Excerpted from “Fresh Water Cleveland’s” article:

Joyce Mariani created “Opera in the Garden,” a free outdoor concert that takes place each summer in Rockefeller Park’s Italian Cultural Garden, to celebrate Italian immigrants’ contributions to the city of Cleveland and enliven the 80-year-old public space.

Although Mariani sets up 250 chairs in the idyllic garden, you might want to bring one from home; last year, over 800 people showed up.

“People find something universal in the Italian cultural experience,” says Mariani, Executive Director of the Italian Cultural Gardens Foundation. “And this is an outdoor museum to Italian culture in Cleveland.”

Mariani has launched an ambitious effort to expand the garden according to original, unfinished plans. Now that she has raised more than $465,000 towards the $750,000 fund-raising goal, work has begun on a large statue of Dante and a dedication is planned for the fall. Future plans call for filling an empty quadrant of the garden with a small pantheon, as well.

“It just goes to show that if you believe in something, people will tap into your dream,” Mariani says.

The Italian Cultural Garden was founded in 1930 by Italian-American businessman Philip Garbo. Its prominent features include a column from the Roman Forum and a bust of Virgil that was sent by the Italian government. Garbo’s company, the Italian Fresco and Decorating Company, designed and painted decorative art and frescoes in residences, churches and over 100 theaters, including the Ohio Theatre. The design of the upper garden is taken from the Villa Medici in Rome.

This year’s Opera in the Garden will take place on Sunday, July 31st at 6 p.m.  in the Italian Cultural Garden (990 East Boulevard).

The Serbian Cultural Garden organization invites you to join them for another fun event which gets you golf, lunch and dinner while contributing to the maintenance of the Serbian Cultural Garden.  Always a very enjoyable time for all.  Don’t miss this one.  See the invitation and reservation forms, below.  Weather is virtually guaranteed to be great at this time of year.

Invitation to the July 9th Serbian Golf Outing and meals

Reservation form--July 9th, 2011 Serbian Golf Outing

CONRAD MIZER / KARL WOLFRAM MEMORIAL GARDEN CONCERT at the GERMAN CULTURAL GARDEN

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2011, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

We cordially invite you to attend this FREE event.

On Sunday, July 10, 2011, the Federation of German Americans of Greater Cleveland and  Deutscher Musik Verein will co-sponsor the “Conrad Mizer / Karl Wolfram Memorial Garden Concert”.

ABOUT THE CONCERT:

The concert, scheduled from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., features the sounds of traditional German music performed by musicians from three Northeast Ohio “Blaskapelle”, or “brass bands”, namely the Deutscher Musik Verein, the Youngstown Saxon Blaskapelle and the Donauschwäbische Blaskapelle.  The German Cultural Garden, located at 1036 East Boulevard, Cleveland, is centrally located in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens within Rockefeller Park.  Our “Goethe-Schiller Square” is recognizable by the twin monument of Goethe-Schiller, the largest monument within the Gardens.

In case of inclement weather, we must cancel this concert.

Please note: There will be no chairs provided for seating; we encourage you to bring lawn chairs for your personal comfort.  There are no concessions available and public restrooms are located nearby at the Cleveland Greenhouse at the end of East Boulevard (approx ¾ mile from our Garden).  Convenient parking is available on the east side of East Blvd.; however, you can also park on Martin Luther King Boulevard (parking is available on both sides of the street) and walk up the paved sidewalk path.

HISTORY OF THE CONCERT AND GARDEN:

The German Cultural Garden, dedicated on June 2, 1929, is the third garden in the system.

Conrad Mizer emigrated from Germany with his brother’s family and lived on the near west side of Cleveland, close to Edgewater Park.  A tailor by trade, he tirelessly pursued his favorite pastime, “Frühschoppenmusik” (the closest translation being “Garden or Park Concert”), after arriving in Cleveland.  During the late 19^th Century, he founded the free “Public Park Concerts” at Edgewater Park.  He also sponsored the Sunday afternoon Pop Concerts at Grays Armory with the Cleveland Grand Orchestra, which was the forerunner of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra.  After the demise of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra in 1902, Conrad Mizer sought the support of several financial backers and formed a new Cleveland Symphony Orchestra.  In 1910, the City of Cleveland dedicated, in his memory, a Memorial Fountain located at Edgewater Park.

Charles (“Karl”) J. Wolfram, along with Leo Wiedenthal, founded the Garden system at Rockefeller Park, and was the first president of the Cleveland Cultural Garden Federation.  During his 25-year tenure as president, he saw 18 gardens established.  Karl Wolfram was born into a family with a rich history of musicians, teachers and educators.  He was actively involved in Cleveland’s civic, political and cultural life and was a charter member of the Gilmour Council, Knights of Columbus and the American Equality League, a forerunner of the Cultural Garden Federation.  Mr. Wolfram was a man of deep spiritual purpose, devoted to the aid and cause of human brotherhood, and his career was spent spreading the doctrine of human understanding and kinship.

Join the Hungarian community for their annual Gulyás (Goulash) cook off on Sunday, June 19, 2011 from Noon to 4 PM at St. Ermic next to the West Side Market.  This year there are thirty (30) chefs in the competition and you are the judge.  Lots of tasting to do.  Where else can you possibly find this flavor treat.  See the invitation below for details.

2011 Goulash Cook Off Invitation and Reservation Form

Dignitaries from both Slovenia and the United States will be in Cleveland to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Slovenian Statehood. On June 24, 2011 the Slovenian Museum and Archiveswww.smacleveland.org will host a reception starting at noon. A special exhibit featuring documents and pictures depicting the role played by Americans of Slovenian heritage in obtaining recognition of Slovenia’s independence will on display.

At 2:30 the group will pay an official visit to the Slovenian Cultural Garden located at 840 East Blvd. Cleveland, Ohio 44108. This event is open to the public. All are welcome. Additional information regarding the Cleveland Cultural Gardens is available atwww.culturalgardens.org

Later in the evening the City of Cleveland and the Consulate General of Slovenia will host a private event to officially mark this special occasion.

Some of the dignitaries are:  Minister for Slovenes Abroad, Dr. Boštjan Žekš, Slovenian Ambassador to the United States Mr. Roman Kirn, Slovenian Consul General Mr. Jure Žmauc, United States Ambassador to Slovenia. Mr. Joseph Mussomeli