Cleveland and Northeast Ohio
Ethnic and Cultural Events

If you have annual events and/or know the date of future events, please send them now and we will post. That will assist other groups in their planning so there are not too many conflicting events.

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Cleveland Italian Film Festival
7:30 PM
Cedar Lee Theater & Atlas Cinemas Great Lakes

Award winning films from Italy with English subtitles. All Films Thursdays at 7:30 pm - $13.00. All Tickets Sold in Advance. Sells out early each year! Many of you are familiar with our Wait Lists So order early! Tickets Click Here

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Slovenian Paint and Sip
6 - 8:30 PM
Slovenian National Home
6417 St. Clair

Enjoy making your own painting of Slovenia's famous Lake Bled while you sip Slovenian wine. Registration is $50 per person and includes supplies, artist instruction, a glass of wine, and snacks. Advance registration is a must. Contact Debbie Zaller at dzaller@sbcglobal.net or (440) 939-4205.

Cleveland Sister Cities Flags
9 AM
Cleveland Public Library
525 Superior Avenue

Our sister cities around the globe are a tangible connection that so many of us have to our original homelands and to our ancestral beginnings. This unveiling of the public display of these flags symbolizes Cleveland’s international bonds with cities around the world. Borne from the aftermath of World War 2, this living breathing monument testifies to the people-to-people diplomacy, fostering of cultural connections, promoting academic exchange and basic human understanding of our shared values. Global Cleveland, with the City’s leadership and your commitment, is honored to amplify and support these ever-important community building efforts in a world so very much in need of them.

Please rsvp to Zachary@globalcleveland.org

Guardians Irish Heritage Night
9 AM
Progressive Field

come and celebrate being halfway to one of the biggest parties every year, Saint Patrick's Day! Join us at Progressive Field in our brand new Paul Davis Pennant District and enjoy an Irish influenced food & drink menu and activities everyone can enjoy! Use Code: StPatrick2024 to purchase your tickets!

Polka 101 Party
7 - 9 PM
St. Mary's Hall
15519 Holmes Avenue

Join the leaders of the local Kres dance group for a lesson on how to Polka. All Clevelanders should know how to dance the Polka! This class is for beginners, for those out of practice, or even for experienced dancers who would like to help the beginners. Either way, it will be fun! Admission is $10 per person. Drinks and snacks will be available. To register, email sloconsulate.cleveland@gmail.com, or visit the Slovenian Consulate General on Facebook.

Cultural Fusion: Culinary Extravaganza
9 AM
Gordon Green

Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association is celebrating their 75th anniversary with a fundraiser this September 19th. It's called Cultural Fusion: Culinary Extravaganza.

Cultural Fusion: Culinary Extravaganza is a modernization of the popular Ethnic Extravaganza of the 1990s and early 2000s. Experience a Cultural Fusion: Culinary Extravaganza dininhg on seasonal hors d'oeuvres, internationally inspired small plates, and decadent desserts created by PearlFlower & Spice Catering. Play with the latest technology through VR goggles, Cricut machines, and robots. Explore the world of craft chocolate and whiskey through guided tastings then dance the night away with sounds from Lo-Key Entertainment. Support NCA's mission of educating individuals of all ages for a lifetime of success! Tickets are $150

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International Job and Resource Fair
9 AM - Noon
Cuyahoga County Public Library – Parma-Snow Branch

Are you an international person searching for a job in Northeast Ohio? Or are you an international newcomer interested in receiving free resources? Join Global Cleveland at our job and resource fair to meet employers and pick up information and resources to help you thrive in our region.

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British Chamber - Passport Professionals
5:30 - 8PM
Winking Lizard Tavern
6111 Quarry Lane. Independence

Join the British American Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, September 19th, for the next Passport Professionals event! As always, these informal gatherings provide excellent opportunity to network with other professionals involved in international business. Free event! We hope to see you there, and bring a friend!

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Culinary Class: Cook Slovenian!
6 PM
Slovenian National Home
6417 St Clair.

Experienced local cooks will teach you how to make two traditional Slovenian specialties, poti?ke, mini nut rolls and ri?et, a soup with vegetables and barley. Please register in advance. Cost is $10 per person and includes instruction, ingredients, and food to take home. Contact discoverslocle@gmail.com or visit Discover Slovenia in Cleveland on Facebook.

Welcoming Week Volunteer Day
9 AM - Noon
May Dugan & One Hope NEO

Join Global Cleveland as we spend a morning with our partners to pack and distribute resources for international newcomers in Northeast Ohio.

