St. Gregory of Narek Armenian Church in Cleveland Ohio

The annual Cleveland Armenian Festival at St. Gregory of Narek Church in Cleveland was held September 20-22, 2019. Church tours were given but we took our own walk through the beautiful grounds and Church.

See the video tour and more photos of St. Gregory of Narek Armenian Church

St. Gregory of Narek Church

St. Gregory of Narek Church

Armenian Martyrs Memorial at St. Gregory of Narek Church

Hamazkayin Armenian Dance Ensemble at 2019 Cleveland Armenian Festival

The annual Cleveland Armenian Festival at St. Gregory of Narek Church in Cleveland was held September 20-22, 2019. There was music, dancing, food, games, Church tours and more.

The Hamazkayin Armenian Dance Ensemble is a 15 year old dance group from Detroit with 140 dancers. They performed at the annual Cleveland Armenian Festival at St. Gregory of Narek Church in Cleveland.

Watch videos of the performances and see more photos

Hamazkayin Armenian Dance Ensemble

Hamazkayin Armenian Dance Ensemble

Hamazkayin Armenian Dance Ensemble

Hamazkayin Armenian Dance Ensemble
Director Nayiri Karapetian introduces a song

Cleveland Armenian Festival 2019

The annual Cleveland Armenian Festival at St. Gregory of Narek Church in Cleveland was held September 20-22, 2019. There was music, dancing, food, games, Church tours and more.

Photos and videos from the Cleveland Armenian Festival

Inside the Church Hall there was Armenian cultural information as well as the delicious homemade food.  Outside lamb and chicken sizzled on the grills.

Grilling lamb kebabs

Making homemade Armenian desserts

Volunteers

2019 Cleveland Armenian Festival

Enjoying a hookah

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on 74th annual One World Day

The Cleveland Vietnamese community was out in full force at the 74th annual One World Day on the site of the upcoming Vietnam Cultural Garden. There was music, entertainment, food and fun as members of the Vietnamese community shared their culture with thousands of visitors on One World Day.

See the Vietnamese Cultural Garden on One World Day

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on 74th annual One World Day

Dancing in Vietnamese Cultural Garden on 74th annual One World Day

Vietnamese Cultural Garden on 74th annual One World Day

Yuri Gagarin Bust Unveiled in the Russian Cultural Garden

Yuri Gagarin was a Russian cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space, completing one orbit of Earth on April 12, 1961. Gagarin became an international celebrity and was awarded many medals and titles, including Hero of the Soviet Union, his nation's highest honor.

He was honored with a bust in the Russian Cultural Garden in Cleveland during the One World Day celebration.

Photos and videos of the Gagarin bust unveiling.

Svetlana Stolyarova

Yuri Gagarin bust in Russian Cultural Garden

Yuri Gagarin bust unveiled in Russian Cultural Garden

One World Day 2019 in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens

The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation hosted the 74th annual One World Day on August 25, 2019. Police estimates say that over 30,000 people visited the Gardens and attended One World Day.

Reminding people to fill out the Census

Youngest volunteer in the ClevelandPeople.com booth

Gaelic Glen Alpacas in the Children's Village

Lady Liberty marching

Having fun with the Passports

Getting ready to perform

Lots of photos and videos of One World Day

Naturalization Ceremony on One World Day

After the Parade of Flags on One World Day, people gathered in the Serbian Garden for the traditional Welcome and Naturalization Ceremony. 

This began with the posting of the colors by a Cleveland Police Color Guard and the singing of the National Anthem led by the Kosovo Choir.

Kosovo Choir

Then there were remarks from Serbian Cultural Garden president Alex Machaskee, Cleveland Cultural Gardens president Dr. Wael Khoury, past-president Sheila Crawford, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, County Council's Yvonne Conwell and City Council's Kevin Conwell.

Mayor Frank Jackson and Dr. Wael Khoury

Next came the highlight of the ceremony - the swearing in of almost 2 dozen new citizens from all over the world. Solomon Oliver Jr. is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. He made some remarks and then led the oath of citizenship.

