IngenuityLabs will welcome in the community this weekend to play, explore and learn at the 20th annual IngenuityFest. The event will feature displays and demonstrations of art, technology and innovation from Sept. 26-28 in the repurposed industrial factory on Hamilton Avenue. 

IngenuityFest comes after a year’s worth of work from innovators and makers. These “Ingeneers” design and fabricate into the night, dreaming up and executing an abstract immersive experience. 

“Every year it’s all-hands-on-deck,” said Kevin Ballou, a 2021 CSU graduate and volunteer at IngenuityLabs since 2019. “The beautiful moment is when everyone comes in and appreciates everything they see.”

IngenuityFest’s theme this year is “Forging the Future,” meant to represent the industrial history that shaped Cleveland and the innovation that moves the city forward. As an homage to the theme, there will be forging and blacksmithing activities for attendees to take part in. 
 

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“Ingenuity has always been about shining light into underutilized urban spaces,” said Emily Applebaum, Ingenuity’s executive artistic director. “It’s the idea of a place that would forge innovation and creativity together like a petri dish for something new to grow and bloom.”

The three-day event borrows elements of a traditional art and music festival, featuring bands and music artists, engaging art installations made from upcycled materials, performances and handmade goods in addition to the "science fair on steroids.”

“It is a creative feast,” Applebaum said. “It has something for everybody. You’ll see really wild fragments of imagination in a 300,000 square foot warehouse.”

A word of advice to those planning to attend IngenuityFest for the first time, “Wear comfortable shoes,” Applebaum said, “and be prepared to spend way longer than you thought and see way more stuff than you ever thought possible.” 

IngenuityFest will take place Friday, Sept. 26 from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 27 from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday, Sept. 28, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 5401 Hamilton Ave. Day passes are $15 and kids 12 and under are free. 

For more information about IngenuityFest and IngenuityLabs, visit IngenuityCleveland.org.