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Cleveland Armenian Festival
St Gregory of Marek
678 Richmond Rd.

St. Mary's of the Assumption Annual Clambake
6 PM
15519 Holmes Avenue

Join the St. Mary's community for a Cleveland experience. The Jeff Pecon orchestra with Joey Miskulin will play. Advanced reservations are a must. Dinners/prices: Steak & clams - $45 Chicken & clams - $35. Call (216) 761-7040.

Explore Italy: Regional Cuisine, Culture, and Language - Sardegna
10:30am - 12:30pm
Italian American Museum of Cleveland
12111 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland

Explore Italy: Regional Cuisine, Culture, and LanguageExplore Italian regions with Dr. Paola Basile, Professor of Italian Studies!The Classes During the 6-class seminar, attendees will explore various facets of five different Italian regions, including the language, culture, food, and wines, with Dr. Paola Basile, a native of Italy and Professor of Italian Studies at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio.Each class features a different Italian region. The first part of the class will be a presentation on and discussion about the region's culture and language. During the second part of class, attendees will have the opportunity to taste regional wines and sample regional cuisine as prepared by Little Italy chefs.Class Schedule Class time is 10:30a-12:30p. You may register for all classes or select individual classes you would like to attend. Class size is limited, so register early.

Sardegna is the second largest island in the Mediterranean, located to the west of Italy. It is an autonomous region of Italy and is one of the world's five Blue Zones. Blue Zones are regions where people tend to live significantly longer and healthier lives, with a higher than average number of centenarians.

Sept 21 - Sardegna
Oct 19 - Abruzzo
Nov 2 - Molise

Cost $30 per class.Location All classes take place at the Italian American Museum of Cleveland (IAMCLE) located in the heart of Cleveland's Little Italy (between Presti's and Maxi's.)

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Cleveland Dragon Boat Festival
8 AM - 3 PM
Heritage Park
East Bank of the Flats

The Cleveland Dragon Boat Festival is back on the Cuyahoga River! Join us for the 2024 Cleveland Dragon Boat Festival (CDBA) on Saturday, September 21, from 8 am. to 3 p.m. at Heritage Park (East Bank of the Flats) in Cleveland, Ohio. Parking: Free and paid parking lots are available; watch for CDBA signs, first come. Additional parking is available at the Nautica site.

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Cleveland Dozynki
1 - 6 PM
Polish American Cultural Center
6501 Lansing Ave. Cleveland

The Polish custom of the Dozynki dates back to ancient times, and is celebrated during the early autumn to give thanks for the season’s bountify. Now in it's third year, the Cleveland Polka Association and Polish-American Cultural Center present our Cleveland Dozynki! The Cultural Center will be cooking up a delicious Polish food, the CPA will have a full array of domestic and imported piwo, there will be Polish folk dancing, vendors, 50/50 and gift basket raffles, free tours of the Cultural Center museum, and seating both indoors and outside in the lovely Cultural Center Garden. We will feature polkas, Polish dance music, and American music by John Góra & Górale from Toronto! Admission $18 (18 and under free) No table reservations, CPA loyalty cards and comp tickets not accepted at this event. No BOYB or food. Cleveland Police present both inside and outside.

Convencion Hispana 2024
9 AM - 4 PM
Max Hayes High School
2211 West 65th Street

Slovenian Grape Festival
2 PM
SNPJ Farm
10946 Heath Road, off Chardon Road (Route 6) in Kirtland

Celebrate the harvest Old World-style at SNPJ Farm’s traditional Slovenian Grape Festival, Sunday, September 22, 2024, down on SNPJ Farm, Heath Road in Kirtland, Ohio. The polka parade starts the festivities with singers, musicians and Slovenian costumes at 2:45. The Tony Fortuna Orchestra follows the fun with four hours of music.

Join the harvest parade, led by Tony on the accordion. Get a song sheet for the Slovenian sing-along with Joe Valencic. Bring your own squeezebox and jam. Dance to Tony’s toe-tapping tunes from 3:00 to 7:00. The pavilion is decorated with grapevines and hanging treats, symbols of a successful harvest. But if you dare snatch a goody, you could wind up in jail! Free admission when you wear your Slovenian costume or bring your accordion. Participants need to arrive by 2:15 to prep for the parade. 18 and under free. Regular admission, $8, includes four hours of live music and all the balinca/bocce you can play. Hearty fare includes smoked Slovenian sausages, savory roast beef, and homemade donuts, served from 2:00 on.

