Annual Events in Cleveland: A Month-by-Month Calendar

At a glance

• Where: Across Cleveland, Ohio: Downtown, Tremont, University Circle, Collinwood, AsiaTown, Detroit-Shoreway and more
• When: February through December; usual months are listed below, with exact dates set each year by the organizers
• Cost: Mix of free street events and ticketed shows; check each official site before you go
• Quietest months: January and October have no event we could verify, so they are left out

Cleveland's biggest recurring events run from Kurentovanje in February to the Cleveland Orchestra holiday concerts in December. This calendar gives the usual month for each one, not a specific year's date, and links the official site so you can check the current dates. Every event below was confirmed on an official or organizer site, and months with nothing we could verify are skipped.

If you only have room for a handful, the five that most people mean when they ask about annual events in Cleveland are the Cleveland International Film Festival in April, the Cleveland Marathon in May, Taste of Tremont in July, the Cleveland National Air Show on Labor Day weekend, and the Waterloo Arts Fest in September.

What are the biggest annual events in Cleveland?

The biggest annual events in Cleveland are the Cleveland International Film Festival (April), the Cleveland Marathon (May), Taste of Tremont (July), the Cleveland National Air Show (Labor Day weekend) and the Waterloo Arts Fest (September). Add the free Cleveland Cultural Gardens One World Day in late August and the Public Square tree lighting in late November and you have the core of the year.

The most moving hour of Cleveland's festival year may be the start of One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens: the day opens with a naturalization ceremony, where new U.S. citizens are sworn in by a U.S. District Court judge before the Parade of Flags steps off.

February: Kurentovanje

Kurentovanje Cleveland is a Slovenian winter festival, usually held in February in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood. The organizers bill it as Cleveland's Slovenian Mardi Gras, with a carnival parade and events along St. Clair Avenue, and the festival's mailing address is the Slovenian Museum and Archives at 6407 St. Clair Avenue.

The organizers say sponsors keep the vast majority of Kurentovanje events free and open to the public. The festival fits the neighborhood: Destination Cleveland says the area's Slovenian population is the largest in the world outside Slovenia itself. Details are at the official Kurentovanje Cleveland site, and the neighborhood is covered on the St. Clair-Superior area page.

March and April: Dyngus Day and the film festival

Dyngus Day Cleveland lands on Easter Monday, so it falls in March or April depending on the year. It is a Polish-American street party in the Gordon Square Arts District of Detroit-Shoreway, with several blocks of Detroit Avenue closed for street stages, Polish food, paczki, beer and polka, rain or shine. The official Dyngus Day Cleveland site has the current date and ticket details. See the Detroit-Shoreway area page for the neighborhood.

The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) is held every April and has passed its 50th edition. CIFF is mostly ticketed, with passes and early access for members, and the official site posts the venues and schedule each year. Start at the Cleveland International Film Festival site. Buy early for the films you care about, because screening slots are limited.

May: Cleveland Marathon and Cleveland Asian Festival

The Cleveland Marathon is a May race weekend in Cleveland. It includes the marathon (26.2 miles), half marathon (13.1 miles), 10K, 5K, a kids' run and a relay. These are paid-entry races, so the Cleveland Marathon site is the place for registration, course maps and race-weekend logistics.

The Cleveland Asian Festival is also a May event, held over a weekend in AsiaTown. The festival typically runs two stages, a World Marketplace, a food court, a fashion show, cosplay and a health pavilion with free screenings inside Asia Plaza. The organizers have offered free parking at the Cleveland State University lots at East 24th Street and Payne Avenue. Check the Cleveland Asian Festival site for current dates, and read about AsiaTown before you go.

June: Parade the Circle and Tri-C JazzFest

Parade the Circle is held in June at Wade Oval in University Circle, organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art, which founded the parade in 1990. Watching is free and no ticket is needed, and everyone is welcome to take part with costumes, giant puppets, floats and masks. It typically runs from noon to 3 p.m. on a Saturday. Details are on the Cleveland Museum of Art parade page, and the district is on the University Circle area page.

Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland is a late-June festival at Playhouse Square in Downtown Cleveland, presented by Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C). Music moves from indoor stages in the Playhouse Square theaters out to a community festival on the surrounding streets. Concert tickets, lineups and any free programming are posted on the Tri-C JazzFest site.

July: Taste of Tremont

Taste of Tremont is held on the third Sunday in July on Professor Avenue in Tremont, typically from noon to 8 p.m. The official listing calls it an annual street festival of Tremont food, art and entertainment, with dishes from area restaurants and chefs, live music and local vendors, and lists admission as free.

Go hungry and walk the whole street before you buy anything. The Taste of Tremont page has the current listing, and the Tremont area page covers the neighborhood.