See more from the One World Day Naturalization Ceremony

Welcome New Citizens

Judge Solomon Oliver Jr.

Baltic Way remembered on One World Day

The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation hosted the 74th annual One World Day on August 25, 2019. Police estimates say that over 30,000 people visited the Gardens and attended One World Day.

A highlight of One World Day is the Parade of Flags where people in costumes of their heritage carry the flags. This year was undoubtedly the largest and most colorful in memory. Efforts were made to include communities that do not (yet) have a Cultural Garden and they were warmly welcomed.

A very special event took place just as the Parade units reached the reviewing stand. The Baltic Way or Baltic Chain was a peaceful political demonstration that occurred on August 23, 1989. Approximately two million people joined their hands to form a human chain spanning 675.5 kilometers (419.7 mi) across the three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which were considered at the time to be constituent republics of the Soviet Union.

Baltic Way sign in the Latvian Garden on One World Day

To commemorate this historic event and in keeping with the Cultural Gardens motto of "Peace through Mutual Understanding" a remembrance of the Baltic Way took place.

Baltic Nations at One World Day

Honorary Consul of Lithuania Ingrida Bublys was joined on stage by  Honorary Consul of Estonia Mary Nippert.

TV news anchor Chris Tanaka,
Honorary Consul of Lithuania Ingrida Bublys and
Honorary Consul of Estonia Mary Nippert

Consul Bublys told of the Baltic Way that took place 30 years earlier in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The marchers in the Parade of Flags at One World Day, led by delegations from the Baltic countries, commemorated this historic event by forming their own human chain joining hands along Martin Luther King Blvd. in Cleveland.

The Cleveland commemoration of the Baltic Way was produced by Dan Hanson with Angela Woodson, Al Griffin and members of their team after learning of the historic event from Roman Zorska. The Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian communities came on board first and then all others to show solidarity with the ideals of the historic Baltic Way and showcase the diversity of Cleveland. The chain stretched far down MLK Blvd. in Cleveland with thousands joining hands.

Video and photos of the Baltic Way in Cleveland

Detailed Look at the Ethiopian Cultural Garden Monument

The front was designed by artist Zerihun Yetmgeta with each panel on the front depicting a broad period of Ethiopian history. he Back Panel is titled "When the Sun Gets the Moon".

Photos and videos of the new Ethiopian monument

People at the Ethiopian Cultural Garden Phase 1 Dedication

A large crowd gathered for the unveiling ceremony for Phase 1 of the Ethiopian Garden and everyone wanted to pose in front of the monument.

Photos and videos of the people at the Ethiopian Garden 

Ethiopian Cultural Garden Phase 1 Dedication

The Ethiopian Garden is the first garden from an African country in the 100+ year history of the gardens.

The unveiling ceremony for Phase 1 of the Ethiopian Garden took place on Saturday August 24, 2019 with Fitsum Arega, Ethiopian ambassador to the United States, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Ethiopian artist Yetimgeta Zerihun in attendance.

Photos and videos of the Ethiopian Cultural Garden ceremony

Did you know coffee was first brewed in Ethiopia?

Before the unveiling

Parade of Flags at 2019 One World Day in Cleveland

A highlight of the 74th annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens is the annual Parade of Flags where marchers in native costumes and flags of their heritage march down MLK Blvd.

Puerto Rico in Parade

Chinese Garden

Haiti in Parade

In 2019, after the marchers commemorated the historic Baltic Way of 30 years ago by forming their own human chain joining hands along Martin Luther King Blvd, the Parade resumed.

Units included communities of Chinese, Peruvian, German, Irish, Polish, Lithuanian, Mexican, Haitian, Sudanese, Latvian, Estonian, Slovak, Slovenian, French, Hmong, Syrian, Lebanese, Pakistani, Ethiopian, Colombian, Finnish, Indian, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Greek, Romanian, Ukrainian, Russian, Serbian, Armenian, Vietnamese, Korean, Uzbek, Turkish, Rusin, Czech, and more.  Channel 19 news anchor Chris Tanaka and Sheila Murphy Crawford served as MCs.

See more of the Parade of Flags at One World Day