Cleveland Public Library Hosts Free Citywide Street Festival

To celebrate Cleveland Public Library’s 150^th anniversary and to thank the community for its longstanding support, the Library invites the public to a free, daylong street festival on Saturday, July 27 from 1:00 – 10:00 p.m. The CPL150 Street Festival will feature comedian Roy Wood Jr., a DJ set from DāM-FunK, and other high-profile performers, musicians, and artists, all as a way to express gratitude to Clevelanders for their role in the Library’s success.

“The CPL150 Street Festival honors both the Library’s 150 years of service as well as the community members who make our work so meaningful,” says Felton Thomas, Jr., Executive Director. “Throughout the day, we’ll have activities appropriate for children and families, and the evening will include programming for adults. This festival will be a colorful, joyous occasion created specifically for the people of Cleveland. Consider this your formal invitation to come downtown on July 27 to take part in the festivities.”

Clevelanders can expect an eclectic range of activities and entertainment at the CPL150 Street Festival, including a Ferris wheel, a puppet parade, balloon animal creations, a Tri-C Vocal Arts Academy performance, a bold and colorful inflatable public art installation, MOCA’s LOADED performance series, the Cleveland Inner City Ballet, a roller skating performance, and an appearance from artist and illustrator Raúl the Third, among others. From 1:00 – 5:00 p.m., the family-friendly daytime offerings include story times, school supply giveaways, a Lion King ticket giveaway opportunity for Summer Lit League program finishers, and more. In the evening hours, adult-focused programming will take over from 5:00 – 10:00 p.m. to feature comedy, art exhibits, a beer garden, and a DJ-led dance party.

The CPL150 Street Festival takes place on Superior Avenue, between E. 3rd and E. 6th Streets, which will be closed to traffic for the day, and at Main Library and the Louis Stokes Wing of Cleveland Public Library. In the event of rain, activities will be moved inside the Louis Stokes Wing at 525 Superior Avenue. Seven Cleveland Public Library branches will offer free, regularly scheduled trips on Lolly the Trolley between 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. – Eastman, South, Sterling, Woodland, East 131st, Addison, and Collinwood. All remaining neighborhood branches in the Library system will close on July 27 in honor of the festival.

Festival highlights include:

Comedian Roy Wood, Jr.

Roy Wood, Jr., who appears on The Daily Show (among other Comedy Central programs) and has performed widely on stage, television, and radio, will entertain Clevelanders during the festival’s evening hours.

Producer & DJ DâM-FunK:

DâM-FunK is the epitome of funk. His DJ set, which features selections of soul, funk, R&B, and hip-hop, will close out the evening’s 150^th anniversary celebration.

Author Eric Litwin

#1 New York Times bestselling and acclaimed children’s author Eric Litwin brings early literacy and music together in a song-singing, guitar-strumming live performance including his beloved characters from the original four Pete the Cat books, The Nuts and Groovy Joe.

Big Bang Boom!

A trio of dynamic dads—Chuck Folds, Steve Willard, and Eddie Walker—make up this pop/rock music group who play parent-friendly children’s music. This is kid’s music for adults who have had enough of Barney, The Wiggles, and Kidz Bop from a band that has been compared to U2.

Ballet Fusion Dance Company Hiplet

Hiplet fuses classical pointe technique with African, Latin, Hip-Hop, and urban dance styles rooted in communities of color. Performances incorporate the rhythms of African drums with Tchaikovsky, arabesques, beat-boxing, or even Tango en pointe, all set to popular music.

For a full list of performers, activities, and a schedule, visit https://150.cpl.org/cpl-150-street-festival/schedule-of-events/. Select performers available for interviews.

Community partners for the CPL150 Street Festival

Cleveland Museum of Art, MOCA, Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), Hyatt, City of Cleveland Water, Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, LAND Studio, Medical Mutual, ideastream, Border Light Theatre Festival, and Cleveland Print Room.

CPL150 Street Festival Sponsors

Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland Clothing Company, and the City of Cleveland Water Department.

Special acknowledgement and appreciation of the CPL150 Anniversary Sponsors

Eaton, Fifth Third Bank, First Energy Foundation, Medical Mutual, The Albert M. Higley Co., Bialosky Cleveland, Dix & Eaton, Dominion Energy Ohio, Huntington, Applied Industrial Technologies, AT&T, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Magazine, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cuyahoga Community College, Gallagher, Mansour Gavin LPA, Margaret W. Wong & Associates LLC, Midwest Tape, Osborn Engineering, Rakuten Overdrive, Richard W. Pogue, RPM, United Way of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Title, College Now Greater Cleveland, Karen Skunta & Company, and Youth Opportunities Unlimited.