Parade the Circle, one of Cleveland’s most impactful cultural events, is an annual art parade that fills Wade Oval with lively sounds and colors, featuring innovative costumes, giant puppets, and handmade masks created by artists, families, schools, and community groups.
Individuals, families, schools, and neighborhood and community groups are all invited to participate. Create your parade entry on your own or at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s public workshops.
Parade Registration
$5 per child under 18
$10 per adult
Registration coming soon.
Email commartsinfo [at] clevelandart.org to receive notification when registration opens or for more information.
Prepaid parking in the CMA garage is not available on this day. A special event parking rate of $20 will apply—cash and credit cards are accepted at the garage entrance.
Workshops at the Community Arts Center in April and May
Free workshops designed to introduce the parade to community members interested in participating in the parade will be held at the Community Arts Center (CAC) in April and May. Artists will provide examples of past parade ensembles, discuss design elements, and talk through initial ideas. Participants will also be able to experiment with materials.
- Location: Community Arts Center (2937 West 25th Street, Cleveland, OH 44113; free parking off Castle Avenue)
- Workshop Dates: Saturday, April 8, and Sundays, April 16–May 7, 1:00–3:00 p.m.
- Free. To reserve a spot, email commartsinfo [at] clevelandart.org.
Workshops at the Parade Tent in May and June
Participants can create costumes, masks, and giant puppets made with the assistance of staff artists at up to nine public workshops in the parade tent. A one-time fee entitles you to attend all workshops and includes parade registration for all pass holders. Workshops are open to all ages; however, children 15 and under must register and attend with someone 16 or older.
- Location: Parade tent (East Bell Commons, 11141 East Boulevard., Cleveland, OH 44106)
- Workshop Dates: Saturdays and Sundays, May 13–June 4, 1:00–4:00 p.m., and Wednesday, June 7, 6:00–9:00 p.m.
- Workshop Pass: A workshop pass allows the pass holder entry to all public workshops at the parade tent and includes the parade registration fee. (For a group of pass holders, any additional members without a pass must register for the parade separately.)
- Cost: first three participants in your group $50/person; additional participants $25/person
Registration coming soon.
Email commartsinfo [at] clevelandart.org to receive notification when registration opens or for more information.
2023 Parade the Circle Guidelines
- Everyone must be in costume, including parents, guardians, and staff accompanying children.
- All entries must be handmade and people powered. Motorized vehicles (other than wheelchairs) and live animals (other than service animals) are not permitted.
- No written words are allowed.
- Entries should not propagandize a particular political or religious belief.
- Entries and costumes must be noncommercial. No identifiable logos are allowed. No T-shirts with words, registered trademarks, logos, or cartoon characters may be worn. Uniforms representing organized teams, troops, or school or civic organizations may not be worn.
- No distribution of leaflets or flyers is allowed during the parade or along the parade route.
- Children under 15 must be accompanied by someone older.
- All parade participants participate at their own risk. Written waivers are required for all participants.
