Note:  details on the following will be forthcoming as this information is updated.  Chronological order of events follows:

Italian Cultural Garden’s “Opera in the Garden”, Sunday, July 25

Cultural Gardens Federation Executive Board Meeting, Tuesday, August 10th, 6:30 PM.  Judson Park Manor, East 107th at Chester.  Lower concourse–enter at main entrance on East 107th and proceed to stairs or elevators–one floor down.  Open to all.  Free parking in Judson’s parking lot at East 107th and Chester (north side)

Hungarian Cultural Garden’s Golf Outing and dinner at Shaker Country Club on Wednesday, August 11, from 11 AM on.  Details at 440-564-7088

Glenville Heritage 5 mile run and 1 mile walk through the Cultural Gardens sponsored by Famicos  Foundation on Saturday, August 14th. For details & registration, call Famicos at 216-791-6476.  Councilman Jeff Johnson is the host.

Hungarian Cultural Garden Concert in the Garden at 1070 East Blvd, Cleveland 44108.  Free.  Sunday, August 15, from 2 to 4 PM.

Armenian Cultural Garden Dedication, Sunday, September 19, 1-2 PM; 741 MLK Drive at St. Clair exit.  Parking on  East Blvd above the Garden as well as at Sam Miller Park on East Blvd and across from Rockefeller Greenhouse.  Lolly-the-Trolley bus service from Sam Miller Park at regular intervals.

One World Day in the Cultural Gardens on Sunday, September 19, 2-6 PM Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation.

Italian Film Festival to benefit the Italian Cultural Garden at 7:30 PM on September 16, 23 and 30 at the Cedar Lee Theater in Cleveland Hts with pre-film party at Jimmy O’Neil’s next to the theater.  At 7:30 PM on October 7 at the Capitol Theater on Detroit at West 65th with pre-film party at Lux Restaurant across Detroit from the theater.  Tickets and information at 216-456-8117.

Teachers’ Appreciation Day in the Chinese Cultural Garden–September 28, 2010.  Details to follow.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday Celebration in the India Cultural Garden at 6 PM on Saturday, October 2.

Annual benefit for the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation October 9, 2010.

Cultural Gardens Federation Executive Board Meeting, Tuesday, October 12th, 6:30 PM.  Judson Park Manor, East 107th at Chester.  Lower concourse–enter at main entrance on East 107th and proceed to stairs or elevators–one floor down.  Open to all.  Free parking in Judson’s parking lot at East 107th and Chester (north side)

Cultural Gardens Federation Executive Board Meeting, Tuesday, November 9th, 6:30 PM.  Judson Park Manor, East 107th at Chester.  Lower concourse–enter at main entrance on East 107th and proceed to stairs or elevators–one floor down.  Open to all.  Free parking in Judson’s parking lot at East 107th and Chester (north side)

Croatian Cultural Garden/Cleveland Junior Tamburitzen joint benefit “Night at the Races” on Saturday, November 13th.  Details follow.

Cleveland Women’s Orchestra plays famous Croatian composer’s music (Dora Pejacevic) for first time in Cleveland. Croatian Garden benefit, November 28 at Croatian Lodge Party Center, Eastlake.  $15 per person. Details to follow.

Welttrauertage (World Day of Mourning) in the German Cultural Garden in November with details to be announced.

Holiday dinner of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation on Tuesday evening, December 14, 2010 with details to be announced.

Estonian Cultural Garden’s Voidupuha-Jaanipaeva Celebration (mid-summer solstice), Sunday, June 27th, 2010

Polish Cultural Garden’s Chopin bust dedication and Chopin piano concert, in the Garden, in June–date pending

Serbian Cultural Garden’s 2nd Annual Golf Outing at Sleepy Hollow Golf Course, Saturday, July 10, 10 AM-late afternoon; 6 PM Dinner at Sterle’s

German Cultural Garden’s Conrad Mizer/Karl Wolfram Concert,  Free and in the German Cultural Garden on July 11, Sunday, 1-3 PM.

The Croatian Cultural Garden got its beginning in late 2008 when a small group met on a snowy November day to pick out a site. They picked the site that was originally planned as the Shakespeare Theater. New legislation would have to be passed by city council allowing this change in designation to happen. In January of 2009 an open meeting was held at the Croatian American Lodge in Eastlake to discuss ideas and to form a committee to help steer the development of the garden.  The turnout was great and the response was generally positive. Also at the meeting the landscape architect chosen to help design the Croatian Garden, Jim McKnight, was introduced.

A group of about 15 people met regularly over the next few months. There were two subcommittees formed, one for Design and the other Fundraising.  The initial meetings were mostly brainstorming sessions. People were asked to throw out ideas that they wanted to see in the garden. Slowly these ideas were pared down to a few major ideas and themes. It was also quickly decided that the garden will have to be developed in phases, over many years. Phase I would incorporate the lower level on MLK blvd. Phase II would include the hillside, and Phase III will be the upper courtyard on East Blvd.

Meanwhile the fundraising committee quickly started work on a large debut event scheduled for November 1^st to be held at the lodge and involving many different groups within the Cleveland Croatian community as entertainment.

Over the late spring and early summer months the design committee together with Jim McKnight reviewed different plans and certain items became necessary element that everyone agreed. The statue of “Immigrant Mother” by Joseph Turkaly was selected to be a focal point on the lower level as well as a water feature. The hill side was deemed a perfect spot for a waterfall to represent the famous Krka falls in Croatia. Steps would be essential to link to lower and upper gardens. On the top section, a courtyard for large gathering and performances will be accented by busts of famous Croatian Cultural figures and the baptismal font, representing the Croatians accepting Christianity.

Jim McKnight took these ideas and made some preliminary drawings and cost breakouts. Fine tuning the design is still in progress at the end of 2009. In October, the Croatians were proud to be finally present as a garden for One World Day.

Funds came in slowly over the summer months but the November 1^st event was great success. Over 250 people attend the Sunday afternoon concert which featured six Croatian cultural dance and singing groups, helping to raise over $16,000 in that afternoon alone. Since then funds have been coming in from around the country.

At the end of the year the Croatian garden committee is still waiting on the city to official change the designation of the site. However, they are still working hard to raise funds and fine tune its design.

Branka Malinar

Croatian Cultural Garden Delegate