The Cleveland World Festival is coming to Cleveland on August 2.  http://clevelandworldfestival.com

Engage! Cleveland & 20/30 Club members will receive vouchers for the festival including *FREE* drink tickets and $5.00 off bike rentals from Ohio City Bike Co-op.

Make sure to go to our website to download your coupons and learn more!
http://engagecleveland.com/event/cleveland-world-festival/

Free shuttles and free parking (in the VA garage at East 105^th and Magnolia) make the festival easy to access for families young and old, and the closure of MLK Jr. Boulevard allows for safe and leisurely strolling. Bike rentals will be available courtesy of Ohio City Bike Co-op. 

Visitors will be thrilled with the number and variety of performers, vendors, and buskers displaying their talents and wares as well as the opportunity to partake in games and sports competitions throughout this verdant urban oasis including:

Offering an unprecedented array of free entertainment in a spectacular sylvan urban setting, the performers include:

• Distinguished Gentlemen of Spoken Word, the celebrated group of African-American performance poets, ages 8-18, now touring internationally;
• Great Lakes Light Opera performing La Vida Breve (one act Spanish opera) and  Alice’s Adventures in Operaland (for children)
• Les Royales, led by Albanian pop rocker Dolinar Spahija
• Donauschwäbische Blaskapelle, Cleveland’s original German brass band
• Kultura Filipiniana Dance Troupe
• Vernon Jones Blues Cartel
• World class classical sitar musician  Hasu Patel
• Cleveland’s top martial arts group, Capoeira Brasil
• R&B group Dr. E, featuring the silky vocals of Dr. Elaine Richardson
• Aerial artists like Jasmine Dragons and magicians such as Rick Smith Jr. and more will interact with attendees throughout the Festival
• Miguel Cuni Jr. of Chappottin y sus Estrellas, Cuban artists bringing a special blend of high energy jazz fusion salsa, will close the main stage

 

Sports: The public can compete or just watch international sports galore, including: futsal(street soccer) brought to Cleveland by former professional soccer player Otto Orf. Just like on the streets of Rio de Janeiro or Nairobi, teams will play right on MLK Boulevard. The Cleveland Cavaliers will be on site with their interactive Caravan.  And Bo Li, Director of the Cleveland Contemporary Chinese Culture Association, is bringing both badmintonand table tennis (both in tournament form and open to the public).  The following sporting events will be held in a tournament format with teams pre-registering and teams shall have the opportunity to competitively play over the two-day Festival:

• Youth 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament: To be held for youth ages 7-14 years old
• Youth Futsal Tournament: To be held for youth ages 7-14 years old
• Ping Pong: To be held for anyone
• Badminton: To be held for adults over the age of 18 years old
• Chess:  Tables will be available in the Kids’ Village as well as the Sports area.
• Go (ancient Chinese board game): Helpers will explain the game to anyone wanting to learn.

For more information or to sign up, go to www.clevelandworldfestival.com/sports.

Kids’ Activities:  This year, Cleveland World Festival will offer a Kids’ Village with its own stage and tents offering activities, entertainment, and relief from the heat for children of all ages…from toddlers to teens. Ramps and walkways will make the Kids’ Village more accessible to children with limited mobility.  A quiet tent sponsored and staffed by The Cleveland Clinic will allow children with sensory issues a place to relax and unwind.  Activities include:

• Games without Borders: Children will learn games from various countries and be challenged to learn at least one game from each continent.
• Sprinklers:  A series of sprinklers will keep children cooled off in between activities.
• Upcycle Parts Shop will be helping kids make rain sticks with upcycles materials inviting them to bring them to take part in the evening performance of Sheela Das’ Passing Storm
• Horvitz YouthAbility Program of JFSA will be teaching attendees to make flower pots out of newspaper.  The Horvitz YouthAbility program serves disabled and at-risk youth by engaging them in volunteer service, vocational activities, and social enrichment.
• The Cuyahoga County Library: Kids and teens will learn about circuits as they create an LED bookmark.
• The Cleveland Botanical Gardens:  A selection of sensory-friendly plants will be available to touch, smell, see, taste with info on where the plants originated in the world.
• United Healthcare is providing a fun obstacle course for all kids including those with wheelchairs.

 

Food: Visitors can partake in a veritable global smorgasbord, with food available from, India, Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Japan, Italy, Greece, China, Hungary, Poland, and the world’s best BBQ  (from Glenville!) just to name a few. Beer and wine of the world will also be available, as well as coffee featuring beans from Sumatra, Brazil, Guatemala, and Ethiopia—handcrafted for the Festival in partnership with Rising Star Coffee Roasters.

Check out the website to learn more! http://clevelandworldfestival.com We hope to see you there.