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

American Nationalities Movement Captive Nations Awards Ceremony

The American Nationalities Movement of Ohio held its 57th annual Captive Nations dinner program on Thursday July 18, 2019.

The American Nationalities Movement was formed for the purpose of uniting all the nationalities in the United States in the goal to educate, advocate and represent their interests of all the diverse ethnic groups to the public and mostly to the political leaders of the United States. This pursuit of our common interest to achieve an understanding of the complex issues that confront each group individually and collectively and that without our united efforts all of us will be endanger.

President Eisenhower, and every successive U.S. President up to the administration of President Donald Trump, has declared the third week of July to be Captive Nations Week.

Three deserving people were honored at the American Nationalities Movement Captive Nations Awards Ceremony: Rick DeChant Jr., John Sabol and Gia Hoa Ryan.

Pictures and videos of the Captive Nations program

Irene Morrow, Rick DeChant, Gia Hoa Ryan, John Sabol and Ralph Perk Jr.

Smoky, Sweaty, Rowdy, and Loud: Tales of Cleveland's Legendary Rock & Roll Landmarks

I enjoyed the authors' previous books about Cleveland Radio and TV so was eager to take a look at their stories of Cleveland Rock and Roll Landmarks. Being of that age, I was intimately involved with many of these clubs and the book triggered some serious nostalgia.

 Some of the venues were before my time or I never made it to them such as the Cleveland Arena, Leo's Casino, La Cave, Gleason's, Empire Concert Club and others but it was interesting to read about their history and the music that was made there. I did get to Record Rendezvous but it was later on and at the Coventry location not the historic Prospect or Euclid Ave. places.

There's an old joke that "If you remember the '60s, you really weren't there." This book reminded me of a lot of great times and music from long ago. For example, I spent countless weekend nights at the Agora when it was on 24th and saw many of the big names. We were at the Coliseum for the Springsteen show and realizing that Southside Johnny was playing the Agora we sped downtown just in time for Bruce to join his pal on stage. What a night!

We saw big names like the Cars, Bowie, Meatloaf, Todd Rundgren, Blondie, Frampton and many others but most weekend nights were local bands. (Who was that band that did all the Alex Harvey covers?) Given that, the more frustrating chapters in the book are the ones that I had experience with.

Everyone who had a favorite hangout or memory will feel that the coverage in the book, if any, was inaccurate or not enough. I have tons of Agora stories. I was an apprentice electrician while going to school so I was backstage for the World Series of Rock concerts at the Stadium and have stories that you would not believe. So the coverage was frustrating that my experiences weren't included but the book sure pulled them out of my memory bank.

Lots of new stories too. For example, it was cool to read about Led Zeppelin playing Musicarnival on July 20, 1969 and cutting the show short so they and the audience could watch the moon landing. I wish some of the Front Row stories I experienced were included. And what about Peabodys, the Pirates Cove, Brothers Lounge, Smittys on 55th, House of Swing and others?

 So much more happened at the Euclid Tavern and other venues than what is included in the book. I recall when a guitar player named Stevie Ray Vaughn played the Variety and the entire audience was made up of local musicians - mainly guitar players. Nobody else knew who he was at the time.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone interested in the growth of the music industry and the bands and players that were part of it. Especially if you are of a certain age and spent time going out in Cleveland. It will bring back a lot of memories.

The problem is I want more. Most of those venues require their own book. So get to work Mike and crank out some more.

By the way, did I tell you about the time at the World Series of Rock when I gave The Cars stage fright? Maybe in the next book.

Fred Griffith's last TV showDebbie Hanson of ClevelandSeniors.com was there for Fred's last TV show celebration in 2012.

Debbie Hanson of ClevelandSeniors.com was there for Fred's last TV show celebration in 2012.

See photos and videos of Fred Griffith's last TV show

Fred Griffith's last TV show

RIP Fred Griffith

Fred Griffith was a TV pioneer that we all got to know and love in his over 50 years on TV. He had more hours on live TV than anyone in the world except possibly for Regis Philbin.


He passed away at the age of 90. Rest in Peace Fred.

See photos and Fred Griffith's life story

Fred Griffith Press Pass

RIP Ben Stefanski

Ben Stefanski was a community leader and philanthropist especially in his beloved Slavic Village neighborhood. He was a history buff who brought that knowledge to current problems such as crime, poverty and clean water.

He worked on numerous projects including the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, regional leader for the Kosciuszko Foundation, worked and accomplished much for the City of Cleveland under Mayor Michael White, and in his earlier years was with Third Federal Savings and Loan, a national financial institution founded by his family.

Ben passed away on Saturday July 6, 2019.

We were proud that Ben served as Polish Ambassador for ClevelandPeople.com

Ben Stefanski in the Polish Cultural Garden

Ben Stefanski

Judge Karpinski, Ben Sefansi and Madame Curie bust

See the official profile of Ben Stefanski by Debbie Hanson