Brite Winter Festival (2025)

Brite Winter Festival, this year on the East Bank of the Flats!  Loved it - as always. 

Brite Winter Festival 2024

Another year, another Brite Winter Festival on the West Bank of the Flats.  Love it every year.

Brite Winter Festival 2020

Another year, another Brite Winter Festival is in the books.  Once again on the West Bank of the Flats.  We had great weather and it was a really fun time, but as you’d expect with any long-running festival, they are slowly implementing changes.  This year we saw required ticketing, which isn’t that big of a deal.  However, the footprint of the festival was smaller this year, not including the dance floor at Mulberrys.  That space was reserved for an official after party with its own ticket price ($25!).

Being a free festival - I really can’t complain.  I did contribute $10 to get the koozie and pin (I already have too many hats).  While we didn’t hit the after party this year, looking at videos posted of it, I really should have.  Will plan accordingly next year!

As usual (for me), this festival is more about the camaraderie with friends than it is about seeing specific artists.  Some shots from the night. 

Brite Winter Festival 2019

10 years!  My favorite part of the festival continues to be multiple DJ tents with dance floors.  That’s not just because they’re warmer either.  I stepped out for a couple performances, but the dance floor has a particular pull.

More photos here

Brite Winter Festival 2018

This may have been one of the best Brite Winter Festivals yet!  For me, realizing that this is much of a dance music festival, as it is for seeing live bands.  I’ve already seen many of these bands before.  By just focusing on the DJ’s and the art, it really becomes a whole new experience for me.  The dance music and the dancing was *amazing*.  I already can’t wait until next year.  Here are a few key photos, but see my Flickr badge below for more!

 

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"Brite, now in its ninth year, has become one of the city's most popular wintertime events, drawing thousands of fans for a daylong celebration of music, art, food and fun. The weather was unseasonably warm in both 2016 and 2017, with attendees roaming Brite Winter's grounds wearing t-shirts and flip flops. ADVERTISING

On Saturday, temperature stayed around 40 degrees all day. Fire pits became a popular place to watch music. Visitors wore coats, scarves and rain jackets. Even some dogs in attendance wore sweaters.

(An important note: Brite Winter has become a popular dog-friendly festival. Dogs and puppies of all sizes joined the crowd on Saturday night.)

The cold weather made the heated indoor art tents a more popular destination than they've been in past years. Three tents featured different themes inside -- a trippy cavernous jungle, a Mars-like lounge and an outer space discotheque."

(Via Brite Winter 2018 embraces chilly, rainy weather in its ninth year | cleveland.com.)

Tomorrow: Brite Winter Festival @ The Flats

Another year, another Brite Winter Festival!  This is a such a great festival, regardless of the concert lineup (or weather)!  Check out some of the write-ups below, including Scene’s 13 Bands to see (below).  Also check out the full lineup, stage times, and festival layout on their festival guide here.

 

 

"This year's Brite Winter Festival promises to be bigger and better than past fests as more than 40 bands will perform on six indoor and outdoor stages, and assorted vendors will be on hand as well. There will also be ice carving demonstrations and 'fire & light' dancing. The event takes place from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, on the West Bank of the Flats."

(Via 13 Bands to See At This Year's Brite Winter Festival | Scene and Heard: Scene's News Blog.)

 

"Brite Winter started in the summer of 2009, when a couple of friends decided that Clevelanders deserve to celebrate their city all year round. The days of winter hibernation were numbered as these Cleveland enthusiasts hit Facebook to promote the first-ever Brite Winter event. Beer, bands, and blizzards faced the 500 people who showed up in a complete whiteout that year, encouraging the founders to believe that this would be a tradition for many winters to come.

And they were right: this year marks the festival’s ninth installment, as well as what Horsburgh calls its ‘biggest headliner’ yet, Atlas Genius. Since that first event with 500 people, Brite Winter has grown exponentially—necessitating its move from its original Flats East Bank location to Ohio City and now to the West Bank of the Flats. ‘Being right by the river, that location really speaks to Cleveland,’ says Horsburgh."

(Via Future so Brite: Brite Winter anticipates its biggest year yet.)

Some of my photos from previous years:

Brite Winter Festival 2017

Another year, another wonderful festival - with GREAT weather again! Way to go Cleveland.

Brite Winter Festival 2016

Another winter, another Brite Winter Music Festival.  Though this wasn’t much of a winter, which made for an even better festival!  I think the temperatures were up in the 50’s that day - though it was still best to dress warm to spend long amounts of time outside.  Though the number of people in t-shirts until late in the night was astounding.  I think people were just thrilled to be outside.  And for what better reason… 

There was a little consternation about it’s transition back to the Flats.  The festival had been getting more and more successful in Ohio City - but it was getting way too busy. The lines were awful.  While I had my reservations about how it’d turn out going back to it’s roots - the festival couldn’t have asked for a better weather day to really kick off it’s new location right.  What a great night.

Brite Winter 2015

Superb as always...

Brite Winter Festival - TONIGHT!

Tonight!!  Here’s my schedule:  http://britewinter2015.sched.org/rogerzender

"Bundle up, hold a beer in your mitten and it’s really not so bad. Brite Winter is dedicated to embracing the winter season with 60 bands and a strong focus on local music. The fest will take place on eight stages throughout Ohio City, two of which are outdoors, and also feature outdoor art installations.   Headliners include Chicago-based Maps & Atlases, Baltimore’s Sun Club and Cleveland’s Welshy Arms. The diverse lineup also includes acoustic lyricism by Philadelphia’s Roses (new project by Matt Scheuermann of American War), dancable Cleveland pop band Sammy Slims, hip hop acts Muamin Collective and Archie Green, indie rock band The Modern Electric, garage rock band Banging Fragiles, and Uno Lady, known for her beautiful and eccentric vocal loops."

(Via. brite winter is bigger & brighter than ever with 60-band lineup)

Brite Winter Festival 2014

Another great festival!  It was coooold this year, but with so much energy and so many people, you barely notice it.  Check out some photos:

The person I was most looking forward to see perform was Rollergirl.  He was everything I was hoping for… 

Brite Winter Festival is Coming!

Saturday, February 15th!  I can’t say there are any blockbuster music acts, that I know of now… but definitely some of our best local bands will be showing their stuff.  Read the details below.

Brite Winter Announces Expanded 2014 Lineup | Cellar Door Cleveland

"From its fledgling beginnings in the Flats to its eventual move to Ohio City, Brite Winter Festival has spent the last five years continually expanding. This year the festival of lights and sounds ambitiously boasts more than 70 artists scattered throughout four outdoor stages and six indoor stages.

In what will be the festival’s third year taking over the West 25th strip, the most significant change in scenery is the shift to the main stage hosted at Market Avenue / Market Square Park, a move that pulls it from the tucked away area behind the Old Angle and places the festival activities front and center. But Brite still commands the flipping of unconventional spaces and local businesses into venues, this time bringing Ohio City newcomer TownHall into the picture."

(Continued... Brite Winter Announces Expanded 2014 Lineup | Cellar Door Cleveland)