Run for Sewa 5K Run/Walk
9 AM
Weiss Field
33401 Webber Rd, Avon Lake

Join us for the Cleveland Chapter's 5K Run/Walk on Sunday, Sept. 22nd at 9 AM EST! All proceeds support the ASPIRE Tutoring program to provide quality education and boost high school graduation rates among at-risk urban students. The first 150 registrants also receive a free t-shirt! Please encourage you to have your friends and family join. Light refreshments, snacks, and beverages will be provided to runners!

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The Journey: A Place to Call our Own
4:15
Atlas Theatre on Shaker Square

"The Journey: A Place to Call Our Own" recounts the struggle of Black Americans in Cleveland, Ohio, as they sought space within the historic Cultural Gardens in Rockefeller Park. The Cultural Gardens, established in 1926, celebrate the city's multi-ethnic heritage and aim to promote ethnic pride and intercultural understanding. Despite African-American migrants becoming the largest working-class population in Cleveland, the Gardens initially lacked representation for Black Clevelanders. However, after 16 years of dedication, hard work, and resilience, the African American Cultural Garden was finally acquired in 1977. Admission tickets to view the film are $15

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Spotting and Avoiding Scams
11 AM - 1:30 PM
Ariel International
1163 East 40th

Given scammers target communities including refugees, immigrants, communities of color, seniors and young people, please let us work together and help people in your ethnic community, so they would have accurate information on scams. Sandy Close is from Ethnic Media Services, and she has been partnering with Federal Trade Commission, conducting On-site News Briefing in 30+ cities across the country in the last 10+ years.

Demons, Ghosts, and Goblins in Chinese Art
Cleveland Museum of Art

Featuring paintings and sculptures of secular and religious subject matter from the CMA and an important private collection, Demons, Ghosts, and Goblins in Chinese Art explores the stories in which these creatures appear and the supernatural power that they exert. This exhibition presents three sculptures of fearsome guardian figures and more than a dozen Chinese paintings depicting demons and monsters in their role of either causing havoc on earth or acting as protectors against evil forces and harmful intruders. This free exhibition is on view September 8, 2024, through January 20, 2025, in the Julia and Larry Pollock Focus Gallery.

Tomb Guardians, early 700s in the photo.

Free Concert - internationally acclaimed organist
7:30 PM
St. John Cathedral
1007 Superior Ave E. Cleveland

David Briggs - internationally acclaimed organist. Born and raised in England, Briggs has been based in North America since 2003, living first in New York, before relocating to Ipswich, Massachusetts (2007-12) and Toronto, Canada (2012-17). Since 2017 he has been the Artist in Residence at the Cathedral of St John the Divine, in New York - the world's largest Gothic cathedral. He continues to tour the world as one of the most sought-after Concert Organists of his generation, playing around 65 concerts each year.

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Resource Cleveland (formerly Refugee Response) Gala
7 - 10 PM
2054 West 47th St.

Resource Cleveland (formerly Refugee Response) is staging its annual gala September 28 at its HQ in Ohio City. They work with refugees in Cleveland in addition to running the Ohio City Farm.

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The 1981 Irish Hunger Strike
7 PM
Irish American Club East Side
22770 Lakeshore Blvd. Euclid

Stories & Signatures: The Padraic Pearse Center Speaker Series. The Padraic Pearse Center invites you to an evening with author Michael C. Mentel, featuring his eye-opening book, "The 1981 Irish Hunger Strike: An Account from Declassified British Documents". On Wednesday, September 25th, join us in the Phil Walsh Cabaret Room at the Irish American Club East Side, Inc. Doors open at 6:30 PM, with the event beginning at 7 PM.

Mentel's book provides a riveting exploration of the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike, drawing on newly declassified British documents to offer fresh perspectives on this critical moment in history. This event is a must for anyone interested in Irish history, political struggles, and the stories that have shaped our world. Don't miss this chance to hear from the author himself and dive deep into a pivotal chapter of Ireland's past.

