Community preparing for Cleveland History Days

CLEVELAND — From art to history, from outdoor activities to exploring architecture, residents in northeast Ohio are gearing up for the sixth annual Cleveland History Days. 

Organizers have put together an extensive program celebrating the city’s vibrant past and cultural heritage. 

At the Cleveland History Center, organizers were getting ready for Cleveland History Days, a 10-day series that teaches the public all about Cleveland’s history throughout the entire city.

Tom Yablonsky said he has been working on preserving Cleveland’s history since 1983, and now he’s getting ready to help put on Cleveland History Days, set to kick off on June 23. 

“In the 1920s, Cleveland was still the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Los Angeles did not pass up Cleveland until the 1930s,” he said.

Yablonsky said he’s been fascinated by Cleveland’s history ever since he was a kid, and said the city has a lot of hidden gems.

“Part of the reason I’m doing this is because all these things have not been fully discovered. One of my lines is, if you’re bored in Cleveland, you’re boring. There is so much to do here. If you have a creative, this is the real center of it all,” he said.

As Yablonsky reflects on Cleveland’s history, other organizers, like Meghan Paynter, are getting ready for the event planning.

“River Rally is one of the many events during Cleveland’s history, specifically the Cuyahoga River and what it means to the history of the city of Cleveland,” she said.

Paynter is helping set up River Rally, a tour meant to educate people on the significance of the Cuyahoga River.

“Our river has changed so much in the last 50 years, and we want to celebrate that annually by helping people get out an experience that river,” she said.

As for Yablonsky, he said history is in his DNA.

“I have an uncle on my mother’s side who ran for president of the United Steel Workers, so the passion and style of those people im sure influence me indirectly,” he said.