Sat 7/27 @ 1-10PM
When it comes to events at libraries, it’s often very easy to pigeonhole such affairs as more than likely very insightful but relative tame in nature. That’s definitely not the case regarding the Cleveland Public Library’s yearlong 150th anniversary celebration.
Specifically, the CPL150 Street Festival takes place from 1-10pm Sat 7/27 at the Main Library and the Louis Stokes Wing of Cleveland Public Library, as well as on Superior Avenue, between E. 3rd and E. 6th streets. All roads will be closed to traffic.
The free, daylong affair boasts a five-story high Ferris wheel parked on Superior Avenue (seriously!), a puppet parade, balloon animal creations and a colorful inflatable public art installation in the afternoon, as well as comedian Roy Wood Jr., a DJ set from DāM-FunK and more in the evening.
CoolCleveland talked to Cleveland Public Library Director of Outreach and Programming Services Aaron Mason about the amazing CPL150 Street Festival.
CoolCleveland: Wow, the CPL150 Street Festival appears to be quite the event. How special is this?
Aaron Mason: It’s unlike anything we’ve done before. Normally when people come to library events they’re organized by nonprofits and they expect to see partner organizations and literature tables. This will be quite different. The purpose of the event is to obviously celebrate our 150 years in Cleveland, but also honor the people that made us who we are today — the residents in the city of Cleveland. So it’s our way of saying thank you. During the day from 1-5pm there will be performances, giveaways, tours of our puppetry exhibit and a massive art installation in the garden with a focus on family-friendly activities. Then from 5-10pm, we’ll shift into more adult-focused entertainment.
CC: To further your point, the CPL150 Street Festival lineup belies what one normally thinks of when it comes to any library event.
AM: Definitely. We start off the day with Eric Litwin, the co-creator of “Pete the Cat” series. We have a magnificent dance group called Hiplet. They blend hip-hop dance with ballet. We’ll have other musical performances, but in the evening we transition into a set by Roy Wood Jr. and close the night out with the musical stylings of DāM-FunK. The main thing here is we picked content based on the interests of the people we serve. So we thought a lot about what would resonate with people, what would resonate the most with a diverse audience and that’s how we landed with the guests that we have.
CC: So how does this event epitomize the Cleveland Public Library?
AM: We serve as a convening organization, so partners meet constituents in the neighborhoods or we connect populations of people that don’t interact that much together. We connect young and old. We expose people to new ideas. The point of this event is to draw on that commonality. The one that stands out to me is DāM-FunK. He’s considered like a historian of funk. That genre of music has become very popular with young people, but for old people like me, I remember it was played at roller skating rinks. I think you’ll see older and younger people together enjoying the same type of music.
CC: Timing-wise, where are we at in terms of the Cleveland Public Library’s yearlong 150th anniversary celebration?
AM: I’d say we’re kind of midpoint. In fact, we’re planning the culminating event at the United Methodist Church of Christ in University Circle where we’ll be honoring 150 residents from the city of Cleveland for wonderful things they’ve done but maybe haven’t been recognized. Also, we’re closing it all out with the unveiling of an ambitious project. All year long we’re doing a photo survey of the city of Cleveland with lots of landmarks and more of the people that make the city what it is. In partnership with the Cleveland Print Room, we have 25 photographers fanning out over the city documenting basically every aspect of life. Those images will become the core of a new photo collection of the city. Much of the photo history of Cleveland in our collection stops in the 1980s and 1990s. So we’re thinking of the next 150 years, which is why we’re investing in building a contemporary collection of photos. That exhibit will be in Brett Hall and it opens on January 21.
CC: Finally, isn’t it safe to say that the iconic Cleveland Public Library is one of the coolest buildings downtown?
AM: Oh, yeah, I mean without a doubt. And we’re going to be opening it up on that day so we can show you the coolest view. If you go to the 10th floor of the Stokes Wing you can look out west over our main library building, the courthouse and see these magnificent copper tops and a clear line of site to the mall. And when you get into our collections, it’s just never ending.
Cleveland, OH 44114