ClevelandPeople.Com Celebrating Cleveland's Cultural Diversity
Irish Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley
Irish Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley
he Padraic Pearse Center Speaker Series of the Irish American Club East Side held a Stories and Signatures event on Sunday March 30, 2025 that featured Karen Vuranch as Grace O'Malley. Grace O'Malley, known as Granuaile in Irish Folklore, was a 16th century Irish historical figure often referred to as "The Pirate Queen".
Broadcast journalist Danita Harris founded the organization S.H.I.N.E. in 2016 "to help women visualize and achieve personal and spiritual goals by giving them information that will inspire them to overcome life’s challenges, position them for success and empower them to discover their divine purpose." In April of 2023, Harris launched S.H.I.N.E. Men of Integrity. On March 22, 2025 dads and kids gathered at the remodeled Woodland branch of the Cleveland Public Library for a special event.
Derrick Smith Jr., Josh Cribbs, Margaret Bernstein and Danita Harris
St. Patrick's Day Parade - Cosgrove Steps Ceremony
St. Patrick's Day Parade - Cosgrove Steps Ceremony
The 183rd St Patrick's Day Parade in Cleveland was held on Monday March 17, 2025. It began with a gathering of the honorees and dignitaries on the steps of the Cosgrove Center on Superior Ave. This included Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin, Bishops Edward Malesic and Michael Woost and more.
The start of the Parade featured the Honorees, Guarantors and Public Officials. It also included units from the Cleveland Police and Fire Departments, Ancient Orders of Hibernians and more.
Cleveland's large Irish community has many masses on St. Patrick's Day. The largest are at St. Colman's on the West side and hosted by the West Side Irish American Club and at Saints Robert and William Church on the East side hosted by the Irish American Club East Side (IACES).
This video is the Processional beginning with the IACES units including the Jack McDonough Fife & Drum Corp, followed by Bruce Grieg on the bagpipes, the IACES officers and Members of the Year Anna Marie Turk and Michael P. Stanton, Irish Mother of the Year Mary Joyce, Outside Co-Chair Michael Conkey and Inside Co-Chair Katie Schmitt. Then the Ancient Order of Hibernians Bluestone Division matched in. Then a number of priests and clergy processed in followed by Cleveland Bishop Edward Malesic.
The mission of the Chinese Women Association of Cleveland is "to assist women of Chinese and Asian descent on the issues facing them today, including but not limited to gender discrimination, social injustice, domestic violence, and economic empowerment. We also seek to preserve the exercise of the traditional virtues of Asian culture and the recognition of women's role in today's society while fostering bonds of friendship between women, especially in times of crisis. Membership is open to all Asian female above the age of twenty-one."
FICA is an organization dedicated to serving the needs of the Asian Indian Community in Northeast Ohio. They hosted a celebration of India's Republic Day with cultural performances, awards, dancing, music and food.
4th annual WSIAC GOAT - Greatest Irish Weekend of All Time
4th annual WSIAC GOAT - Greatest Irish Weekend of All Time
The West Side Irish American Club in Cleveland hosted its 4th annual GOAT - Greatest Irish Weekend of All Time - from March 6 through March 9, 2025. There were performances, music, food and fun. On Sunday March 9, the Gerry Quinn Irish Radio Show broadcast live from the event (thanks to sponsorship from Ambassador Edward Crawford).
WSIAC President Dan Chambers talking on the Gerry Quinn radio show.
A great Irish breakfast was served and the honorees were introduced.
Let's see how you do with these Irish Trivia questions. Some are easy, some not so much. Answers at the bottom of the page. No peeking!
See you at the Parade on March 17, 2025.
Maslenitsa 2025
Russian Maslenitsa 2025
The Cleveland Russian Cultural Garden hosted its annual Maslenitsa celebration on Sunday March 2, 2025. There was traditional food such as shashlik and the most characteristic food of Maslenitsa - bliny.
Maslenitsa volunteers serving food
There were games and crafts for children, vendors and a variety of entertainment. There were awards ceremonies for the winners of the Children's Summer Drawing Contest and the Best Bliny chefs. Despite the temperature, there was also an outside area. Maslenitsa is celebrated outside in Russia so outdoor activities are expected and part of the fun.
The annual Cleveland version of the most popular carnival in Slovenia - Kurentovanje - was a week long event featuring cooking demos, language instruction, a dance party, fun run and more.
Councilman Mike Polensek, Consul General Suzana Cesarek with a Kurent
Fat Thursday (Tlusty Czwartek) Polish Paczki Party
Fat Thursday (Tlusty Czwartek) Polish Paczki Party
The Cleveland Polish community gathered at the Polish American Cultural Center in the heart of Slavic Village on February 27, 2025 to celebrate with a Fat Thursday Paczki Party. Fat Thursday, or Tlusty Czwartek, is the last day to eat lots of fatty, sugary food and drink alcohol before Lent. There was a lot of great food and drink and, of course, paczki - in many flavors.
