyways. Just a tip, don't try to park close. It's really not worth it. We rode our bikes, but it would be a relatively easy walk up from the flats or a side street off W.25th Street. read more

Dang, from the reviews this fest is getting a lot of hate, but I thought it was a nice way to spend an afternoon. Tickets are only $5 but it sounds like people are expecting Cirque du Soleil and a talk by Bill Nye the Science Guy. I stopped by with a friend on a Saturday Afternoon. The weather was gorgeous! Outside there were some food trucks, beer stations, bands playing, and some big metal sculptures. Inside was airy (no boob sweat for me which was awesome) and there were clothing and jewelry vendors, a guy selling homemade loaves of bread, and a couple neat robot toys/figurines? for sale. In another section we saw 3D printers in action and talked to a woman about the specifics behind them. At another stand we learned about Chateau Hough, a vineyard on reclaimed urban land that helps parolees reenter society. There was a section where you could sit and listen to some talk about the community (I obviously was not listening). In another area we saw moving photographs taken by the homeless. In yet another area we sat down to paint a tile with just drops of ink and a straw. Finally we sipped on some beer from Goldhorn Brewery and watched people of all ages enjoy the indoor swings. I honestly think a person's attitude has a big affect on their experience somewhere; my friend and I went in with open minds and really just enjoyed a chill day hanging out together and exploring this neat/interesting little festival. I saw that later in the evenings they had belly dancers and a guy twirling fire around which would have been cool to see. But whatevs, to each their own, I know I would check it out again! read more

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I had a good time. There was a lot of stuff to look at. Walking under the bridge was cool enough, walking by all the exhibits made it better. The lights were awesome. Walking around and drinking beer is always fun. I don't see why it is illegal to walk around town drinking. It is a victimless crime. One of my favorite events in Cleveland. Too bad summer is over and it is now time to hibernate. read more

The IngenuityFest gets better and better every year, and Clevelanders are really taking notice. There's a wide variety of things to enjoy. Art, technology, music, magic, food, people watching, and an amazing setting on the old subway underside of the Detroit-Superior bridge. read more

Fluid state of change every year! I think as it continues to evolve it will only get better!!!! read more

I've been going to this festival since I moved to Cleveland and can always count on it to be an amazing experience. This has always been a place for everything--wild art, interactive displays, cool handmade jewelry, every kind of music ever playing in different places all at once, and cool performances. This year was different. It took a turn away from industrial, ecclectic Cleveland and felt a little more like everyone came back from Burning Man and set up shop by the lake. It was still cool. There was a guy there with giant, musical tesla coils which was amazing and exactly like something that they would have at Ingenuity Fest and a guy with a structure that he had made with a 3D printer (cool). There were also so many spiders. But overall--I was disappointed this year. I will still go back next year with the hope that it will have returned to weird and wonderful, but I probably will not talk it up to all of my friends like I did in past years. read more

Too bad the downpour made the outside stuff off limits, but being in the empty warehouses down by the docks right on Lake Erie was pretty neat. We had tickets to 2 performances, which were running behind schedule and not that well attended. Also hard to hear over the noise of the other stuff going on In the same building. More fun to just walk around and check everything out. I liked the dance party in the giant bubble the best. read more

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I was pleasantly surprised with this festival. It cost $10 to park near the docks where this was held. I love the spot as they have the festival in two hangars right on Lake Erie. I am not up by the lake all that much so I really enjoyed looking out over the lake. In hindsight, I could have parked a few blocks away and found cheaper street parking with meters. I was only there for 1 1/2 hours but I think I could have spent 2-3 hours. I had a reservation so my time was limited. The cool: 3D printer demos, FabLab, one man show, magic trick guy, food tents and trucks, a few of the techno light displays. The huh?: a few of the artist in the first hangar I went in. All in all, two non art, nonhipster people enjoyed this festival and would return. This place was also kid friendly so it would be a good place to take the young ones and help them get cultured. read more

Love this event! And surprised to see that so many people didn't. The best part of going to Ingenuity Fest is getting to hang out under the Detroit Superior bridge. What an incredible space! Wish more festivals/events could take place there. I loved the installation art displays - especially the hearts and the capitalism light displays. Had some nosh from Foodgazi and a drink from one of the bars. Drink line was kind of long, but since the space was so big and there was a lot to look at, I didn't mind waiting. Wish there had been more exhibits, though. As others said, there could have been more to see/do...I remember seeing more in past years. Stoopid economy, maybe. I think this event is worth checking out, even if you just want to see the underside of the bridge. But it's a great opportunity to support local artists, too. read more

This is a really cool event and I find myself excited to hear where the next one will be every year! I went in 2011 when it was under the Detroit Superior bridge. What an amazing concept! Very cool art and a great band played the night that I went, Washed Out, which was a really nice bonus! I had a great time so of course I had to go back in 2012.. 2012 was located in the Port Authority by Browns Stadium. An interesting warehouse setup with a good selection of local stuff (I got a cute ring there) and crazy art. I didn't know any of the bands this time but they were enjoyable enough. I really liked how it was right on the lake and had some tasty fried food before leaving. Overall, great concept and I love that they're highlighting areas of Cleveland that are really cool but easily forgotten. Can't wait for next year! read more

