ClevelandPeople.Com Celebrating Cleveland's Cultural Diversity
Fun with Maps - Lexington and Concord
Fun with Maps - Lexington and Concord
In this episode of Fun with Maps host Dan Hanson showcases Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts in honor of America 250. On April 19, 1775 the "shot heard around the world" was fired in Lexington which launched the Revolutionary War and led to America's independence. Later in the day the famous Battle of Concord took place at the Old North Bridge over the river in the town of Concord.
We touch on the history leading up to these events like the Boston Massacre in 1770, Boston Tea Party (1773), the British Parliament passing the Intolerable Acts (early 1774) and in February 1775, the British government declaring Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion and targeting Adams, Hancock and others. We look at the path that Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott rode to warn (The British are coming!) area militias of the British plans and the approaching British Army expedition from Boston.
We look at the route that General Thomas Gage, the military governor of Massachusetts, ordered to capture Hancock and Adams and destroy the supplies in Concord. We look at the lady who was a secret ally of the Patriots. And we look at the shot heard around the world and the Battles of Lexington and then Concord. We discuss the fabled Minutemen, an elite force of young men.
We also look at the amazing literary figures who all lived in Concord - Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne (Scarlett Letter and House of the Seven Gables), Louisa May Alcott's (Little Women) father, Henry David Thoreau (Walden) and others. And we look at the reactions from leaders such as John Adams, Thomas Paine and George Washington who, after hearing of the Battle of Lexington, realized that this was war. There's also a fun fact covering a special Concord food that you are probably familiar with.
Each year the Hungarian Cultural Garden puts on a free performance for the community featuring the music of Franz Liszt and others. The concert was led by Vera Holczer-Waroquet from the Aurora School of Music. Vera is a native of Budapest.
Artists of the Aurora School of Music
There were also remarks from special guest Lazslo Aradvari representing the Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago.
The City of Cleveland, under the direction of Zack Reed, hosted a World Cup Soccer Watch Party in Cleveland at Centro Villa on Sunday June 21, 2026 to watch the match between Spain and Saudi Arabia.
We stopped at the Cleveland Soccer Group table and spoke to Noah Toumert, Executive Director of the Cleveland Soccer Group Foundation. We learned about the pro soccer teams coming to Cleveland - Forest City Cleveland, Men's Pro Soccer and Cleveland Astra, Women's Pro Soccer Team.
Another special episode of Fun with Maps because of the World Cup. We look at the tiny nation of Curacao. It's only about 170 square miles and about 185,000 people live there. Curacao, along with is neighbor islands of Aruba and Bonaire, are called the ABC Islands.
You may have heard of the Netherlands Antilles, the Dutch Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, the Greater Antilles, etc.
The Antilles is an archipelago within the West Indies in the Caribbean region of the Americas. The Antillean islands are divided into two smaller archipelagos: the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles.
This Fun with Maps episode looks at Curacao and then both the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Lucayan (aka Bahamian) Archipelago, and a broader look at the West Indies. So we will see Puerto Rico and countries such as Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Bahamas and many familiar and not so familiar smaller islands as we take a look at Curacao. And yes, the liqueur (often dyed blue) comes from there.
The African American Cultural Garden in Cleveland Ohio hosted their annual Juneteenth celebration on Friday June 19, 2026 and hundreds celebrated the day. There was music, food, resources, games, a talent show and fun for all.
The World Cup has been a lot of fun so far but a lot of people asked about a couple of participants that they didn't know about. So we did a quick Fun with Maps episode on one of the teams, and countries, you may not know much about - Cape Verde. In their debut match against Spain, they tied 0-0, earning their first point in World Cup history.
You may also hear Cape Verde called Cabo Verde which is Portuguese. It's officially the Republic of Cabo Verde. It is an archipelagic country in the central Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa. Remember, an archipelago is just a group of islands.
Cape Verde is a horseshoe-shaped cluster of ten volcanic islands (nine inhabited) and eight islets that constitute an area of 1557 sq. miles. These islands lie between 370 and 530 miles west of Cap-Vert, the westernmost peninsula on the Senegalese coast of continental Africa, after which they are named.
With a population of around 491,233 (as of 2021), Cape Verde is among the least populous countries in Africa. So it's pretty impressive that they are in the World Cup.
The name Cap-Vert comes from the Portuguese language Cabo Verde ('green cape'), the name given to it by Portuguese explorers in 1444, a few years before they came across the islands.