Agnieszka Kotlarsic and Cathy Katrenich
The dance floor was full with the Tom Katrenich Orchestra playing songs such as "Who stole the Kishka?". Watch the video.
Greater Cleveland Chinese Chamber of Commerce New Year
Greater Cleveland Chinese Chamber of Commerce New Year
The Greater Cleveland Chinese Chamber of Commerce hosted a special event at the Cleveland Museum of Art on February 26, 2025 to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The special guest was Chen Li, Consul General, Chinese Consulate General in New York, who made his first trip to Ohio. He spoke about trade and student statistics and opportunities between China and Ohio.
Consul Chen Li and Chinese Chamber Board Members
There was networking and special tours of Asian Art as well as a performance by Zhan Shu and Katherine Bormann who are violinists with the Cleveland Orchestra.
Congressman Louis Stokes 100th Birthday Anniversary
Congressman Louis Stokes 100th Birthday Anniversary
A celebration was held on the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Honorable Louis Stokes (1925-2015) at the Western Reserve Historical Society on February 23, 2025. Louis Stokes was the first Black congressman to be elected from the state of Ohio in 1968 and served in this capacity for 30 years.
You can even listen to an interview we did with Congressman Stokes in 2007.
International Mother Language Day at Bangladesh Cultural Garden
International Mother Language Day at Bangladesh Cultural Garden
Bangladesh Cultural Garden Group on International Mother Language Day
International Mother Language Day is a worldwide annual observance held on February 21 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism. First announced by UNESCO in 1999, it was formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2002.
The national language and official language of Bangladesh is Bengali (also known as "Bangla") and almost 99% of Bangladeshis speak Bengali (including dialects) as their first language. With over 242 million native speakers and another 41 million as second language speakers as of 2025, Bengali is the fifth most spoken native language and the seventh most spoken language by the total number of speakers in the world.
Members of the Bangladesh community of Cleveland Ohio USA gathered at the future site of the Bangladesh Cultural Garden to commemorate the day on Saturday February 22, 2025. Community leader Tariq Islam explained the importance of International Mother Language Day and discussed the Bangla language and flag of Bangladesh.
The community leaders introduced themselves and the Chia Min-Chen, Asian Liaison for the City of Cleveland, gave some remarks. Then Tom Turkaly, incoming Executive Director of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation, welcomed the Bangladesh Garden to the community of about 45 gardens spanning over 100 years. Then the group gave a final greeting in the Bangla language. Watch the video.
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr. and Edwina Moss 90th Birthday Celebration
Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr. and Edwina Moss 90th Birthday Celebration
Theologian, pastor and civic leader, the Reverend Dr. Otis Moss, Jr. is one of America’s most influential leaders. He and his wife Edwina Hudson Moss married on July 23, 1966. They have dedicated their lives to service and the community recognized them on the occasion of their 90th birthdays (both in February) with a gala celebration.
Edwina and Otis Moss Jr. January 2025
Olivet Institutional Baptist Church was packed for the celebration and speakers included Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Dr. David Thomas, president of Morehouse College, retired US Senator Sherrod Brown, Rev. Dr. Marvin McMickle, the Honorable Reverend Andrew Young and Oprah Winfrey (via video).
In this episode of Fun with Maps we look at the very small (area and population) Alpine country of Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein is one of only two double-landlocked countries (along with Uzbekistan) in the world. The Rhine River forms its natural border with Switzerland to the West and the other border country is Austria to the East. Despite its small area, population and limited natural resources, Liechtenstein is one of the few countries in the world with more registered companies than citizens. It is one of the few countries in the world with no debt.
The history is interesting. Until the end of World War I, it was closely tied first to the Austrian Empire and later to Austria-Hungary, but the economic devastation caused by that conflict forced Liechtenstein to enter into a customs and monetary union with Switzerland. Liechtenstein remained neutral in World War II. They needed money so they often resorted to selling family artistic treasures including what was then the most expensive painting in the world (a Da Vinci portrait).
We look at the map to explain double-landlocked and show a map of the US with its landlocked, double-landlocked and one triple land-locked states. There are interesting stories about free beer to the citizens and how they handled invasions with "a case of white wine. Low business taxes and easy incorporation rules have induced many companies to establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein, providing significant state revenues. We also tell an interesting story about their flag to distinguish it from the flag of Haiti. For such a small country it sure has some interesting features.
The 2025 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame has been announced. Almost 100 worthy nominations were recieved.
The induction dinner ceremony will be held on Tuesday April 22, 2025 at Windows on the River. Doors open at 5 and the event starts promptly at 6PM.
