The Cleveland Museum of Art’s Parade the Circle Returns on June 14: This Year’s Theme Explores the Wisdom That Comes from Transformational Change

CLEVELAND (March 18, 2025)—The Cleveland Museum of Art’s (CMA) Parade the Circle, the beloved tradition celebrating art, culture, and community, returns on Saturday, June 14. The 33rd annual parade takes place in University Circle and features vibrant and imaginative costumes, towering puppets, floats, and intricately crafted masks. This year’s theme, “Magical Allure: A Vibrant Celebration of the Snowy Owl,” addresses the wisdom and exploration we undertake while undergoing the process of change. The CMA invites everyone to celebrate this mystical messenger, a creature that enchants us with its ethereal presence and silent flight.

Conceived by acclaimed artist Héctor Castellanos Lara, who leads the parade for the third consecutive year, this year’s theme reflects the fact that big changes in our lives are imminent and that, as we search for answers, we undergo a process of deep exploration, seeking awareness and spiritual guidance.

“In our journey, we encounter the magnificent snowy owl, a creature of innate wisdom and totemic symbolism, deeply rooted in various cultures and beliefs that encourage us to trust our inner instincts,” said Castellanos Lara. “Its white color symbolizes purity and represents light, brilliance, spirituality, and illumination. When a snowy owl enters your domain or appears in your dreams, it is believed to signify good luck, good health, and prosperity.”

Parade the Circle, which was founded by the CMA in 1990 with a small number of artists, has since grown to become a beloved large-scale event, drawing crowds in the tens of thousands every June. Families, neighbors, community groups, churches, artists, performers—everyone is welcome to express their creativity, show their talent, and celebrate the arts at Parade the Circle. Every year, unique and magnificent parade designs delight participants and attendees alike. To learn more about how to participate in Parade the Circle, visit clevelandart.org/events/parade-circle.

Parade the Circle Is for Everyone

Community Arts Center Information Sessions

Saturday, April 5, 10:00 a.m., and Sunday, April 6, 1:00 p.m.

Free; No Registration Required

Interested participants can join Parade the Circle experts at the CMA Community Arts Center to learn all the ways to actively participate in and contribute to this year’s event through a presentation, which includes a guided tour of the exhibition Parade the Circle: Celebrating 30 Years of Art and Community in the gallery.

CMA Tent Workshops 

Saturdays and Sundays, May 10–June 8, 1:00–4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, June 10, 6:00–9:00 p.m. 

Workshop pass: $50/person

Participants can create costumes, masks, and giant puppets made with the assistance of staff artists at all public workshops (9 total) in the parade tent. A one-time fee entitles you to attend all workshops.

Parade Registration

$5 per child (under 18); $10 per adult

All parade participants must be registered. Participants must adhere to parade guidelines. Parade participation is open to all ages; however, children 15 and under must register and attend with someone 16 or older.

Event Description

The day’s festivities begin at 10:00 a.m. with Circle Village on Wade Oval, presented by University Circle Inc. Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in interactive activities offered by esteemed institutions from the area, such as the Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Botanical Garden, and the Music Settlement. Attendees can also enjoy culinary delights from local vendors and listen to Councilman Conwell & The Footprints live on the Kulas Stage. Curious about an artist’s process? New this year, attendees can engage with a selection of parade artists on Wade Oval following the event. Come prepared with questions for artists and see costumes and floats up close! The fun continues until 4:00 p.m. For more information about Circle Village, visit universitycircle.org.

About Héctor Castellanos Lara

Originally from Guatemala, Castellanos Lara has called Cleveland his home for more than 30 years, sharing his passion for art and cultural expression with the Cleveland community. He is the founder of Cleveland’s annual Day of the Dead celebration and cofounder of ALU (Artistas Latinos Unidos), an association dedicated to promoting Latino artists.

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About University Circle Inc.

University Circle Inc. (UCI) is the community service corporation responsible for developing, serving, and advocating for University Circle as a vibrant and complete neighborhood. For more information, visit universitycircle.org.

About the Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The museum is a significant international forum for exhibitions, scholarship, and performing arts and is a leader in digital innovation. One of the leading encyclopedic art museums in the United States, the CMA is recognized for its award-winning open access program—which provides free digital access to images and information about works in the museum’s collection—and free of charge to all. The museum is located in the University Circle neighborhood with two satellite locations on Cleveland’s west side: the Community Arts Center and Transformer Station.

The museum is supported in part by residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and made possible in part by the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts. The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. For more information about the museum and its holdings, programs, and events, call 888-CMA-0033 or visit cma.org.