Photo via WikimediaCommons
This 10-day series, which boasts 37 events, explores the city's vibrant history primarily through behind-the-scenes tours of Cleveland's historical landmarks. It also includes lectures and festivals.
The series begins with with an induction ceremony at the Cleveland History Center and is followed by the Burning River Festival at the old Coast Guard Station on Whiskey Island.
Highlights include a tour of the final stages of Towpath Trail Groundbreaking/NEORSD Pump Station, an hour-long tour featuring the history of Public Square, a presentation on Millionaire's Row, the 40th annual Tri-C Jazz Fest, a 150-year anniversary Cleveland Public Library Tour and historical tours of the Warehouse District and Playhouse Square.
The series is also paying homage to the 50th anniversary of the Cuyahoga River fire, including events such as Blazing Paddles festival and the Veterans Memorial Bridge Subway Tours.
Founder Tom Yablonsky believes an examination of Cleveland history — including a celebration of the environmental movement sparked by the burning river — is essential to telling the story of its "comeback" in recent years.
“We have a great story to tell about the history of this city and using the city’s history to revitalize it,” Yablonsky told cleveland.com.
The comeback narrative has certainly become popular in recent years, and it's hard to imagine a celebration of Cleveland's history without that story. (Perhaps in an attempt to highlight this narrative, the series ends with a Cleveland history buff contest that rewards people through an elaborate point system based on how many events attended.)
Cleveland History Days starts Friday at 10 a.m. and runs through June 30. You can register for the series here and find the full schedule of events here.
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