Sunday, June 10th, 2012

Parade the Circle packs the house celebrating arts and culture

This year's Parade the Circle seized the heart of University Circle in the most benign way Saturday, bringing a blend of whimsy, performance art, dance, music and food -- all built around the theme of rebirth and renewal.

Artistic Director Robin VanLear, the parade's creator and guiding light since its inception in 1990, dubbed this year's concept "Branches become Roots."

An apt idea, because the parade is a most unusual traveling art exhibition: It makes a single circuit around Wade Oval and then disappears, only to come roaring back to life a year later with a completely new vision.

This year's event not only came back to life, it grew.

There were 2,000 in the parade, up from around 1,500 last year, and an estimated 75,000 watching, an increase of 5,000 from last year.

The first one "seemed to have more paraders than parade-goers," said Chris Ronayne, president of University Circle Inc.

Author: James Ewinger

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/06/parade_the_circle_packs_the_ho.html