|
University Circle
hosts annual CircleFest
By Arooj Ashraf, La Prensa Correspondent
Cleveland: University
Circle hosted the 18th Annual CircleFest
Dec. 4, 2011 attracting more than 4,000 people to join in
festive winter activities. The opening day offers free admission
to surrounding museums with activities for children and adults
alike.
Julie Anderson,
Chief Operating Officer at Cleveland Botanical Gardens,
said the festival is a wonderful time for families to visit and
explore the garden, “We are trying to create traditions for
families,” she said. The Gardens holds competitions for best
gingerbread houses for professional and amateurs.
This year’s winning
gingerbread structure is a miniature replica of Russian
landmark, the St. Basil’s Cathedral. Adorned with M&Ms
and other delicious candies, JoAnn Van Luntern captured
the beauty of the church and amplified the tastiness of the
gingerbread house to win first place in the adult amateur
category.
Other notable gingerbread
structures included an Eifel Tower replica, an Apple desktop,
and a treehouse. Anderson said three judges from media and local
bakery chose the winning pieces.
Visitors also enjoyed time
with the glasshouse critters like the giant African centipede,
hedgehog. Newly hatched butterflies were released in the Costa
Rican glasshouse. Nearly 30 species of butterflies float free
in the glasshouse year round.
Joe Mohalik
said the pupas are bought from butterfly farms in Ecuador and
delivered to the Gardens as they are ready to complete their
metamorphosis. “They live for 2 – 5 weeks,” he said. New
butterflies are released into the Garden everyday at 2 p.m.
Across the Oval, a
makeshift ice rink is open to the public until late January
2012. Children and adults can rent skates for only $3.
Nearby, Jeff Meyers
of Elegant Ice Creations Inc. transformed blocks of ice into
beautiful, seasonal sculptures. He mesmerized the crowd as his
power tools carved flawlessly into the block to shape the ice.
Meyers has been carving sculptures for the past ten years and
said it was a job he landed right after completing high school.
As Meyers carved a Santa
head, the real Santa Clause made a guest appearance at the
Natural History Museums.
The Cleveland Museum of
Art offered hands-on crafts for children, with lantern
making workshops. Joann Cowan, volunteer at CMA, said the
Women’s Council members volunteer throughout the year to make
lanterns for sale at the gift shop; proceeds benefit the
museum’s programs.
|
