Parade of Flags at 2022 One World Day in Cleveland

 Since 1946 the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation (CCGF) has hosted an annual One World Day where the dozens of diverse heritages represented in the community are shared.  A highlight of One World Day is the Parade of Flags where dozens of communities dress in their ethnic attire and carry flags of their heritage.  

Almost 60 units marched in the 2022 Parade of Flags many with dancing, drums and music but all with their flags and traditional costumes. 

 Magnificent Seven gold medal Olympic champion gymnast Dominique Moceanu was the Grand Marshal of the Parade. She compared the Parade of Flags to a mini-Olympics Opening Ceremony. Dominique she led off the Parade walking with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and CCGF Board Chair Dr. Wael Khoury. The first unit to march was the Ukrainian to show the support of the broader community for the people of Ukraine.  

Watch the video of the Parade of Flags

More from One World Day 2022

India Independence Day and Cultural Garden on One World Day

 The Cleveland Indian community demonstrated their proud heritage with a very large group of people at One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. Over 40,000 people visited the gardens on One World Day 2022.

Since One World Day was held just a few weeks after India Independence Day, the India Cultural Garden and Federation of India Community Associations (FICA) combined their Independence Day celebration with One World Day. The Indian community celebrated the 76th India Independence Day at One World Day participating in the Parade of Flags and then having cultural performances and Indian delicacies in the Garden. Attendees were encouraged to wear their regional/state dress so it was a colorful affair.

Photos and videos from the Indian Garden

The World should have listened

 I was going through some old videos and found this from 2016.

During the Parade of Flags at the 71st annual One World Day in the Centennial Year of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens on MLK Blvd. members of the Ukrainian Cultural Garden chanted “Putin, get out of Ukraine” as they marched.

People having Fun with Maps at One World Day

 You know who we like to have Fun with Maps.

Each year when the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation hosts the annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, ClevelandPeople.com makes sure everyone has fun with maps.

The ClevelandPeople.com booth had large 5' x 7' maps of Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, North America and the Middle East. Visitors placed a colorful dot on the map where there ancestors (or they) came from. At the end of the day almost 80 different countries were represented and various areas within countries. A real display of Cleveland's diversity.

Here are a few sample pictures of people finding their heritage on the maps.  See more Fun with Maps

More people having Fun with Maps at One World Day 2021

The scale of the German Cultural Garden

 I took this photo at One World Day on August 29, 2021.

It shows the scale of the Goethe-Schiller monument in the German Cultural Garden.  Impressive!

More on 2021 One World Day

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

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

73rd annual One World Day on Sunday

One World Day is the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. We had a great One World Day last year in 2017; we hope you enjoyed it as much as the other 25,000+ attendees. Let’s make it even better this year!

Since 1945, the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation has celebrated One World Day in the Gardens. This annual event reflects the theme of the Gardens: “Peace through Mutual Understanding.”

One World Day is the highlight of summer events in the Gardens and the occasion at which all the Gardens get together to celebrate as one. Events include a Parade of Flags, a naturalization ceremony, cultural performances, entertainment, gardens exhibitors, authentic diverse ethnic food, guided Lolly the Trolley Tours, children’s activities and more.

Sunday September 16 11AM - 6 PM. East to get there. Easy to park.

Free admission, free parking, free trolley tours, free entertainment!

More information

Bayda Ukrainian Quartet on One World Day

The Bayda Ukrainian Quartet performed on the main stage of the 72nd annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.

Watch videos of the 4 songs they sang at One World Day

Ukrainian Cultural Garden on One World Day

Over 25,000 people attended the 72nd annual One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens on Sunday August 27, 2017. The Ukrainian Cultural Garden looked beautiful.

Members of the Ukrainian community marched in the Parade of Flags.

See more from the Ukrainians on One World Day

Vietnamese Cultural Garden in Cleveland Cleanup for One World Day

A hard-working crew spent time in the beautiful weather on Saturday getting work done in the Vietnamese Cultural Garden preparing for One World Day which will be Sunday August 27 from 11 AM to 7PM.

Four leaders of the Vietnamese Cultural Garden: President - Gia Hoa Ryan, Vice President - Oanh Loi-Powell, Legal Counsel - Atty Joseph P. Meissner, and Secretary - Michael Powell, raked up branches and debris from the entire area, hard-edged and added 20 bags of mulch to the flower bed.

See more from the Vietnamese Cultural Garden

Parade of Flags at One World Day – MLK Blvd.

The Parade of Flags at the 71st annual One World Day in the Centennial Year of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens ended on MLK Blvd.  Here are some highlights of the dozens of ethnic groups that marched.

More from the Parade of Flags

Parade of Flags at One World Day along East Blvd.

The Parade of Flags at the 71st annual One World Day in the Centennial Year of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens started on East Blvd.  Here are some highlights of the dozens of ethnic groups that marched. 

More from the 2016 One World Day in Cleveland 

Putin, get out of Ukraine

During the Parade of Flags at the 71st annual One World Day in the Centennial Year of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens on MLK Blvd.  members of the Ukrainian Cultural Garden chanted “Putin, get out of Ukraine” as they marched. 

More from the Cleveland Ukrainian community  

11 year old sings Sartory duet at One World Day

11 year old Polina Kornyushenko and Nicholas Oita sang Time to Say Goodbye by Sartory accompanied by pianist Olga Druzhinina at the 71st annual One World Day in the Centennial Year of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.

I was too close to the speakers – sorry - so the sound isn't great.

See more from One World Day 2016

Rusyn dance from SW Ukraine – One World Day grand finale

Living Traditions Folk Ensemble performed a song and dance from the most Southwest part of Ukraine – Leave me some flowers at the bridge for when I come back - at the 71st annual One World Day in the Centennial Year of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.

More from the Rusyn community in Cleveland