Cleveland Museum of Art’s Parade the Circle will signal the start of summer in the city this Saturday. 

This year’s parade marks the 32nd annual event, where attendees can watch artists march the streets of University Circle with colorful costumes, crafted masks, eclectic floats, dancers, live music, stilt-walkers, and giant puppets crafted by local artists and volunteers.  

This year’s theme, “Visions of Harmony,” is inspired by lead artist Hector Castellanos Lara and his hope for neighbors, friends and family to gather in the spirit of  art, culture and community in Cleveland. 

In a recent interview, Castellanos Lara said his biggest challenge has been completing his 22-foot-long canoe with seven ancient Mayan gods paddling the seas of Central America. 

Ahead of Saturday’s event, check out this photo gallery of the Parade the Circle tent where volunteers construct their artistic visions:

Hector Castellanos Lara, lead artist for Cleveland Museum of Art’s Parade the Circle, points to sculptures, projects and floats created by volunteers and other artists for this year’s parade. Credit: Kenyatta Crisp for Signal Cleveland
A volunteer helps drill pieces of plywood together to build Hector Castellanos Lara’s 22-foot-long canoe float. Credit: Kenyatta Crisp for Signal Cleveland
Lamar Edmondson who works for Cleveland Public Library volunteers his time to paint cardboard cut outs for Parade the Circle floats.
Lamar Edmondson, who works for Cleveland Public Library, volunteers his time to paint cardboard cutouts for Parade the Circle floats. Credit: Kenyatta Crisp for Signal Cleveland
Hector Castellanos Lara shows the image that inspired the vision to create his float this year. His float is a 22-foot-long canoe with seven ancient Mayan gods paddling the seas of Central America. Credit: Kenyatta Crisp for Signal Cleveland
Rafael Valdives is a local artist originally from Ecuador. He quietly paints a figure for Castellanos Lara’s piece in the Parade the Circle tent. Credit: Kenyatta Crisp for Signal Cleveland
Multiple artists and volunteers have created sculptures, floats, masks and colorful paper mache figures to display during this year’s parade. Credit: Kenyatta Crisp for Signal Cleveland
Robin Robinson is a volunteer for Castellanos Lara’s team and poses for a portrait with a seahorse sculpture. Credit: Kenyatta Crisp for Signal Cleveland
Volunteers for Parade the Circle help construct Hector Castellanos Lara’s visionary canoe piece. Credit: Kenyatta Crisp for Signal Cleveland
Local artist John Kerney poses for a portrait inside the Parade the Circle tent. Kerney and his fellow volunteer artists are creating a giant robot, named Spike Bot, for this year’s parade. Credit: Kenyatta Crisp for Signal Cleveland
Jacob Vebrieze, a local painter and volunteer on Hector Castellanos Lara’s team, poses for a portrait inside the Parade the Circle tent. Credit: Kenyatta Crisp for Signal Cleveland

Candice covered health and arts and culture for Signal Cleveland until July, 2024. Her health reporting focused on women's health and lead poisoning.

Freelance Contributor Kenyatta is a mixed-media artist and the owner of Crisp Photography Ltd with all curations under "28karatblack."