All lights are on Charm City as it transforms into Light City March 31-April 8. Baltimore's nine-day Light City festival may be best known for its endless sensory experiences, including light displays and performances, but it also provides several intellectual experiences for national and local thought leaders through the Labs@LightCity innovation conferences.

With six areas of focus— health, green, education, social, design and food—a different Light City Lab will take place daily between April 3-8. Innovation, humanity, culture and technology will be key components of each lab, with each offering unique content and speakers specific to the subject matter of the lab.

In addition to integrating interactivity among guests, the one-day lab events will feature keynote addresses and panels that will dive into topics in innovation, ranging from "the gamification of education" during the EduLab to "the future of post-industrial American cities," during the DesignLab.

Tickets to Labs@LightCity are currently on sale for $149. As a sponsor of Light City, the Maryland Department of Commerce has been given a special discount code to share with our followers. Enter LCFRIENDS50 at checkout for a discounted ticket ($99).

As each Labs@LightCity event draws to a close in the evening, downtown Baltimore will light up for the evening festivities, which includes more than 50 illuminated visual artworks, and a jam-packed music and performance schedule.

In 2016, more than 400,000 visitors headed to downtown Baltimore for the inaugural Light City celebration, generating $19.9 million in direct spending that rippled through the local economy, injecting another $13.9 in indirect impact.