IngenuityFest has really hit its stride in its new permanent home on Hamilton Avenue. Super fun event with so much to see and enjoy every year. Consider taking public transit or Uber because parking can get tight. Highlights include sculptures that shoot fire and a live Tesla coil performance. Lots of interesting chill little corners to grab a drink and hang out in at night; very family friendly during the day. read more

Daaaaamn. This was hands-down the coolest and most fun public arts gathering I've ever been to. Held in an old abandoned second level of the Veterans Memorial Bridge that spans the Cuyahoga River, the gathering was chock full of artists, musicians, opera singers, great food, weird-ass underwater staircases, live drama, performance art, cheap wine, and more fun than you can shake a barrel of fish at. (I think I'm mixing my metaphors here, but you get the idea.) This was my first time attending, and words just don't do it justice. If you still think that "there's nothing going on in Cleveland" after attending this, I will personally drive you to the airport. read more

Omg this place is like a REALLY bad flea market! It's like my bedroom closet threw up. There's no actual local art, just suffocating commercialized sh*t! There's a few food vendors- the "bread head" cinnamon/raisin pretzels are horrible! Tasted like bread dough lightly sprinkled with sugar. The "cave" installation looked like a 5 yr old glued reflective paper inside of a shipping crate. The clothing vendor was way overpriced!!! Only interesting vendor was a cute tea shop & Sterle's Schnitzel Sausage Soup truck. A complete waste of time!!!! read more

Never again!!! What a sad festival...nothing to do. It even looked dirty and embarrassing. This used to be such a great event. Too bad.... read more

Weird, poorly put together, and just all together bizarre. I'm all for the arts but two men walking around in grim reaper costumes pushing around grocery carts with an amp and an electric guitar did not make sense to me. read more

The concept of having a fest/gallery under a bridge is very cool. I heard about this from my friend so had to check it out myself. Local artists displayed their work and some were very impressive while others should have stayed at home. They served beer and had various food trucks which was great as well as live music and DJs playing throughout the bridge. My friend was hearing heels and had problems walking through a part of the bridge which I had to help her across and saved her from falling. The whole presentation itself was lackluster but there is room for improvement. It was definitely a nice change of pace for a night out but do not think I would go again. read more

Went to this on Friday night and totally dug it. I really had no clue what I was going to, but was brought here by a new friend. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the beer line went, but it sucked when I realized I was out of cash and none of the atms were working. There were some awesome artists out at the festival and it was great to get my 1st introduction to the Cleveland arts scene. I met some awesome designers and played with some really cool exhibits. read more

My fiancee and I went to this event today. While it was cool for a free ($5 "suggested donation," we gave them $2) event, we both thought it could have been better. A lot of the exhibits were neat, but kind of boring. There were some exhibits for kids (a LEGO building station, and some craft areas), and they looked like they were enjoying them. Many (about 50%) of the exhibits involved TVs or projectors of some sort, so I wasn't too thrilled about staring at a bunch of screens. We walked outside between the buildings where a band was playing. This was the most disappointing point of the event: the band was playing COVER SONGS! When we walked by the first time, they were playing an R.E.M. song. When we walked by to leave, they were playing a song by The Shins. Why would they hire a cover band to play at an event like this? It was the main stage, too. Maybe we were just there at the wrong time or something, but we both thought this was really lame...even a mediocre local band would have been more interesting and appropriate--I guess that's what you get when 87.7 sponsors the music stage... In the food area were a bunch of standard fair/festival food vendors, and we got a funnel cake. There were only 1 or 2 local food vendors in the whole food court, which was a disappointment. With all the great local restaurants and food trucks in the city, why were our only choices generic vendors selling french fries and frozen lemonade at bloated prices? All in all, we can't say that we had a bad time, but it would have been more interesting with more variety of exhibits, local food options, and NO COVER BANDS at an art festival that's all about ingenuity! read more

What in God's good grace is this place? Clevelanders don't need another reason to drink or ride on a swing. Browns are here for that. Ok, Maybe some cool lights and $6 beers are better and cheaper than a concert or game. Overall, the free tickets were worth the price of admission! read more

Went Friday night, very interesting festival. The lower level of the Detroit Superior Bridge is interesting to walk around on, and the general vibe was good. The old subway station is interesting to peruse, and there was a good brass band that we checked out. It's a free festival in an interesting space, what's not to like? read more

I went to Ingenuity with absolutely no expectations of what to expect and even though there were some cool things to look at I was thoroughly unimpressed with this event. Except for the bridge. I'm impressed by the catacombs under the bridge. Super cool. In fact, i spent most of my time at Ingenuity marveling at the views from the bridge and the awesome architecture rather than the artists and displays themselves. Everything here just seemed all over the place, and not in a good way. It's like the organizers basically said "Let's get's a bunch of people to fill the space under this bridge for three days and see what happens." Now, if this is the way this event is organized and the philosophy that informs it then I just know to not go again. If that's not the purpose (anyone know what is?) then maybe I just picked a bad night (Friday) or a bad year to go. Also, not to be nitpicky but this really bothers me -- what exactly moves the displays here from just randomly creative works of art to ingenious? Ingenious is a pretty specific word and a lot of the things I saw were neat and mildly interesting but I can't say I saw anything truly Ingenious. That's the nice thing about art though. TOTALLY SUBJECTIVE. In fact, to sum it all up I'd say IngenuityFest IS worth going to, just to see you're subjective reaction to the whole thing. You might be surprised. You might also be unimpressed, like me. read more

The venue is incredible. I wish more events were able to utilize the space.