THIS IS A FREE EVENT! NO TICKETS NEEDED! Get ready to celebrate Kurentovanje with a full day of festivities including a 5k race, parade, musical and cultural performances, lots of food, kids activities, and much more! The event is headquartered at The Slovenian National Home Home (6417 St. Clair Ave. Cleveland) and is free and open to the public. The schedule for the day is as follows:
8:30am: Second Annual Kurent Dash 5K Race registration and packet pickup begins. Register for the race today: https://www.hermescleveland.com/roadracing/events/kurentdash.asp
9:30am: The Second Annual Kurent Dash 5K Race, sponsored by Hansa Brewery begins.
10am: Doors open at The Slovenian National Home for kids crafting and face-painting in anticipation of the parade, as well as the continuation of Friday night’s Bocce tournament. Food, drinks and shopping will also be available. The children’s craft this year are large paper flowers; children that create their crafts before Noon, can join the parade and march together as a field of spring flowers!
12pm: Parade kicks off traditional Kurentovanje, which will stretch through the neighborhood, departing from Saint Martin de Porres High School gym (E62nd and Lauche Ave), proceeding down St. Clair Ave, and ultimately ending at the Slovenian National Home. The procession will include Kurents, polka and marching bands, dance troupes, and other parading groups. Community organizations and groups of friends/family are encouraged to participate in the parade by signing up at www.ClevelandKurentovanje.com. All visitors are encouraged to dress in costume of any kind to celebrate in the Mardi Gras tradition.
Until 5pm: Party time! Full programming on multiple stages at the Slovenian National Home will be sure to entertain you! Enjoy ethnic food and drinks, free face-painting and crafts for kids, ice carving demonstrations, and multiple stages of musical acts and cultural performances. Local craftspeople will also be selling homemade edibles and handmade goods.
5pm: New this year is the closing ceremony (“Pokop Pusta” in Slovenian) in which the Kurentovanje festival will be symbolically buried until next year, thus relinquishing control of the city. The ceremony will include a toast with a special drink as well as the raffle drawing for the custom engraved Hungarian oak barrel (the winner can use it to age their own slivovka, or any other spirit of their choice).
All attendees are encouraged to dress in costume for this Mardi-Gras masquerade event!