Kurentovanje: A Slovenian Mardi Gras Festival In Ohio
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By Sarah McCosham
| Published January 16, 2024
Mardi Gras season is upon us and you don’t need to travel to NOLA to experience the excitement and exuberance of this event. Ohioans can celebrate Slovenian Mardi Gras at Kurentovanje, a wholly unique and one-of-a-kind festival in Ohio that captures the pure magic and unbridled spirit of the season! The 12th Annual Cleveland Kurentovanje is happening this February in the charming and historic St. Clair-Superior Neighborhood of Cleveland, and it’s one of the most unique and must-visit festivals in Ohio.
New Orleans, Louisiana, IS Mardi Gras (word nerds know this as metonymy). The history and vibe of this event is second to none, and attending an authentic NOLA Mardi Gras is one of those experiences that certainly belongs on everyone’s bucket list.
Happily, Ohioans need not book a trip to Louisiana to experience this iconic event; Kurentovanje in Cleveland, Ohio, is a multi-day “Slovenian Mardi Gras” festival, celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
Since 2013, this beloved tradition has been celebrated annually in Cleveland. For 2024, the festival spans Feb. 3-10, with exciting events happening each day that cover all aspects of Slovenian culture.
Activities during the celebration include a parade and 5K run, wine tastings and global cuisine, and guest lectures and live performances. The Slovenian Museum and Archives is also often open to visitors during the festival, too.
Food is, of course, a big part of any cultural celebration, and Cleveland Kurentovanje is no different! This festival also offers folks the opportunity to indulge in delicious treats, including Lectovo hearts, colorfully decorated honey cookies that are a beloved part of Slovenian cultural identity.
The festival’s unofficial emcee is the Kurent, a furry creature said to chase away winter to make way for spring.
The Kurents will make their first public appearance with a traditional “jump,” so check the schedule and clear your calendar to witness their arrival! Take note of their bold bells, said to produce a sound that helps chase winter from the region.
Just like the “real” Mardi Gras, this week-long celebration culminates in a big, ole festival; the parade moves down St. Clair and attendees are encouraged to dress up in costumes of any kind to celebrate Mardi Gras.
Whether Kurentovanje chases away winter in Cleveland or not, one thing’s for sure: this Slovenian Mardi Gras festival in Ohio truly is something special. See you there!
Have you attended this Slovenian Mardi Gras festival in Ohio before? Kurentovanje captures the spirit of Mardi Gras and is one of those only-in-Ohio festivals you need to experience at least once!
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CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians bolstered their bullpen with a pair of fresh arms ahead of Sunday’s series finale against Baltimore, recalling right-hander Eli Morgan from Triple-A Columbus and selecting righty Connor Gillispie from the Clippers.
Lefty starter Joey Cantillo, who allowed three runs in four innings during Saturday’s 7-4 loss to the Orioles, and righty Xzavion Curry, who surrendered four runs in three relief innings, were optioned to the minors to make room on the active roster.
Gillispie, 26, was selected by the Guardians in December as part of the minor league phase of the 2023 Rule 5 draft. Prior to joining Cleveland’s organization, Gillispie made 87 appearances (40 starts), going 19-17 with a 4.00 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and eight saves in 11 opportunities as part of Baltimore’s farm system. He was a ninth-round pick of the Orioles in the 2019 MLB draft.
This season, Gillispie has started 11 games and worked out of the bullpen in nine for the Clippers, compiling a 3-7 record and 4.01 ERA in 89 2/3 innings. He has posted a 23.3% strikeout rate and a 10.5% walk rate while surrendering 19 home runs.
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Pitching coach Carl Willis said Gillispie has started and worked out of the bullpen this season and brings a five-pitch mix to the mound. After using righty Pedro Avila on back-to-back nights against Baltimore, the Guardians felt Gillispie was best positioned to help the bullpen in the short term.
“We needed some length, and just from a strike-throwing perspective and the pitch mix, we felt like he was our best option to come up and give us some length here (Sunday),” Willis said.
Morgan, 28, is 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 13 appearances for Cleveland this season, including 10 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. He spent two stints on the major league injured list before being optioned to Columbus on July 4.
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As Baltimore Ravens defensive end Brent Urban prepares for his 11th NFL season, it’s just as important as ever for him to remember where he came from.
A Mississauga, Ontario native, Urban suffered a torn ACL during his 2010 freshman season at Virginia, but rebounded to eventually become a starting defensive lineman. Then once he got to the NFL, he suffered three season-ending injuries – a torn ACL in 2014, a torn bicep in 2015 and a Lisfranc foot injury in 2017 – all in his first four seasons. As a result, he played just 25 games across those four seasons, 16 of them coming in 2016.
Urban, now in his second stint with the Ravens, has certainly been through the wringer throughout his career, but his perserverance to get where he is now is extremely impressive. As such, head coach John Harbaugh is using Urban’s story as inspiration for his younger teammates.
“I’m going to start using [Brent Urban] as an example for those guys, because it’s a perfect point,” Harbaugh told reporters. “I can remember him right over there, we were doing an inside-run drill against the [San Francisco] 49ers when we had the joint practices all of those years ago, and he tore his ACL right at the end of practice. It was like, ‘Oh.’ It was so heartbreaking, and [he] missed that whole year.
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“We had high hopes for him coming out, we thought he was an odd-front defensive end in the Pittsburgh Steeler kind of realm, like the Brett Keisels of the world, and he’s turned out to be just that. He’s just that kind of player; he plays so well. But those first couple of years were tough, and here he is now. He’s got a testimony as a result of all the tests he’s been through.”
After his first stint with the Ravens came to an end in 2019, Urban has played for the Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys. He then returned to Baltimore in 2022, and last season, he set a career high with three sacks.
Now the veteran on the Ravens’ defensive line, Urban is happy to be a mentor to the younger players at his position group.
“Just being in the league is privilege,” Urban said. “Every single day, you’ve just got to relish it, because you see so many guys in and out, and just even looking at my class now, nobody’s still around; so just finding your own role, just appreciating it. As I get older, I’ve started to be able to take a seat back and really just appreciate how thankful I am to be here.”
Make sure you bookmark Baltimore Ravens on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
Get Your Golf On!
Golfers of all abilities are invited to play in GCSC’s Summer Golf Classic presented by First National Bank on Monday, August 5, 2024 at Cleveland Metroparks Sleepy Hollow.
Join us for a day of 18 holes with cart featuring beverages, contests & prizes, lunch and a buffet dinner.
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