August: Feast of the Assumption and One World Day

The Feast of the Assumption is a Little Italy tradition held in mid-August around the August 15 feast day. It is hosted by Holy Rosary Church at 12021 Mayfield Road in Cleveland. It typically runs four evenings, with a solemn Mass on August 15, a procession, Italian food booths, live music and a candlelight procession on the final night. The Little Italy Cleveland event page is the place to check the current schedule. Our Little Italy area page has the neighborhood context.

Cleveland Cultural Gardens One World Day is held on a Sunday in late August in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens in Rockefeller Park, typically from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine. The program includes the naturalization ceremony, a Parade of Flags, music, dance, food, a Passport to Peace program and a Children's Village. The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation hosts it as a free event, which reached its 80th annual edition in 2026. See the One World Day site and the Cleveland Cultural Gardens page.

September: Cleveland National Air Show and Waterloo Arts Fest

The Cleveland National Air Show is held on Labor Day weekend at Burke Lakefront Airport in Downtown Cleveland, with jet teams and demonstration flights that change from year to year. The official site has sold tickets and on-site parking only in advance online, with no gate sales, so buy ahead at the Cleveland National Air Show site.

The Waterloo Arts Fest is a Saturday street festival in September in the Waterloo Arts District of Collinwood, organized by Waterloo Arts, the nonprofit at 15605 Waterloo Road. The organizer takes music submissions ahead of each fest and posts the date on its site. See Waterloo Arts for current details and the Collinwood area page for the neighborhood.

November: Public Square tree lighting and Wild Winter Lights

The WinterLand Kickoff and tree lighting at Public Square in Downtown Cleveland is held on a Saturday in late November, and admission is free. The 50-foot tree is synced to the Illuminate CLE light show, which repeats every 30 minutes through 11 p.m. See the Downtown Cleveland Alliance WinterLand page, and the Downtown Cleveland area page.

Wild Winter Lights at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 3900 Wildlife Way in Cleveland, runs from mid-November through December, with closed nights around the holidays. It is ticketed, with separate walk-through and drive-through options on different schedules, so see the Cleveland Metroparks Wild Winter Lights page for current nights and prices. The zoo sits in Old Brooklyn.

December: Cleveland Orchestra holiday concerts

The Cleveland Orchestra holiday concerts take place in mid-to-late December in Mandel Concert Hall at Severance Music Center, 11001 Euclid Avenue in University Circle. They are ticketed, and the season has paired them with a holiday film screened in concert. Browse the Cleveland Orchestra site for the current season. Wild Winter Lights, above, also runs through December.

How we chose

We started from Cleveland's researched event list, then checked each event on its own official or organizer site. An event had to be recurring, held inside the city of Cleveland, and still announced for a recent or upcoming edition. We dropped anything we could not confirm, including the Cleveland St. Patrick's Day Parade, Ohio City Oktoberfest and the Tremont Greek Fest, and we left out the Hungarian Festival because it is held in Parma. January and October are skipped because nothing met the bar. Months are the usual month, not a promise for any one year. For what is on right now, use our events page.

Cleveland's year of events on one list

• February: Kurentovanje, St. Clair-Superior
• March or April: Dyngus Day, Gordon Square (Easter Monday)
• April: Cleveland International Film Festival
• May: Cleveland Marathon; Cleveland Asian Festival, AsiaTown
• June: Parade the Circle, University Circle; Tri-C JazzFest, Playhouse Square
• July: Taste of Tremont, third Sunday
• August: Feast of the Assumption, Little Italy; One World Day, Rockefeller Park
• September: Cleveland National Air Show, Labor Day weekend; Waterloo Arts Fest, Collinwood
• November: Public Square tree lighting; Wild Winter Lights at the zoo
• December: Cleveland Orchestra holiday concerts, Severance Music Center

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the biggest annual events in Cleveland?

The biggest annual events in Cleveland are the Cleveland International Film Festival in April, the Cleveland Marathon in May, Taste of Tremont in July, the Cleveland National Air Show in early September and the Waterloo Arts Fest in September. Each has an official site with current dates.

What month is the Cleveland National Air Show?

The Cleveland National Air Show is held on Labor Day weekend in early September at Burke Lakefront Airport in Downtown Cleveland. The official site has sold tickets and parking only in advance online, so buy ahead.

When is Taste of Tremont?

Taste of Tremont is held on the third Sunday in July on Professor Avenue in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood, typically from noon to 8 p.m. The official listing gives admission as free.

What free annual events are there in Cleveland?

Free annual events in Cleveland include Parade the Circle in June, Taste of Tremont in July, Cleveland Cultural Gardens One World Day in late August and the Public Square tree lighting in November. Most Kurentovanje events in February are also free.

What is there to do in Cleveland in the winter?

Winter events in Cleveland include Kurentovanje in February, the Public Square tree lighting in November, Wild Winter Lights at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in November and December, and the Cleveland Orchestra holiday concerts in December.