PERUCAN-OH annual Peruvian Picnic Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church 6812 Broadview Rd, Parma July 20, 2025
PERUCAN-OH is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the rich cultural heritage of Perú in the community, through educational projects and cultural events. Their first and most ambitious project to date is to design, create, and maintain a Peruvian Cultural Garden as part of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens along Martin Luther King Boulevard. Their website says, "We strive to strengthen our region by providing a sense of community and understanding between Peruvian Americans and our local communities while serving, supporting, and advocating for Peruvian immigrants in the area."
Peru Garden Plan
Perucan-OH hosted their annual Peruvian Picnic in Cleveland on Sunday July 20, 2025. It was a fundraiser for the Peruvian Cultural Garden.
Sign-in table
Monica Olivera and daughter Alyssa, who came in from Chicago for the picnic
There was music, games, vendors, camaraderie and, of course, food. Here is a short video of some of the food such as Anticuchos (grilled meat skewers), Escabeche de Pescado (Peruvian Pickled Fish on sweet potatoes), Ceviche (raw fresh fish marinated in lime juice), Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken), Empanada de Carne (meat empanadas) and Tamal de Pollo (chicken tamale). And there were Picarones (ring-shaped fried sweet potato and squash dough) for dessert.
Escabeche de Pescado
Arroz con Pollo
Grilling Anticuchos
Making Picarones
Making Tamal de Pollo
Gazan Pino showed us a game called El Sapo which translates to the Toad. In the Peruvian game of Sapo, players toss gold coins toward a board with holes and a frog with an open mouth - el sapo. If you get the coin in the frog's mouth, that is the maximum and you get 4000 points. There are also holes on the board so if the coin goes in one of those, it falls to an area with a number of points. he said it is part of Peruvian culture. Watch the short video.
Here are a few more images from the Perucan-OH annual Peruvian Picnic.
Monica A. Olivera, PERUCAN-OH President
Roberto Pinedo, Development Chair, serving food
Isabel Gálvez, Vice President & PR Chair
DJ Manny
Bailando
Gazan Pino and Sapo game
Grilling Anticuchos
Cito Pino, Glenda Mello and Gazan Pino
Serving Arroz con Pollo
Los Antojos de Maria
Vendor at PERUCAN-OH picnic
PERUCAN-OH picnic
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