Cleveland Plus's colorful tapestry of ethnic diversity and culture is one of the many reasons the region is unique. Settled by a mix of nationalities, Cleveland is home to more than 117 ethnic groups speaking more than 60 languages.
Puerto Rican Festival
Cleveland's African American community is almost as old as the city itself. George Peake, the first African American settler in Cleveland, arrived in 1809. Today, the African American community makes up the city's largest ethnic group. However, the region also benefits from significant numbers of Middle Easterners, Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans.
The city's European heritage remains very visible. A number of churches, restaurants, cultural clubs and festivals retain Old World ethnic customs and heritage. Croatian, Czechoslovakian, English, German, Greek, Polish, Irish, Italian, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovenian and Ukrainian are some of the many European nationalities to call Cleveland home.
Cleveland's Jewish population is largely concentrated on the city's East Side. The Jewish Community Federation and 40 other clubs preserve the Jewish heritage with film and music programs celebrating Jewish arts and culture. The Western Reserve Historical Society has a collection of transcribed interviews of Jewish immigrants gathered by the Jewish Community Center of Cleveland.
Today, this mix of ethnic heritage, unique customs and history can be found throughout the city's many neighborhoods. From the restaurants of Asia Plaza to the galleries of Little Italy, each neighborhood retains much of its tradition while blending in new eateries, festivals and shops. And outside of the city and its inner ring suburbs there remain a number of small historic towns built in the early nineteenth century when Northeast Ohio was a frontier town known as the Western Reserve.
During your visit to Cleveland, you don't want to miss the culinary diversity of the West Side Market, a landmark in the near West Side neighborhood of Ohio City. From pierogi to falafel, no place in Cleveland combines more cultures under one roof than the market with more than 180 vendors offering ethnic delicacies and a variety of fresh bakery, produce, dairy products, meats and seafood.
Festivals and Celebrations Whether it's the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, Little Italy's "Feast of the Assumption" or a Greek heritage celebration at a local church, festivals are important to Clevelanders. Join in the fun! Click here for an overview.
International Services, Schools & Organizations Go to the Visitor Info section of positivelycleveland.com for more information.
