The Polish American Priests' Association National Convention was held in Cleveland from April 13 - 17, 2026. Various activities were held including the Fr. Leopold Moczygemba Award Banquet (named after the founder of the 1st Polish settlement in the USA in Panna Maria, Texas) where the organization's highest honor was bestowed upon Fr. Jerzy Kusy. On April 15 they gathered at the historic St. Casimir Church for Mass.
Polish American Priests' Association at St. Casimir Church
This amazes me every year. The beautiful sawdust carpets (Alfombras de Semana Santa - Carpets of Holy Week) are trampled over in the Good Friday procession and then swept up! Popular custom in Central America, especially Guatemala and El Salvador, that was brought to Cleveland about 30 years ago. Watch.
A Good Friday Procession covered 3 churches in Cleveland on Good Friday 2026. It began at La Sagrada Familia Church at 7719 Detroit Ave. on Cleveland's West Side. The procession included Bishop Michael Woost, other priests, a man dressed as Jesus carrying a cross, Roman Centurions, Saint Veronica and more.
They marched through the neighborhoods to St. Colman Church where they processed in for a service. The final stop was at St. Michael the Archangel Church at Scranton and Clark in Cleveland.
2026 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame
2026 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame
The 2026 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame induction dinner ceremony will be held on Tuesday April 21, 2026. The class was selected with input from previous inductees from 94 worthy nominees.
The 2026 Class will consist of: (Click on the link for bio and photos)
In addition, the first annual Debbie Hanson Forever Young Honors have been announced. Debbie's medical issues started in her 50's and her passing was way too early - hence she will remain Forever Young to us.
The honor will be awarded each year to a man and a woman who do not seek the limelight but are always there willing and able to help in any way possible with their community.
The first two honorees of the Debbie Hanson Forever Young Award are:
The event will be Tuesday April 21 at Windows on the River. Doors open at 5PM for networking/photos/cash bar and the event starts promptly at 6PM with MC Russ Mitchell. Individual tickets may be purchased below. First come, first served and no tickets will be sold at the door.
Contact us for multiple seats, tables, ads, sponsorships, etc.
Nowruz Celebration in Cleveland City Hall
Nowruz Celebration in Cleveland City Hall
The City of Cleveland held their first Nowruz (Persian New Year) celebration in the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall on Monday March 23, 2026. Nowruz, meaning "new day" in Persian, is an ancient festival marking the Persian New Year and the arrival of spring, celebrated on the vernal equinox—typically March 20 or 21 by over 300 million people across diverse ethnic groups in regions including Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Albania, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and more.
Manet & Morisot Exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art
Manet & Morisot Exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art
Manet & Morisot is the first ever major exhibition dedicated to the artistic exchange between Édouard Manet, often referred to as the father of modern painting, and Berthe Morisot, the only woman among the founding members of the Impressionist movement. Through comparisons of related works made between the late 1860s and the late 1880s, this exhibition traces the evolution of a singular friendship between two groundbreaking artists.
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!
