CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's one thing to open bars, clubs and restaurants. It's another to build a neighborhood and a destination.

Roll out the Flats Festival of the Arts.

The three-day soiree will feature visual and performing artists and will stage bands throughout the Flats East Bank project along the Cuyahoga.

The three-day soiree will feature visual and performing artists and will stage bands throughout the Flats East Bank project along the Cuyahoga.

"A lot of cities such as Columbus or Ann Arbor or Pittsburgh have these large-scale arts festivals, and we wanted to bring one to Cleveland," says Heidi Yanok, director of marketing for Flats East Bank. "It's going to be an annual event, and we think people are going to be excited to see something of this size and caliber going on downtown."

PREVIEW

Flats Festival of the Arts

What: A three-day soiree that features visual and performing artists and live music.

When: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Flats East Bank, from Old River Road to Front Avenue to West 10th and 11th streets.

Tickets: $10 for a pass. Go to ffota.org.

The bash will have 100 performing acts and 120 art vendors spanning 13 states - ceramics, woodwork, photography and painting. (For a full list, go to ffota.org/artists.html.) It will also focus on performing students from the Cleveland School of the Arts, a specialty arts school in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District for students in grades 8-12.

"We'll have a very diverse group of performers, and we want to showcase some of talented kids from the school," says Yanok.

The event spans the Flats East Bank, from Old River Road to Front Avenue to West 10th and 11th streets. It's part of a larger strategy to create events in the area, which includes Alley Cat Oyster House, Big Bang, Beerhead, Punch Bowl Social, Coastal Taco, Flip Side, Magnolia, Willeyville, Bold, Aloft Cleveland and Lago.

The Crop entertainment complex, which is slated to close on Sept. 11, is also participating. On Air Studio - the largest of the three Crop venues -- will continue to operate in the area after Sept. 11, hosting shows by area promoter, Elevation Group.

While this is the first installment of this particular festival, it's by no means the first in the area. The Old Flats of the 1980s and '90 hosted a number of street parties, back when it was the preeminent party zone in Cleveland.

Organizers hope the Flats Festival of the Arts will revive some of the spirit that made the old Flats the epicenter for Cleveland nightlife - albeit with a new vibe that focuses on the arts.

"Cleveland is such a culturally diverse area that has been void of an arts festival of this size, and we're extremely excited to be hosting it in Flats East Bank," said Flats East Bank developer Scott Wolstein. "There's a reason why our city is home to the second-largest theater district outside of New York City."

Hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. A weekend pass is $10. Go to ffota.org.

The festival will benefit the Cleveland School of the Arts and H.E.L.P., a nonprofit organization devoted to developing a pathway for children living in rural regions of Africa.

Note: On Thursday, Aug. 18, the Flats East Bank is hosting a preview for the festival that doubles as a fundraiser for H.E.L.P. The charity - which stands for Hope, Educate, Love and Protect - raises money for children in Africa.

The event, dubbed Bites, Booze & Boogie, will be set along the east bank of the Flats and in the various venues in the Flats East Bank project.

It runs from 6:30 p.m. to midnight. For more info, go to helpchildren.org/events-to-%20benefit-help.