Dear ’58 Classmates and Friends:
Please join us as we discover and explore historic Cleveland, Ohio for our sixth mini reunion to be held Thursday, September 29 – Sunday, October 2, 2022. We hope you will join our fellow Classmates on the shores of Lake Erie for a weekend of camaraderie and recounted tales of the Class of 1958!
Our weekend will begin on Thursday with a welcome reception on the top of the Lumen Building, downtown Cleveland’s newest luxury residence in the heart of the vibrant Playhouse Square District. A catered dinner will be served on the stage of the exquisite Connor Palace Theater. Our classmate, Pudge Henkel, will present the history of Playhouse Square with stories of an unlikely group of activists, volunteers, businessmen and artists who banded together to defeat the wrecking ball that saved the theaters from demolition. Playhouse Square is now the country’s largest performing arts center outside of New York City, hosting over 1,000 Broadway shows, dances, comedies, musical concerts, and special events annually.
Friday we will spend the day in the historic Wade Park in University Circle where we will visit the internationally acclaimed Cleveland Museum of Art. This 106-year-old gem is home to over 61,000 works of art spanning over 6,000 years! We will be treated to a private tour by the museum’s head curator and learn the fascinating story of the Museum’s many transformations.
Spending the day in this busy cultural hub, we will enjoy lunch at the Western Reserve Historical Society, highlighted by stories from Western Reserve historians along with a stroll through the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum. Our afternoon will conclude with a visit to the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic. A panel of acclaimed doctors and administrators will present us with an overview detailing the growth and future of healthcare. Dinner will be hosted at Edwins Too Restaurant where founder Brandon Chrostowski, a classically trained chef, will share his mission of providing formerly incarcerated adults with a foundation in the culinary and hospitality industries.
On Saturday morning we will head off to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museumwhere you will have the opportunity to roam the most impressive collections of music memorabilia ever assembled. From instruments to costumes to the special exhibit, The Beatles: Get Back to Let it Be, you will be up-close to the legends of music that have defined our time. We will then travel through Cleveland’s Flats on the banks of the Cuyahoga River. This area has been redeveloped and transformed from an industrial wasteland into a mecca of entertainment, boating, parks, and fine dining while maintaining its industrial vibe.
The day will continue with an overview of the Cleveland Metroparks Emerald Necklace, a beautiful chain of parkways covering 23,000 acres of parks, reservations, and unspoiled space. Brian Zimmerman, CEO of the Cleveland Metroparks will join us at lunch at Merwin’s Wharf to share how the Metroparks are shaping the future of Northeast Ohio’s waterways, parks and wildlife.
We will finish the day with a visit to Hingetown, the connector of three sections of town, the Warehouse District, the Ohio City Market District and Gordon Square, and meet the couple who turned a toxic corner of Cleveland into a development hotbed. There will be time to go back to the hotel and relax before dinner down in the Flats at Alley Cats.
Sunday morning, we can gather in our hospitality suite at the hotel for informal conversations and to remember and reminisce about classmates and our years at Yale. While we are excited to share our beautiful city with you, the most important reason for this mini reunion is to gather and visit with classmates and catch up with one another. Your presence will make that possible. Please feel free to come early or stay late and explore our cultural treasures on your own. We will share recommendations of additional happenings in Cleveland throughout the weekend.
The mini reunion fee of $450.00 per person covers all expenses except for your travel to/from Cleveland, hotel, breakfasts, and transportation to/from the airport. All meals, snacks, in-town transportation, and activities will be covered. Please note any dietary restrictions when registering so we may make accommodations ahead of time. Registration will be limited to 42 registrants. It is recommended that all registrants be fully vaccinated for Covid-19 for the health and safety of all attendees.
REGISTER ONLINE HERE by Friday, September 9, 2022
If for any reason you need to cancel, please be sure to do so by Friday, September 16, 2022 for a full refund. Please note that if cancelling, you will also need to cancel your hotel room.
The closest airport is Cleveland Hopkins International (CLE) which is 15 minutes from the hotel. The Akron Canton Airport (CAK) is 50 minutes away from downtown Cleveland. Make your hotel reservations at the Crowne Plaza Cleveland, 1260 Euclid Avenue ($149.00 per night) by calling 1-800-2-CROWNE and mentioning the Yale Class of 1958 Mini Reunion or you can reserve your room online. Rooms must be reserved by Friday, September 2. Please note that if you want to extend your visit before or after the weekend, it is necessary to talk to the sales department at the hotel at (216) 615-3325.
