Brite Winter fest has gone strong for nine years and it doesn’t seem to be losing any of its edge.
For thousands of people, the dead of winter doesn’t mean hibernation.
"It's kind of like the quintessential Clevelander, defying the weather, having a festival outside just because,” one band member said.
Last year’s Brite Winter fest was great, welcoming in 20,000 people to the Flats.
This year, it’s the same concept with a different execution.
"Our theme this year is Flurry's Intergalactic Journey,” Emily Hornack, cofounder of Brite Winter, said. “Flurry is our little mascot here."
There is a lot to expect during the one-day evening party: art, 45 bands performing inside and outside and of course, the free fun.
If the cold usually keeps you inside, organizers say there’s no excuse this time.
"We have 25,000 square feet of heated tents that people can explore and then we have fire pits,” Brian Horsburgh, executive director of Brite Cleveland, said.
There’s also heat inside the local businesses festival goers will get to support, like McCarthy’s Ale House, Mulberry’s and Music Box Supper Club.
"It's a February, supposed to be cold,” Brent Lewanski, McCarthy’s owner, said. “Nobody's coming downtown maybe...no one's coming to this side and you have this whole group putting this together, the impact is great for us."
For information, click this Brite Winter link.