A Terrific What's Out There Weekend in Cleveland

What’s Out There Weekend Cleveland on September 9-10 featured dozens of free, expert-led tours, the majority of which were sold out. It was the first What’s Out There Weekend in the foundation’s 25th Anniversary season. The event was also marked by the publication of a What’s Out There Cleveland guidebook featuring all the tour sites (TCLF’s twenty-fifth What’s Out There guidebook), and a comprehensive online What’s Out There Cleveland Cultural Landscapes Guide (TCLF’s twenty-first online city guide).

As TCLF President and CEO Charles A. Birnbaum noted in his remarks at the opening event for the Weekend, “Delayed by COVID for some three years, TCLF is pleased that the ASLA Ohio Chapter remained dogged in their commitment to raising the visibility and value of Cleveland’s unrivaled landscape legacy. The printed guidebook and online GPS-enabled digital guide represent the fruits of this collaboration, realized with the support of dozens of partners, supporters, and volunteers.”

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The Weekend event was scheduled to coincide with The Ohio Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects’ (OCASLA) conference in Cleveland, with landscape architects and allied professionals from around the state gathering in Cleveland to take part in both the conference and TCLF’s program of tours. TCLF and OCASLA hosted a launch event on Friday evening at the Cleveland Museum of Art to honor the generous sponsors, local partners, and volunteers who brought this What’s Out There Weekend to life. Attendees were treated to after-hours access to the Museum, the Olmsted-designed grounds of which were featured in a tour the following morning, led by landscape architect Matt Langan of STIMSON and the Museum’s Jeffrey Strean.

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In addition to the tour of the Museum’s Fine Arts Garden, Saturday morning’s schedule featured tours of the Cleveland History Center (Bingham-Hanna House) led by Chris Lynn (AECOM) and Ann Sidelar (Western Reserve Historical Society), Nord Family Greenway led by Andrew Gutterman (Sasaki), Ohio & Erie Canalway led by Meghan Tinker (Canalway Partners) and Mera Cardenas (Canalway Partners), and Woodland Cemetery and the Underground Railroad led by Dorothy Salem (Woodland Cemetery Foundation). One attendee had this to say: “Underground Railroad Tour at the Woodland Cemetery is truly amazing & hits a lil different knowing you’ve just been walking past all this history your ENTIRE life.” The morning continued with tours of the Cleveland Lakefront Reservation led by Cleveland Metroparks and Norma’s Garden at The Gathering Place led by Virginia Burt (Virginia Burt Designs). Throughout the day, Cleveland Botanical Garden led three tours highlighting their esteemed collection.

Tours continued into the afternoon with Cleveland Mall led by David Ellison (D.H. Ellison Co.) and Jim McKnight (City of Cleveland), Lake View Cemetery led by Kathy Goss (Lakeview Cemetery), Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens led by Stan Hywet’s grounds and gardens staff, Garfield Park led by Chris Cheraso (Cleveland Metroparks), Dunham Tavern Museum and Gardens led by Chris Merritt (Merritt Chase) and Lauren Hansgen (Dunham Tavern Museum and Gardens), and Forest Hill Park led by the City of Cleveland Heights and the East Cleveland Parks Association. The Cleveland Public Library Eastman Reading Garden tour led by Melissa Carr (Cleveland Public Library) and John Skrtic (Cleveland Public Library) had record-breaking attendance with over 70 registered participants.

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Despite the rain, Sunday boasted an equally packed schedule of tours. Holden Arboretum had three tours running throughout the day. The morning started with tours of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens led by Lori Ashyk (Cleveland Cultural Gardens) and Shaker Lakes led by Matt Langan (STIMSON), Glen Valentine (STIMSON), and Roy Larick (Bluestone Heights). Tour guide Glen Valentine had this to say: “The tours were terrific – engaging, fun and inspiring. It is always great to reconnect with colleagues from across the country, learn about these important landscapes, and see the dedicated work to manage them for future generations.”

The weekend closed out with tours of Ralph J. Perk Plaza led by Jim McKnight (City of Cleveland), Cuyahoga Valley National Park led by Rebecca Jones (National Park Service), Acacia Reservation led by Jenn Grieser (Cleveland Metroparks), and Southside Conservation Easement, formerly part of the Gwinn Estate, led by Renee Boronka (Western Reserve Land Conservancy). “Memorable weekend with interesting people and stories! Only wish the tours lasted more than one weekend, so I could see the ones I missed!,” said one attendee. While most tours were led on foot, two tours that explored extensive sites were made possible by other means of transportation. Canalway Partners led a bike tour of the Ohio & Erie Canalway and Cleveland Metroparks generously provided a bus for a tour of Cleveland’s Lakefront Reservation. Many thanks to these tour partners for providing the opportunity to experience these sites.

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What’s Out There Weekend Cleveland would not have been successful without support from Lead Sponsors ASLA Ohio, the Cleveland Browns, and Danette (Dani) Gentile Kauffman; Presenting Sponsors ABD Stone, Behnke, Cleveland Metro Parks, Cleveland Restoration Society, Holden Forest and Gardens, Laptiec, Mary Ann Lasch, The Nathan and Fannye Shafran Foundation, Nelson Byrd Woltz, Sasaki, and SWA/Balsley; and all our Supporting Sponsors and Friends. A special thank you goes out to Jeremy Hite, David Wilson, Cat Marshall, the students of Kent State University, Karen McCoy, and all the weekend’s volunteers.