Often likened to a New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration, Cleveland’s Kurentovanje parade and festival marks the beginning of spring and carries the goal of chasing away winter with the help of “kurenti,” monsters rooted in Slovene folklore. 

See and hear some of the flavors of the 2025 Kurntovanje Festival in the video below. 

YouTube video

Despite cold temperatures and blustery winds on Saturday, the event drew hundreds determined to say goodbye to winter. Runners faced bitter temperatures to complete an early morning 5k run before the parade. 

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Council Member Mike Polensek, who is Slovenian, attended the event, as did Suzana Češarek, Consulate General of the Republic of Slovenia in Cleveland. 

Cleveland has among the largest Slovenian populations in the United States. 

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Signal Statewide Bureau Chief/Editor-At-Large
I assist a team of storytellers as they pursue original enterprise and investigative stories that capture untold narratives about people and policies. I use my decades of experience in print, digital and broadcast media to help Signal staff build skills to present stories in useful and interesting ways.