Signature Events

Parade the Circle and Chalk Festival, the CMA’s annual signature community programs, provide opportunities for artists and community members to work side by side creating art together. 

Parade the Circle

The Cleveland Museum of Art’s (CMA) Parade the Circle is a beloved tradition celebrating art, culture, and community. The annual parade takes place in University Circle and features vibrant and imaginative costumes, towering puppets, floats, and intricately crafted masks. 

Parade the Circle participant in a butterfly costume

Chalk Festival

The Chalk Festival features sidewalk artistry by professional chalk artists and local community groups, families, and individuals, all using the CMA’s south plaza and walkways that wind through the Fine Arts Garden and down to Wade Lagoon as a colorful canvas. 

Chalk Festival participants chalking a large lion on the sidewalk