Hit Parade

University Circle doesn’t want to fix something that’s not broken. That’s why today’s 18th-annual Parade the Circle celebration looks, sounds, and tastes a lot like past parties. But the fest -- which includes live music, yummy eats, and hands-on activities at 15 of the area’s most popular arts and cultural institutions -- will go on for three more hours this year. “We noticed that the crowd gets bigger as the afternoon goes on,” says University Circle Inc. president Chris Ronayne.

The event’s showpiece is the parade itself, which kicks off at noon at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and then winds around Wade Oval. More than 20,000 participants will contribute handmade masks, giant puppets, and floats to the festivities, which center on the theme “Symbiosis -- A Lyrical Discord of Harmonious Contradictions.” “This is intended to be a mosaic showcase of what we do in University Circle,” says Ronayne. “It truly reflects the eclectic nature of our community and its diverse culture.” Four stages of live entertainment feature everything from kid-friendly Radio Disney to the artsy-fartsy Polyrhythmics troupe. The Prodigals wrap things up at 5:30 with a set of Irish-speckled rock. Says Ronayne: “It’s a neat walk through Cleveland’s culture.”
Sat., June 9, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.