Photos: The color, creativity, and community of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s 34th Parade the Circle
For months now, Cleveland Museum of Art officials, volunteers, and arts lovers have been preparing for the 34th annual Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) Parade the Circle on Wade Oval—an event that regularly draws tens of thousands of spectators and more than 1,500 artists, participants, and volunteers.
As the big day drew closer and CMA lead artist Héctor Castellanos Lara was scrambling with his volunteers to complete last-minute preparations. The weather report was favorable, and the costumes, puppets, and floats were coming together. Castellanos Lara shared his excitement and optimism about the upcoming parade.
It was a welcome outlook after last year’s Parade the Circle was postponed due to rain—the first time in the event’s 33-year history—and returned in full force two weeks later.
There were no weather worries or complaints last Saturday, June 13, when sunshine, 80-degree weather, and positive attitudes created a celebratory mood that seems to have lasted all week around Cleveland.
The atmosphere remained festive and upbeat, and the crowd brought the infectious enthusiasm that defined the 2026 Parade theme of “momentum.”
In fact, this year’s Parade the Circle was so lively, FreshWater Cleveland had two photographers covering all the fun!
Check out the photo collections of photographers Reuben Kutash and Bob Perskoski to relive the fun or see what you missed.
About the Author: Bob Perkoski Bob is managing photographer with FreshWater as well as a Cleveland freelance photographer. His photographic approach is rooted in the art of storytelling. Whether freezing the energy of an event, encapsulating the magic of a performance, or astutely anticipating the decisive moments, his work displays an innate ability to distill the essence of any scene or subject into a single frame or series of work. In addition, Bob is the official photographer for LAND studio and Holden Forest and Gardens and has worked with various Cleveland organizations. In 2019 he published a book of his photos Rust Belt Burlesque. He's had work published in other books like LGBTQ Cleveland by Ken Schneck, Rust Belt Chic: The Cleveland Anthology, Rust Belt Chic: The Pittsburgh Anthology and Moon Cleveland by Douglas Trattner. Previously he was co-founder/art director for Balanced Living Magazine. You can view his versatile portfolio of work, which includes news coverage, portraiture, architectural and fine art at Perkoski Photography. Originally from Conneaut, Ohio, Perkoski now lives close to the city in Parma. He has been Fresh Water's managing photographer since the publication's September 2010 inception.
