An Aspinwall teen royally ruled the day during a celebration honoring his Slovenian heritage in Cleveland. Blaz Alexander Vavpetic, of Aspinwall, was selected as the Prince of the 11th Annual Cleveland Kurentovanje, a week-long Slovenian cultural celebration that is similar to Mardi Gras and celebrates the coming of Spring. Pronounced
For the 10th year in a row, Cleveland’s St. Clair-Superior neighborhood will celebrate the week-long Slovenian-infused Mardi Gras celebration known as Cleveland Kurentovanje, which kicks off Feb. 20.
Celebrating Kurentovanje, the wonderful Slovenian rite of spring, and a pair of adorable tiger cubs
Updated Feb 05, 2021;
Posted Feb 05, 2021
Cleveland Police Officers Nathan Meadows, left, and Eric Sanchez, right, take a selfie in this March 2019 file photo with Chris Fadil from Brunswick, who is dressed as a Kurent, the creature of Slovenian custom for the Kurentovanje festival garbed in sheepskin who chases away winter. They were pictured during the 2019 Cleveland Kurentovanje parade. This year, the festival is going virtual. (David Dermer/Special to the Plain Dealer)
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By Editorial Board, cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer
CHEERS . to Buckeye Chuck, one of the early woodchuck harbingers of spring, who this year again put his prognostications up against those of Punxsutawney Phil, predicting an early spring when Phil forecast six more weeks of winter. Let’s hope Chuck is right this year.
9th annual Cleveland Kurentovanje goes virtual, featuring cooking segments, global celebrations and concert
Cleveland Kurentovanje.
and last updated 2021-02-04 11:37:22-05
Cleveland Kurentovanje, a Slovenian-infused Mardi Gras festivalâwonât bring together its normal hundreds of Clevelanders who share Slovenian heritage to the historical Slovenian immigrant neighborhood of St. Clair-Superior. Due to COVID-19, this year the celebration will go on but with virtual programming, bringing the carnival to the comfort of your own home.
The 9th annual Kurentovanje festival will be all virtual featuring ways to enhance your own celebration at home, including at-home culinary segments and at-home Kurent making, a beloved figure of the festival that scares away winter and welcome spring.
Cleveland Kurentovanje goes virtual for 2021
Updated Feb 01, 2021;
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CLEVELAND, Ohio This year, Cleveland Kurentovanje will move to a virtual format.
The Slovenian festival has taken place in Cleveland’s St. Clair-Superior neighborhood since 2013 and it’s grown to attract thousands of attendees each year, becoming one of the biggest wintertime events in Northeast Ohio.
Those crowds would be a concern due to the coronavirus pandemic, so the event has instead moved to a digital setting.
All the same fun that usually takes over The Slovenian National Hall will still happen in the new virtual format. This year’s festival will showcase live music performances, cooking demonstrations, a special beer release, and a 5K race. Costumed, fuzzy Kurent monsters will also make some appearances, as they scare away the season of winter and welcome in spring.