The Mayo Society of Greater Cleveland was founded in 2004 by Gerry Quinn as a not-for-profit corporation to provide a forum for information and activities of interest to individuals of Irish descent particularly those with ancestral ties to County Mayo. They held their annual meeting and a social tea on Sunday June 14, 2026 in the just opened Patrick S. Parker Community Sailing Center. Along with the business, there were performances by the Kilroys and Burke School of Irish Dance.
Consul General of the Republic of Slovenia in Cleveland, Suzana Cesarek, hosted a celebration of the 35th Statehood Day of the Republic of Slovenia on Tuesday June 9, 2026 at Severance Hall in Cleveland. The room was full of Slovenian community members as well as other ethnic community leaders and dignitaries.
A special treat was a performance by Fantje na vasi (Boys from the Village) who sang the Slovenian song Triglav (after the highest mountain in Slovenia) and then Slovenec Sem (I am Slovenian and proud to be Slovenian). Watch.
August Pust Interview - Slovenian born American Patriot
August Pust Interview - Slovenian born American Patriot
August Pust was born 1938 in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia and arrived in New York City Harbor, USA, as student/visitor in December 1957. He has had a remarkable and important life that continues to this day. In the interview you will hear August tell part of his amazing journey to becoming, as he says, an American Patriot.
Ambassador of Lithuania visits Grave of Antanas Smetona
Ambassador of Lithuania visits Grave of Antanas Smetona
Gediminas Varvuolis, Ambassador of Lithuania to the United States of America, visited many businesses and organization during his visit to Cleveland. He visited and paid his respects at the final resting places of Antanas Smetona and his wife at All Soul's Cemetery in Chardon, just east of Cleveland. Antanas Smetona was the first president of Lithuania and a central figure in the country's national revival and interwar politics.
Ambassador Varvuolis paying respect
Here is a short video of Ambassador Varvuolis paying his respects and speaking about Antanas Smetona.
The Cleveland Public Library's One Cleveland civic pride campaign "celebrates the individuals whose leadership, impact, and contributions have helped shape Cleveland's story and continue moving our city forward."
I am humbled and honored that my sister Debbie and I are included and featured as two of Cleveland 230 "Coalition Builders." Debbie lives on in honors such as this. I wish she was here to see it but she won't be forgotten.
The list starts with Moses Cleaveland and then Alan Freed, Charles F. Brush, Dick Pogue and other amazing people. In our just released video segment, host Leon Bibb talks about us at about the 3:40 mark, right before Jim Brown and the other Cleveland Summit leaders. Are you kidding me? Watch the video.
The Joey (Berardenelli) Maxim Story
The Joey (Berardenelli) Maxim Story
Giuseppe Antonio Berardinelli was born and raised in the Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland on March 28, 1922 to John and Henrietta Berardinelli, Italian immigrants who raised a large family amid the challenges of working-class life. The family included three brothers-Emmanuel, John, and Richard-and two sisters, Lucille and Janet, all growing up in a close-knit Italian-American household during the Great Depression, when economic hardships affected many immigrant communities in industrial Cleveland.
He was one of only two Cleveland natives, along with Johnny Kilbane, to become world champions on January 24, 1950 he defeated then champ British boxer Freddie Mills.
In this episode of Fun with Maps, we look at an area that has been in the news - The Strait of Hormuz. The Strait is between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The Strait of Hormuz provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and then the Arabian Sea and the open ocean so it is one of the world's most strategically important choke points since the Portuguese were there in the 1500s.
We also look at the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which border the Strait of Hormuz along with Iran. People are often confused about the UAE, Abu Dhabi and Dubai but we clear that up. Watch.
We always get asked what are the best ethnic events each year. While "best" is a subjective term we decided to put together a list of annual ethnic events that we have experienced and think that every Clevelander should attend at least once. There are a lot of one-time or every few years' events that you should attend as well (like the Lithuanian Song Festival in June or the Convencion Hispana every 3 years). But this initial list will be annual events.
We want your input. What does every resident of, and visitor to, The Land need to witness? We will be collecting your input and merging with our long list and then narrowing down to a definitive (in our opinion) checklist. Let us know how many of these you have already experienced. You can email us with your suggestions.
Here's a short alphabetical list of "must-do's" to get started. Don't be offended or worry if your favorite is not listed. This is just the start.
