The Cleveland Kurentovanje Festival is a Slovenian Festival where lamb-skinned wearing Kurents ring bells to scare the winter away. Music, food and fun for all.
2024 DATE: February 10, 2024
Location: Slovenian National Home
6417 St Clair Ave
Cleveland, OH 44103
Website: https://www.clevelandkurentovanje.com/
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I first visited this festival in 2014, which you can read about at https://ohiofestivals.net/cleveland-kurentovanje-winter-festival/
This post documents my experience on February 22, 2020.
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It had been a few years since I last attended the Cleveland Kurentovanje…
…yet it was still as lively as ever.
As Polka music filled the Slovenian National Home, vendors on the main floor offered festival merchandise…
…as well as fun, ethnic T-shirts (So CLE Tees)…
…travel opportunities to distant lands (Wandering Paths)…
…and all sorts of accessories (Paparazzi).
While the popular main bar area offered a full bar…
…and a window for delicious Slovenian sausage sandwiches and hot dogs…
…more options could be found downstairs…
…where there were a second kitchen window and a less crowded bar area…
…all sorts of delicious pierogi from the Pierogi Lady…
…and sweet treats that included krofe (Slovenian donuts)…
…kremsnite (a custard and chantilly cream cake)…
…nut rolls (Annette’s Potica)…
…and baked goodies galore (Wojtila’s Bakery).
Kids here could take advantage of free face paintings and craft activities…
…while adults could make hang out in a second basement bar…
…while watching the Cleveland Kurentovanje Bocce Tournament (CLE Bocce Club).
Outside of the Slovenian National Home, food trucks offered other tacos and pizza (Barrio/ Fire and Ice)…
…where festival goers could enjoy a quick bite…
…before heading to St. Clair for the parade.
This was the biggest parade so far with ethnic groups…
…high school bands…
…dancing heads…
…St. Nick and the Krampus crew (Krampus of Cleveland)…
…more Polka music…
…and, of course, the Kurents.
These sheepskinned, masked creatures are the reason we’re here…
…so that we can watch them wave their clubs and ring those bells to scare winter away.
In Cleveland, they’re practically heroes.