Starting Thursday, history buffs can enjoy bicycle tours, pub crawls and film discussions led by historians and experts to learn about Cleveland’s rich and diverse heritage during Cleveland History Days.
The 11-day celebration is comprised of a series of events held June 19 - 29 across Cleveland and is organized by Canalway, a nonprofit that preserves the Ohio and Erie Canalway National Heritage Area.
Cleveland History Days is in its 8th year promoting cultural tourism in Cleveland, said Mera Cardenas, Canalways’ executive director.
“[There was] the desire that people actively want to learn more about the place they live or the place that they visit,” she said. “We also realized that there are a lot of stories that might not get told all the time, meaning a community organization might have a great program, but maybe a lot of people don’t learn about it.
Canalway partners include more than 30 Northeast Ohio organizations that offer a variety of guided and self-guided walking tours, panel discussions and open houses that showcase Cleveland history.
Organizations create their own programming, according to Cardenas. Some have sponsored events for years and have been invited back.
The Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation, a community development corporation that works to revitalize Cleveland’s historic districts, returns this year with its Take a Hike series.
The Take a Hike program features free, guided tours of Cleveland’s historic neighborhoods, which will continue through September, said Eileen Cassidy, the corporation’s executive director.
Participants can explore the Erie Street Cemetery, Veterans Memorial Bridge, Playhouse Square and other notable landmarks.
“Even lifelong Clevelanders that you think you understand the details and the nuances of our historic neighborhoods, always tell us that they always learned something new — which makes it very fun and exciting,” Cassidy said.
Cleveland History Days is partnering with other organizations to offer more than 70 events covering Cleveland’s history of sports, architecture, art and other topics.
Event and registration information is available on the Cleveland History Days website.
