There was a sad chapter in the city of Cleveland’s history, when the Cuyahoga River caught fire several times in the 1970s due to reckless pollution. Today, Great Lakes Brewing Company, a local brewery which has crafted a Burning River Ale, holds the Burning River Fest every year to showcase and raise awareness on environmental issues while offering a fun family day of food, music and outdoor activities.
The ninth annual Burning River Fest will take place on July 23 and 24 this year at the historic Coast Guard station on Whiskey Island at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. The event features live music, performance artists, children’s activities, green exhibitors, boat tours, an eco discussion stage, and culinary offerings from local chefs and restaurants. It will be open from 6pm to 11pm on Saturday, and from 1pm to 6pm on Sunday, with admission being $10 on the day of the event and $8 if tickets are purchased in advance from the official website, www.burningriverfest.org.
The Burning River Fest, founded in 2002, aims to provide an enjoyable and educational family day, and also uses a portion of the proceeds from the event to fund various local water focused environmental organizations. It has previously raised as much as $66,000 for such concerns.
