Annual Slovenian-American festival in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, first begun here in Cleveland in 2013.  I believe we are the only US city to have this ancient Slovenian celebration of scaring away winter and welcoming springtime. 

 

I recently published a wiki page on it.  Please let me know if there suggested edits of improvements:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Kurentovanje

 

A few notes:

 

- Greater Cleveland has the most Slovene Americans in the United States

- Cleveland has the Slovenian Consulate General in Downtown Cleveland

- Slovenian city of Ptuj, where many Clevelanders have roots, is the epicenter for the Kurentovanje festival in Slovenia

- Goldhorn Brewery, Noble Beast Brewer, and Collision Bend Brewery all make special seasonal beers for the celebration each spring using Slovenian hops 

- Laura DeMarco wrote a great article on it in 2020 https://www.cleveland.com/life-and-culture/j66j-2020/02/77380591285830/kurentovanje-2020-slovenian-mardi-gras-festival-to-scare-away-winter-with-parties-parade.html

 

 

 

 

Edited May 22, 20214 yr by MuRrAy HiLL

 

we have this in hungary too, busos --- although it happens on the croatian border, not slovenian.

 

the things i remember from hungarian scouts lol.

 

i wonder if the hungarian farsang winter fest is done around cleveland anymore, too?

 

They’re currently looking for sponsors if you know anyone:

 

 

 

Planning on bringing my family this year (even though we are not Slovenian).  Tickets on sales soon:

 

 

Tickets are now on sale for the Kurent Jump, Friday night kickoff:

 

https://cleveland-kurentovanje.ticketleap.com/kurentjump2022/dates/Feb-25-2022_at_0530PM

 

Wife and I bought tickets.  First time checking this thing out.

 

Maybe it should be our next UO group gathering :) 

Hey fellow UOers,

 

So I have six tickets to Friday’s SOLD OUT Kurent Jump. And now we cannot attend.

 

6-10 pm … Slovenian food, beer, and polka…and Kurents dancing around a fire pit. 🔥 

 

I can transfer over.  Message me if you want them.

Edited February 25, 20223 yr by MuRrAy HiLL

Last call, I still have 4 tickets left for tonight's kickoff event.  No charge if anyone wants them. 

 

https://www.clevelandkurentovanje.com/2022-events-schedule/2022/02/25/kurent-jump-2022

Great article from Bloomberg

 

In Cleveland, Spring Comes in Like a Slovenian Sheep Monster

Cleveland’s Kurentovanje festival reflects the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood’s immigrant heritage, and its hopes for rebirth. 

Elizabeth Yuko

February 25, 2022, 5:35 PM EST

 

The festival is one of several efforts that aim to lure visitors and economic energy to the neighborhood, which has suffered from decades of disinvestment. Many of the storefronts lining the once-bustling retail district along St. Clair Avenue remain shuttered. But others house new businesses that have set up shop over the past decade, like the Upcycle Parts Shop and Kafela, a coffee shop/hookah bar. The Goldhorn Brewery has revived the neighborhood’s Slovenian beermaking heritage, while the Hamilton Collaborative innovation incubator has brought a series of startups, including an architectural salvage company and a community makerspace, to one of the neighborhood’s large industrial spaces.

 

Cleveland Kurentovanje isn’t likely to rival the billion-dollar impact of New Orleans Mardi Gras when it comes to the economic boost it delivers. But it does align with the neighborhood-based approach that Destination Cleveland takes to promote the city, says Emily Lauer, the vice president of public relations at the nonprofit visitors bureau. When tourists attend events like Kurentovanje, the memories they form — and the connections they make with Clevelanders — often leave such an impression that it brings them back to the city, Lauer says.

 

And few things are as memorable as a Kurent.

 

“Kurentovanje is a great showcase of Cleveland’s unique and sometimes quirky personality and illustrates how strong Clevelanders’ ties are to their ethnicity,” says Lauer. “It’s an example of how Clevelanders embrace who we are and where we live — always finding ways to celebrate situations that many wouldn’t.” 

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-02-25/time-for-cleveland-s-monster-filled-slovenian-mardi-gras