The 2025 Class will consist of:
Dr. Raj Aggarwal (Indian community)
David Gilbert (Destination Cleveland and Greater Cleveland Sports Commission)
Frank G. Jackson (56th Mayor of Cleveland)
Beverly Kerecman (Japanese community)
Branka Malinar (Croatian community)
Svetlana Stolyarova (Russian community)
Tickets, sponsorships and other information will be posted soon. Or e-mail us now for details.
Cleveland Ethnic Bucket List
Cleveland Ethnic Bucket List
We always get asked what are the best ethnic events each year. While "best" is a subjective term we decided to put together a list of annual ethnic events that we have experienced and think that every Clevelander should attend at least once. There are a lot of one-time or every few years' events that you should attend as well (like the Lithuanian Song Festival in June or the Convencion Hispana every 3 years). But this initial list will be annual events.
We want your input. What does every resident of, and visitor to, The Land need to witness? We will be collecting your input and merging with our long list and then narrowing down to a definitive (in our opinion) checklist. Let us know how many of these you have already experienced. You can email us with your suggestions.
Here's a short alphabetical list of "must-do's" to get started. Don't be offended or worry if your favorite is not listed. This is just the start.
Cleveland Asian Festival (AsiaTown - 30th and Payne)
Columbus Day Parade (Little Italy)
Cleveland International Hall of Fame inductions (Windows on the River)
Feast of the Assumption (Little Italy)
Greek Independence Day Parade (West 14th)
India Republic Day (various)
Juneteenth Celebration (African American Cultural Garden)
Liszt Concert (Hungarian Cultural Garden)
Lunar New Year (AsiaPlaza and other)
Mexican Day of the Dead (Gordon Square)
Ohio Scottish Games & Celtic Festival (County Fairgrounds)
Oktoberfest (County Fair Grounds)
One World Day (Cleveland Cultural Gardens)
Opera in the Italian Garden
Polish Constitution Day Parade (Polish Village in Parma)
Puerto Rican Day Parade (West 25th by Metro)
Romanian Festival (St Mary Romanian Orthodox Cathedral)
Slovenian Kurentovaje (62nd and St. Clair)
St. Patrick's Day Parade (Superior Ave downtown)
Ukrainian Independence Day Parade (Ukrainian Village in Parma)
Jim (Imre) Balogh shot in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
Jim (Imre) Balogh shot in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
I always call him the 56er. In Hungary they call him Imre. But here in the United States he is Jim Balogh and he has a fascinating story. I had heard bits and pieces of his story over the years and finally got to sit down with him and hear him tell it. You can read some of the highlights and see a few pictures but be sure to watch the video below to hear Jim tell the story in his own words.
They're Baaaaack - in AsiaTown
They're Baaaaack - in AsiaTown
The three young unintentional heroes who solved a series of murders in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens find themselves in the middle of another mystery.
In Murder in AsiaTown DJ, Ren and Peggy, called a modern Mod Squad, discover a decades old murder case from Cleveland’s Chinatown. While working to showcase and document the history of the Chinese community and neighborhood they stumble upon some disturbing news. Their efforts take them all over the Chinatown and AsiaTown neighborhoods of Cleveland Ohio and includes numerous historic facts and stories. When it looks like they have the case solved, a surprising twist emerges.
This is Cleveland author Dan Hanson's second book. The first book, Murder in the Cultural Gardens, is a “whodunit” murder mystery set in the real world Cleveland Cultural Gardens. An unlikely new “Mod Squad” stumbles upon a series of murders in their beloved Gardens and assist in solving the crimes. All 30+ of the Cultural Gardens are covered in the book so readers learn about this treasure while trying to figure out the mystery.
You can find them on Amazon and in local bookstores like Mac'sBacks on Coventry. Or email for autogaphed copies. They make great Christmas gifts!
One World Day
One World Day
The 78th annual One World Day was another amazing event. One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946.
The 78th annual One World Day was amazing! Here is a video of the Parade of Flags with over 50 heritages represented.
The Parade began with CCGF past president Sheila Murphy Crawford welcoming the crowd and thanking the Parade Chairs Angela Woodson and Dan Hanson.
In a sign of unity, the MCs for the Parade were from the 4 major TV stations in Cleveland (left to right in the photo): Tino Bovenzi from Fox8, Kelly Dobeck from WOIO, Jiovanni Lieggi from WKYC and Tracy Carloss from WEWS.
One World Day Parade of Flags MCs
The Parade marched down MLK Blvd. and began with the One World Day Banner, followed by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Dr. Wael Khoury (Board Chair of Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation). Then the Irish American Club East Side Pipe and Drums followed by the American Garden represented by members of the Rotary Club of Cleveland.
