Sat 10/3 @ 6-11PM
In 2016 the first Cultural Garden was opened on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, then known as Lower East Boulevard (and later Liberty Boulevard until it was renamed in 1981). It was called the Shakespeare Garden — now the British Garden. Over the next decade the idea evolved of having gardens to honor the various ethnic groups that arrived in the late 19th and early 20th century that grew the city’s population and its business and industry. Most of the gardens in the early-mid 20th century honored European cultures; in more recent decades gardens have been added to honor cultures such as Ethiopia, Pakistan, China, Lebanon, Colombia, Vietnam, Syria, and India, with spaces for gardens from Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Korea, Mexico, Peru and Native-American culture already allocated. (And whatever is going on at the African-American Garden, where the entire bowl-like space is being completely dug up and restructured, is sure to be spectacular!)
Each year, it’s final-Sunday-in-August celebration, One World Day, gets bigger. Its Centennial Peace Plaza, dedicated in 2020, provides a central place for events and performances. And its next project is to create a visitor center in the former Stonebrook Montessori building on East Boulevard across from the Italian Garden.
That’s where it will redirect funds raised at its gala, taking place La Villa on Brookpark Road. County Executive Chris Ronayne will be the keynote speakers, Dan Hanson, a writer/photographer who promotes the gardens and NEO Ohio ethic culture and his late sister Debbie Hanson will be honored, and volunteer awards will be given to Paul Burik and Tom Corrigan. There will be a program of international entertainment as well. The reception starts at 6, with dinner and the program kicking off at 7pm.
Go HERE for tickets.
clevelandculturalgardens.org/event/gala-at-la-villa/