Sat 2/3-Sat 2/9
Sat 2/3 @ 1-3:30PM
It’s countdown time to Kurentovanje, one of Cleveland’s newer festival traditions, taking place on Saturday February 9. Now in its 12th year, the event, based on a tradition imported from the Slovenian town of Ptuj, revolves around furry, costumed “kurents,” who clang big bells to try to chase away the winter.
Cleveland’s earliest Kurentovanjes were small, with a handful of kurents leading a parade of neighbors, local businesses and a polka band to the National Slovenian Home for an afternoon of food, drink, music, dance and kids’ activities. Now the parade, expanded in size, attracts thousands of spectators, features a crowd of kurents, and the party at the National Slovenian Home, which spills outdoors behind it, and takes place on all its level, caps a weeklong series of events.
This year kicks off, as it has in recent years, with its benefit part, the Kurent Jump, which is sold out. But you can get in the spirit of the event with a special afternoon presentation by Slovenian-Canadian folklore historian on “The White Costumes: Slovenian Folk Costumes from the Pannonian Region. The free presentation will hone in on costume details, what they mean, and what makes them different from costumes from other regions and countries. He’s have costumes on hand to look at during the free presentation which takes place at the E.J. Kovacic Recreation Center at 6250 St. Clair, just up the block from the National Slovenian Home. The presentation will also be streamed online at the Kurentovanje website. Register for it here.
The rest of the week’s activities include a cooking demonstration, more presentations about aspects of Slovenian culture, and a Slovenian wine tasting. You can find a list of these events and register for them here.
https://www.clevelandkurentovanje.com/2024
https://www.clevelandkurentovanje.com/