The main festival day of the 2022 Cleveland Kurentovanje will kick off with the Fourth Annual 5k Kurent Dash at 10 a.m. The celebration continues with a parade at Noon featuring cultural and local organizations, groups of masquerading friends and the highlight of the day, the Kurenti.
Following the parade revelers will enjoy free musical and cultural performances, authentic food and drink, kids crafts and much more.
This year’s Cleveland Kurentovanje, will be celebrated entirely OUTDOORS, in the same vein as much of the festival in Ptuj, Slovenia – Kurentovanje’s city of origin. Cleveland Kurentovanje attenees will be able to celebrate under two large open-air tents, outside the Slovenian National Home and adjoining spaces where outdoor seating and heaters will provide plenty of space to enjoy the features of the day.  Attendees should dress like they’re tailgating for a Browns game in the Muni Lot, going sledding at the Toboggan Chutes, or preparing to party outside all day in whatever weather Cleveland may bring to our festival.  Participants are also encouraged to dress in costume of any kind to celebrate in the Mardi Gras tradition.
Full schedule for the day:

9:00 a.m.: Fourth Annual Kurent Dash 5K Race registration and packet pickup begins at St. Vitus Hall. Register for the race today: https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Cleveland/KurentDash5K

10:00 a.m.: The Fourth Annual Kurent Dash 5K Race departs from the  St. Vitus Parish Hall at East 60th and Lausche Ave.

11:00 a.m.: Gates and tents open at the Slovenian National Home & neighboring lot for kids crafting and face-painting in anticipation of the parade. Food and drink will be available for purchase. Children that make their crafts before noon are invited to join the parade and march together with their newly created pieces.

12:00 p.m.: The Parade kicks off the 10th Annual Cleveland Kurentovanje, stretching throughout the neighborhood. Departing from Saint Martin de Porres High School gym (E. 62nd and Lauche Ave), participants will proceed down St. Clair Ave, past the Slovenian National Home to Addison Rd. The procession will include the Kurenti, polka and marching bands, dance and cultural troupes, and other parading ensembles. Community organizations and groups of friends/family are encouraged to participate in the parade by signing up at www.ClevelandKurentovanje.com.

1:00-4:30 p.m.: Party time! Cleveland Kurentovanje is excited to offer full programming on multiple stages at the Slovenian National Home that will be sure to entertain an all-ages audience. Participants will enjoy ethnic food and drinks, free face-painting and crafts for kids and numerous musical acts and cultural performances. Cleveland Kurentovanje Kurent Pivo craft beer brewed by Collision Bend Brewing will be available for onsite purchase and consumption.

4:30 p.m.: The closing ceremony, called the “Pokop Pusta” in Slovenian, symbolizes the ending of the festival. Personified as a human effigy in a coffin, the festival is burned or buried until the following carnival season. The crowd will toast the burial with a Slivovitz toddy before the Kurents relinquish control back to the city.

6 p.m.: Event ends.

RESTRICTIONS
In order to best follow Covid 19 Rules and Regulations put in place by the CDC and local Health Officials, the Cleveland Kurentovanje Planning Committee will release our Health and Safety Protocols closer to the date of the event. All attendees must agree to follow ALL protocols put in place by the Cleveland Kurentovanje Planning Committee at the time of the event. Anyone who is not willing to follow the rules and guidelines will be removed from the event.
NOTE THAT THIS IS A FREE EVENT. THERE ARE NO TICKETS SOLD FOR THIS EVENT; DO NOT BUY TICKETS FROM ANYONE CLAIMING TO BE SELLING TICKETS TO THIS EVENT.