Sat 2/15 @ 3:30PM
Four years ago, some Case students thought it would be fun to round up a few bands — three, to be exact — and have them play outdoors in the middle of winter down by the Cuyahoga River. They added some games and a little art and called it a festival — the Brite Winter Festival, to be precise.
Four years later:
The festival will feature 77 acts, up from 50 last year. Half are from northeast Ohio and half from other parts of the country. Some of the area’s best acts will play, including the Lighthouse and the Whaler, Shivering Timbers, Seafair, Signals Midwest, and Herzog, joined by artists from Austin, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Nashville, and New York.
Forget that dinky little cube. There will be ten stages. They include four outdoor stages: two main stages in Market Square Park and the parking lot at West 26th and Market, in front of Townhall on West 25th and the alley behind Campbell’s Sweets. The others will be indoors at local businesses like Joy Machines Bicycle Shop, Room Service, Old Angle Tavern, the Great Lakes Brewing Co. Tasting Room.
The full music lineup, with stages and times, is here.
Booking and marketing coordinator Thomas Fox outlines what it will take to handle all that. “Ten stage managers, three stage coordinators, and we’re going to need 150-200 volunteers.” (You can still volunteer to be part of the event. Go here for info.)
Attendance has grown exponentially. In its second year, as by the river, it attracted around 1,700 attendees, doubling its first year crowd count. Then it moved to Ohio City for 2012 where attendance exploded to 10,000. Last year, the Plain Dealer estimated an attendance of 20,000 — with frigid temperatures and a blizzard in progress.
“The old days when we used to have it down by the river, there were maybe 700-800 people there,” says Fox. “This year we’ll have almost that many people on staff — 77 bands, so close to 300 actual performers. Our immediate staff is 30 people, maybe closer to 40 people. Then about 200 volunteers. So there will be 500-600 people working on festival.”
It isn’t only the music that’s expanded. The art and games components have grown as well, with more artists and projects. The Great Wall of Light will return, with festival goers invited to bring any type of lighted object to add to it.
In the two years the festival’s been in Ohio City, there’s been one central outdoor area with a big stage, located at Bridge and West 26th. This year, the setup will be different, with two main outdoor areas at opposite ends of market with a giant beer garden encompassing each. Market Square Park will serve as the entry point to the festival, with information available about all the activities. New this year: a big tent at the West 26th and Market parking lot to provide partial protection from the elements. And the always-popular bonfires will be blazing again.
“Moving it is huge,” says Fox. “It sort of feels like a new festival this year because of the change in logistics.
The first act hits the stage at 3:30pm; the last bands are winding up around 11. But many of the bars and restaurants along West 25th will be hosting afterparties and late-night music so you can hang out until last call.
Best of all, the festival is free.
To see what Brite Winter’s all about, check out our PHOTOSTREAM from last year here.
Cleveland, OH 44113
