IngenuityFest celebrates its 20th anniversary with Era of Ascent

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A festival dedicated to highlighting and showcasing art, creativity, innovation and technology in the Greater Cleveland area is like no other.

Ingenuity Cleveland is celebrating its 20th annual IngenuityFest this weekend, bringing one of the most diverse events to life at the 300,000-square-foot IngenuityLabs building, formerly Osborn Manufacturing, on Hamilton Avenue in the Goodrich-Kirtland Park neighborhood.

Levi Turner, 34, of North Ridgeville says the festival gets bigger and better every year he comes.

“It (IngenuityFest) is kind of an intersection of a lot of different things that I love,” he said. “I think the audience here is also the same people you want to spend your time with. I’m impressed by the creativity here and the large art installations, which I think are beautiful. We bring our creative community to life.”

The three-day festival this year focuses on celebrating flight in all forms and is dubbed the “Era of Ascension.” The theme is a nod to IngenuityLabs’ 20th anniversary and recent expansion by 100,000, said Emma Morris, spokeswoman for Ingenuity Cleveland.

The weekend features stages with music, hands-on activities, dance performances and plenty of areas to interact in immersive aerial exhibitions from artistic, scientific and technological perspectives.

It’s easy to get lost in the wonder of IngenuityFest as each room is another area to explore and learn.

This year we welcome new and returning festival villages including Mechanique Biotique, Dream Destinations, Makers Mecca, Ideation Station and the immersive Moon Landing, as well as exhibits including “The Untold Stories of Flight,” which sheds light on Ohio’s rich history and contributions to flight. Morris said.

Anna Bruchez, 41, of Cleveland, and her 2 1/2-year-old daughter Avery sit in a balloon basket that swings from a seesaw, coming for the creativity and wonder.

“Just seeing what people can do with recycled and upcycled things is absolutely amazing,” she said. “It’s just always super inspiring, especially with a two-and-a-half-year-old. They also have a great children’s section.”

IngenuityFest runs until 1 a.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays at IngenuityLabs at the Hamilton Collaborative, 5401 Hamilton Avenue in Cleveland. Check out the Saturday and Sunday schedule to see everything the festival has to offer.

Kaylee Remington is a shopping and entertainment reporter and a metro reporter for cleveland.com and The Simple Trader. Read their work on-line.