Hungarian Garden Dinner and Beer
6:30 PM
Immigrant Son Brewery
18120 Sloane Ave, Lakewood

More infor from Mike Pataky at mpatacky@gmail.com or 216-538-9402

FICA Anand Mela
11 AM - 5 PM
Solon Middle School
6835 SOM Center Rd. br>

Please Block the date for FICA Anand Mela on Saturday, Sept 28th (afternoon) in Solon. This year's theme is Cuisine from various states/regions of India. Immerse yourself in Indian Culture with games and food from different states of India. Vendors (Food, Clothing, Gift items for Navratri and Diwali, Jewelry, Paintings, and Artwork).

Medical Yatra 2025 Event
5 PM
Laurel School, Shaker Hts.

Polish History Day Rowing Event
2 - 6 PM
The Foundry
1813 Columbus Rd.

2:15pm Introduction. 2:20pm “Piast” Polish Folk Song and Dance Ensemble – performance. 2:30pm Doug Kusak of the Cleveland Metroparks - local history and Cleveland Metroparks involvement. 3:00pm Krystal Sierra of Slavic Village Development – Slavic Village's new connection to Downtown. 3:30pm The Foundry – story and remarks. *presentations are subject to change

The People’s Assembly for the Unification of Ireland
6 - 8:30 PM

West Side Irish American Club
8559 Jennings Road, Olmsted Twp.

Dáire Hughes MP and Friends of Sinn Féin USA for The People’s Assembly for the Unification of Ireland. A conversation with the diaspora, the descendants of Ireland, and all those who support Irish Unity

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Leif Erikson Day
11:30 AM

Romano's Macaroni Grill
25001 Country Club Blvd, North Olmsted

All Scandinavians. Get ready to celebrate LEIF ERIKSON DAY Wednesday October 9th. We will first gather at 11:30AM in the parking area for a “meet & greet” and reading of the President’s Proclamation, before entering the restaurant to enjoy lunch in a set aside section. There we will individually chose our food from a specially tailored 6 item menu (no price over $30).To make reservation, please contact Julian Fossen: jfossen7376@breezelineohio.net by October 1.

Irish Game Day
10 AM
John Carroll University

The first annual Irish Game Day at John Carroll University will be on October 12. There will be an Irish Cultural Tailgate beginning at 10am on South Belvoir Blvd, just south of the Don Shula Sports Center in University Heights. The inaugural Shamrock Game will kick-off at 1:30pm. Blue Streak Football plays Capital University at Don Shula Stadium. Mark Owens, a John Carroll grad and the first Irish Honorary Consul in Ohio, will perform the coin toss. Members of the Irish community will be recognized throughout the game, and at halftime there will be a Gaelic football exhibition.

Contact francis.mcgarry@bluestonecharities.org for more information or sponsorship opportunities.

Colombian Carnival
Highland Heights Ohio Community Center
5827 Highland Rd.

Join us for an exhilarating journey to Colombia at the 2024 Colombian Carnival! Immerse yourself in vibrant culture, dazzling performances, and mouthwatering cuisine. Let’s unite for a meaningful cause! We’re thrilled to announce that this year’s carnival aims to fundraise for the construction of a splendid Colombian Garden at the Cleveland Cultural Garden. Your presence and support will help us create a beautiful space that celebrates Colombia’s rich heritage and fosters cultural connections.

If you have any questions or would like to get involved with the event preparations, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at (440) 222 - 5976 Rosa Briola

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Noche de Lotería Fundraiser
6 PM - Midnight
Julia De Burgos
2800 Archwood Ave

AlmaVision: Cultura y Más is thrilled to announce the 2nd Annual Noche de Lotería Fundraiser. This year's event promises an unforgettable evening packed with culture, community, and fun. The Noche de Lotería will feature a lively game of Lotería (Mexican Bingo), music by DJ Corona Productions, and a variety of exciting prizes. Guests are encouraged to come in costumes that reflect their favorite Lotería characters-whether it's "La Luna" or "El Catrín." Noche de Lotería not only guarantees a fun night but also supports a meaningful cause.

Proceeds from the event will directly benefit AlmaVision: Cultura y Más, dedicated to promoting cultural representation in Cleveland. By attending Noche de Lotería, participants contribute to the vital work of bringing diverse cultural experiences to our community.

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Slovenian Oktoberfest
Noon - 6 PM
Slovenian National Home
6409 St Clair

FICA Diwali Celebration
6 PM
LaVilla Banquet Center
11500 Brookpark Rd.

11th Annual German Fall Festival
4 - 10 PM
Donauschwaben German American Cultural Center
7370 Columbia Rd. Olmsted Twnshp.

German food and beer, live music and folk dancing, raffle baskets.

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Ohio Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
TBA

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