Cleveland’s Slovenian community marks winter’s end with Kurentovanje parade and spring festival on St. Clair
A winter tradition with local roots and international ties
Cleveland’s St. Clair–Superior neighborhood will again become the center of a Slovenian cultural celebration as the 14th annual Cleveland Kurentovanje Festival and Parade is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Organizers have set the main public events from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the grounds of the Slovenian National Home, 6409 St. Clair Ave., with the parade beginning at noon.
The event is built around the figure of the “Kurent” (also spelled “Kurenti” in plural), a costumed character in Slovenian carnival traditions associated with driving away winter and welcoming spring. Cleveland’s version has been held since 2013 and is organized and run by volunteers as a program of the Slovenian Museum and Archives.
What the 2026 schedule includes
The main festival day is planned to open to attendees at 10 a.m., with a separate morning start for the Kurent Dash 5K. A general timeline released by the organizers lists race check-in beginning at 9 a.m., the 5K starting at 10 a.m., and the parade stepping off at noon. After the parade, performances are planned across multiple stages, with additional programming to be announced.
Date: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026
Public hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Parade start: Noon
Location: Slovenian National Home campus, 6409 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland
Admission: Free; tickets not required
Why Kurentovanje matters in Slovenia—and how it connects to Cleveland
Kurent traditions have longstanding ties to Slovenia’s Shrovetide season, particularly around Ptuj, where Kurentovanje is a major annual carnival. In Slovenia, the door-to-door rounds of Kurenti were added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. The custom is observed from Candlemas (Feb. 2) to Ash Wednesday and features groups moving through communities in costume.
In Cleveland, the festival’s stated purpose is to celebrate Slovenian culture while drawing together neighborhood institutions, community groups, and visitors through a day of parade activities and related events.
A festival anchored by local institutions
Cleveland Kurentovanje’s center of activity is the Slovenian National Home and nearby community sites in St. Clair–Superior. Organizers describe the festival as a multi-day celebration that culminates in the parade and day-long festival, featuring costuming, cultural performances, and food and drink associated with Slovenian heritage.
The festival’s organizational structure is tied to the Slovenian Museum and Archives, with volunteer leadership working under the museum’s oversight. Cleveland City Council’s public events listings also include the 2026 festival date and time, reflecting its role as a notable neighborhood gathering.
Looking ahead
With the 2026 event set for Feb. 14, the Cleveland celebration will take place during the same seasonal window that defines Kurent traditions in Slovenia, reinforcing a shared calendar of late-winter customs while situating the event within Cleveland’s established Slovenian-American community.