Cleveland Asian Festival (AsiaTown - 30th and Payne)
Columbus Day Parade (Little Italy)
Cleveland International Hall of Fame inductions (Windows on the River)
Feast of the Assumption (Little Italy)
Greek Independence Day Parade (West 14th)
India Republic Day (various)
Juneteenth Celebration (African American Cultural Garden)
Liszt Concert (Hungarian Cultural Garden)
Lunar New Year (AsiaPlaza and other)
Mexican Day of the Dead (Gordon Square)
Ohio Scottish Games & Celtic Festival (County Fairgrounds)
Oktoberfest (County Fair Grounds)
One World Day (Cleveland Cultural Gardens)
Opera in the Italian Garden
Polish Constitution Day Parade (Polish Village in Parma)
Puerto Rican Day Parade (West 25th by Metro)
Romanian Festival (St Mary Romanian Orthodox Cathedral)
Slovenian Kurentovaje (62nd and St. Clair)
St. Patrick's Day Parade (Superior Ave downtown)
Ukrainian Independence Day Parade (Ukrainian Village in Parma)
They're Baaaaack - in AsiaTown
They're Baaaaack - in AsiaTown
The three young unintentional heroes who solved a series of murders in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens find themselves in the middle of another mystery.
In Murder in AsiaTown DJ, Ren and Peggy, called a modern Mod Squad, discover a decades old murder case from Cleveland’s Chinatown. While working to showcase and document the history of the Chinese community and neighborhood they stumble upon some disturbing news. Their efforts take them all over the Chinatown and AsiaTown neighborhoods of Cleveland Ohio and includes numerous historic facts and stories. When it looks like they have the case solved, a surprising twist emerges.
This is Cleveland author Dan Hanson's second book. The first book, Murder in the Cultural Gardens, is a “whodunit” murder mystery set in the real world Cleveland Cultural Gardens. An unlikely new “Mod Squad” stumbles upon a series of murders in their beloved Gardens and assist in solving the crimes. All 30+ of the Cultural Gardens are covered in the book so readers learn about this treasure while trying to figure out the mystery.
You can find them on Amazon and in local bookstores like Mac'sBacks on Coventry. Or email for autogaphed copies. They make great Christmas gifts!
Murder in the Cultural Gardens
Murder in the Cultural Gardens
"It just didn't seem right to DJ. A body found bludgeoned in a place known for "Peace through Mutual Understanding." But there she was, crumpled behind a bust of composer Franz Liszt in the Hungarian Cultural Garden. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. "What is the nature of your emergency?" the dispatcher queried. With a suddenly very dry mouth DJ managed to get out, "There's been a murder in the Cultural Gardens."
That's the beginning of the recently published first novel by Dan Hanson.
The whodunit, titled Murder in the Cultural Gardens, takes place in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens and all 30+ gardens are featured during the mystery. You may even recognize some of the characters.
Click the link above to learn more or to purchase in paperback or Kindle version from Amazon. Or contact Dan via the Murder in the Cultural Gardens webpage to have a signed book delivered.
Cleveland is a diverse city with about 120 distinct ethnic heritages represented. We at ClevelandPeople.com and the Cleveland International Hall of Fame believe that this ethnic diversity makes us a much richer city and that we should all celebrate this fact.
We asked people from various ethnic groups to create a tile representing their heritage. These 3 quilts are a product of that effort. We hope that other ethnic groups will want to add their own tile to these patchworks showcasing our ethnic diversity.
This DVD is a Living Rosary in the sense that over 200 people participated in saying a prayer. 3 bishops, numerous priests and sisters and a variety of lay people all said a prayer (Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary or Glory Be) that when put together combine to form the complete Rosary.
We hope that you will pray along with the diverse group of people on this DVD. They are young and old, different races and ethnicities, in Church and outside, alone and in groups. The prayers are said in English, but occasionally there is a prayer in another language. You may not know the language but will understand, and be able to pray along, because of the context.
We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Please note that some of the links on this website are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
If you want your group's events listed in our Calendar, please send an e-mail to events@clevelandpeople.com with the details. Please allow at least 2 weeks lead time.
Do you need a Hungarian Flag? A shirt that says "I love Slovenian girls"? How about a sign that says No Parking except for Irish Grandmother?
These and hundreds of other items for your particular ethnic group are available for browsing at our on-line store. It's safe, fast, easy and fun. And there is a wide selection you will never find in the stores!
