Our Flagship Event
IngenuityFest
Ingenuity Cleveland was conceived as IngenuityFest - a multi-day, multi-venue event that would move among downtown locations, inviting Northeast Ohio residents and tourists to re-discover the city as alive and vibrant. IngenuityFest animated storefronts, abandoned alleys and interiors of buildings that had long been ignored with a cross-pollination of arts, technology, and entrepreneurship. Launched along Cleveland’s iconic Public Square, the Festival moved to Gateway/East 4th Street, Playhouse Square, the Cleveland State University campus, the Streetcar level of the Detroit Superior Bridge, and finally to Cleveland’s Northcoast Harbor, before settling in St. Clair-Superior in 2016. In 2020, the first-ever virtual iteration of our festival was born. We produced Virtually INGenious in partnership with 48 Hour Virtual Music Fest CLE.
We have been surprising and delighting regional and national audiences for 20 years! IngenuityFest includes immersive artwork (built collaboratively by the Ingeneers!); half a dozen stages featuring hundreds of musicians, dancers, poets, and performances of all types; maker and innovator exhibits; fine art; and so much more. All of this is displayed throughout the 300,000 square foot Hamilton Collaborative, which is broken up into Festival Villages.
2025
Forging the Future
Location & Accessibility
IngenuityFest took place at IngenuityLabs @ the Hamilton Collaborative (5401 Hamilton Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115).Â
For individuals with disabilities arriving by shuttle, taxi, Uber, accessible transport van or private vehicle, a reserved accessible drop off zone will be located at the Main Festival entrance on 53rd street.
Accessible parking spaces will also be reserved in the Staff/VIP/Artist, directly across from the 5401 Hamilton Avenue address. Additional off-site parking will be provided in a section of Ingenuity’s general audience parking. We are continually making accessibility improvements to our site including providing elevator service to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors, addressing challenging areas of asphalt and providing numerous accessible restrooms on the ground level. However, our site still contains areas of uneven terrain including gravel, stairs, and some passageways or art installations that may be narrower or challenging to access. We will make every attempt to accommodate you.
For more accessibility information, questions about access, or for assistance on the festival site, please email [email protected]
Vehicle Logistics
PARKING:
Street parking is abundant in the area surrounding the Festival, but a lot will be available for $5. The lot is located at 5000 Lakeside Ave. Parking is always at attendee's own risk and Ingenuity is not responsible for any loss, theft, or damage.
RIDESHARING:
Consider taking an Uber or Lyft! The Festival is located at 5401 Hamilton Avenue. However, the designated rideshare dropoff address is 1279 E. 53rd Street.
Live Nearby?
BIKE to the Fest: Bike parking will be available at the 53rd Street gate only. Attendees will need to bring their own locks.
Sustainability
Ingenuity is striving to make our Festival low-waste. There will be many water refilling stations throughout the site, so attendees are encouraged to bring their reusable water bottles. All water is filtered. There will also be reusable bottles available for purchase at the event.
Beverage partners include Goldhorn Brewery and Watershed Distillery. All drinks will be served in recyclable aluminum cans or in compostable cups when possible.
Sustainability volunteers will be on-premises to assist guests in separating compost, recycling and landfill-trash with signage to help identify what goes where. Ingenuity's longtime partners, Rust Belt Riders will be handling our compostables.
Festival FAQ's
Get the 411 on the festival weekend
Didn't find what you were looking for? Check here for more answers to frequently asked questions. Still have a question? Reach out to us at [email protected]!
IngenuityFest 2025 will take place September 26-28, 2025 at IngenuityLabs (5401 Hamilton Avenue).
Hours are as follows:
Friday, September 26: 6PM - 1AM
Saturday, September 27: 1PM - 1AM
Sunday, September 28: 1PM - 6PM