Then the representatives of the: Hungarian Garden, Greek Garden, Hebrew Garden, Slovak Garden, Italian Garden, Romanian Garden, Turkish Garden, Chinese Garden, Russian Garden, Finnish Garden, Lebanese Garden, Lithuanian Garden, German Garden, Ethiopian Garden, Ukrainian Garden, Irish Garden, Croatian Garden, Latvian Garden, Estonian Garden, Armenia Garden, African American Garden, British Garden, Slovenian Garden, Syrian Garden, Dominican Republic Community, Scottish Garden, Albanian Garden, Korean Garden, India Garden, French Garden, Polish Garden, Carpatho-Rusyn Garden, Uzbekistan Garden, Pakistan Garden, Peruvian Garden, Palestinian Garden, Morocco Community, Swiss Community, Indonesian Community, Kazakhstan Community, Native American Garden, Mexican Garden, Japanese Community, Bangladesh community, Iranian Community, Haitian Community, Filipino Garden, Colombian Garden, Brazilian Community, Chilean Community and Serbian Garden.
The largest annual gathering (sold out at 500 people with a waiting list) of Cleveland's ethnic leaders and grassroots gathered Tuesday April 23 at Windows on the River for the 14th annual Cleveland International Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.
The 2024 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame consists of:
Dona Brady (Albanian heritage) who was inducted by Cleveland City Councilman Michael Polensek.
Ambassador Edward Crawford (Irish) who was inducted by Irish Ambassador to the United States Geraldine Byrne Nason.
Veronica Dahlberg (Mexican and broader Hispanic) who was inducted by Cleveland City Councilwoman Jasmin Santana.
Dr. Eugene Jordan (African-American) who was inducted posthumously Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr.
Erika Puussaar (Estonian) who was inducted by Estonia´s Ambassador to the United States Mr. Kristjan Prikk
Johnny K. Wu (Chinese and broader Asian) was inducted by Margaret W. Wong.
Click on the names (above) to go to a page with the photos and videos of that person's induction. Below is a video of the entire evening taken by TV20 professionals Dan Monroe and Raulston Douse. Thanks guys.
Albert Ratner - Cleveland International Hall of Fame
Albert Ratner - Cleveland International Hall of Fame
Albert Ratner had a 66-year career at Forest City where he grew the company from a lumber supply company to a construction company to a home improvement retailer to a real estate development company. Forest City spearheaded the redevelopment of the Halle Building, which it purchased in 1982, and Tower City, which opened in 1990. It became publicly-traded in 1960, an $8.2 billion corporation that develops, owns and manages residential and commercial properties across the country. Its national portfolio now includes 32 retail centers, 36 office buildings and 115 apartment buildings.
He has always been interested in, and has become an expert in, population and immigration topics. He led the creation of Global Cleveland in 2011. He was inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame in 2011 and has given several keynote addresses at their induction ceremony. Unable to attend the 2024 induction ceremony in person he created this short video with his perspective and advice on population and immigration.
"It just didn't seem right to DJ. A body found bludgeoned in a place known for "Peace through Mutual Understanding." But there she was, crumpled behind a bust of composer Franz Liszt in the Hungarian Cultural Garden. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. "What is the nature of your emergency?" the dispatcher queried. With a suddenly very dry mouth DJ managed to get out, "There's been a murder in the Cultural Gardens."
That's the beginning of the recently published first novel by Dan Hanson.
The whodunit, titled Murder in the Cultural Gardens, takes place in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens and all 30+ gardens are featured during the mystery. You may even recognize some of the characters.
Click the link above to learn more or to purchase in paperback or Kindle version from Amazon. Or contact Dan via the Murder in the Cultural Gardens webpage to have a signed book delivered.
Cleveland is a diverse city with about 120 distinct ethnic heritages represented. We at ClevelandPeople.com and the Cleveland International Hall of Fame believe that this ethnic diversity makes us a much richer city and that we should all celebrate this fact.
We asked people from various ethnic groups to create a tile representing their heritage. These 3 quilts are a product of that effort. We hope that other ethnic groups will want to add their own tile to these patchworks showcasing our ethnic diversity.
This DVD is a Living Rosary in the sense that over 200 people participated in saying a prayer. 3 bishops, numerous priests and sisters and a variety of lay people all said a prayer (Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary or Glory Be) that when put together combine to form the complete Rosary.
We hope that you will pray along with the diverse group of people on this DVD. They are young and old, different races and ethnicities, in Church and outside, alone and in groups. The prayers are said in English, but occasionally there is a prayer in another language. You may not know the language but will understand, and be able to pray along, because of the context.
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If you want your group's events listed in our Calendar, please send an e-mail to events@clevelandpeople.com with the details. Please allow at least 2 weeks lead time.
Do you need a Hungarian Flag? A shirt that says "I love Slovenian girls"? How about a sign that says No Parking except for Irish Grandmother?
These and hundreds of other items for your particular ethnic group are available for browsing at our on-line store. It's safe, fast, easy and fun. And there is a wide selection you will never find in the stores!
