The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Just add wine
Maybe one thing was missing from years of One World Day celebrations at Cleveland Cultural Gardens
When an annual event is nearing its three-quartersof-a-century mark, the notion of adding something new to the festivities tends to be long gone. After all, the affair clearly has found its groove.
That said, the 72nd annual One World Day festival, which returns Aug. 27 at the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, is expanding its offerings with the introduction of wine into its Italian Garden experience. This comes a year after allowing beer in the German Garden.
“We wanted to do beer and wine from around the world, and even maybe the whiskeys, but it’s hard with government regulations,” Cleveland Cultural Gardens President Sheila Murphy Crawford said. “You have to be in a secure zone. You can’t pick up a glass of beer and walk through the garden.
“It’s been hard, but last year we added a beer garden and now wine for this year. It’s kind of exciting to give the people the true Italian experience with food, in addition to the beer in the German Garden with the brats and all of that.”
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens began a century ago as a dedication to celebrate the 300th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. From there, others suggested celebrating their ethnic histories. As one of Northeast Ohio’s cherished landmarks, the Cultural Gardens, located throughout University Circle, has enjoyed a renaissance of late.
There are more than a dozen ethnic groups planning additions to the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. The list includes Turkish, Indian and Polish organizers, while Russian, Korean, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Scottish, Native American, Ethiopian and Pakistani groups have land being held for their respective gardens.
Also, Crawford said organizers have expressed interest in creating gardens for Mexico, Puerto Rico, France, Spain, Netherlands, Australia, Norway, Burkina Faso, Iran, Liberia, Austria and the Philippines.
“The Cultural Gardens are just an absolutely beautiful park — the only one in the world like this,” Crawford said. “It’s an outdoor museum with sculptures. It’s an outdoor botanical
garden with flowers.
“Then on top of that, we layer all of the international entertainment, music and dancing and singing, and all of the international food, so the whole project is really a fantastic, unique experience that you can’t get anyplace else.”
Annual events at One World Day include a Parade of Flags, a naturalization ceremony, cultural performances, entertainment, gardens exhibitors, authentic diverse ethnic food, guided Lolly the Trolley tours through the gardens and the Passport to Peace Children Activity.
The latter allows attendees to get a free passport, which they take to all gardens and participate in a fun activity to get a stamp. The children then get a prize when they turn it in. Considering everything going on in the world today, it’s safe to say One World Day is needed.
“Yes, it is,” Crawford said. “We need ‘One World Day.’ Our motto is peace through mutual understanding, so we’re always working on peace around the world and trying to enhance that, to say the least.”
“We need ‘One World Day.’ Our motto is peace through mutual understanding, so we’re always working on peace around the world and trying to enhance that, to say the least.” — Cleveland Cultural Gardens President Sheila Murphy Crawford