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Six-year-olds Noah Gabric, a Slovenian-American, and Maria Petkovic, both of Parma, posed with the Kurents at the 2014 Kurentovanje.

(Laura DeMarco, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Love, Slovenian-style, will be in the air when the third annual Cleveland Kurentovanje festival takes place on Feb. 14.

This year's Eastern European winter fest will take place on St. Clair Avenue between East 62nd Street and Addison Road. Due to its Valentine's Day timing, the 2015 theme, fittingly, is "LOVE in every sLOVEnian!"

Kurentovanje, sort of a Slovenian Mardi Gras held the weekend before Lent begins, will feature a winter's end parade, Slovenian food and drink, cultural performances, and, yes, an appearance by many, many fuzzy Kurents. These enormous mythical Slovenian monsters are meant to scare winter away and welcome spring.

The last two festivals have attracted between 2,000 and 3,000 attendees to the St. Clair-Superior area, which has been on an upswing largely thanks to the revival of Sterle's Country House on East 55th Street and the trendy Cleveland Flea shopping events.

"It's very, very different than anything else you've seen at an ethnic event in Cleveland," said Michael Fleming, executive director of the St. Clair Superior Development Corporation to The Plain Dealer last year about Kurentovanje. "You've just got to see it."

11 a.m.: Area businesses selling Slovenian donuts ("krofe") and coffee. Free crafts to help children prepare for Kurentovanje will also take place at the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair Avenue.

Noon: The parade kicks off the traditional Kurentovanje celebration and will stretch through the neighborhood from St. Vitus Church on Lausche Avenue to the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair. The procession will include Kurents, polka and marching bands, dance groups and other parading groups in traditional dress from across Eastern Europe.

1-6 p.m.: Experience the many different foods, wines, beers, music and dance of Slovenia and Eastern Europe at the Slovenian National Home. Free photos with the Kurents will be taken, and local craftspeople will be selling homemade edibles and handmade goods. Musical and dance acts will perform throughout the day. Attendees can explore the neighboring Slovenian Museum and Archives.

6 p.m.: Afterparty runs 6 p.m.-close at Sterle's Country House, 1401 East 55th St., where guests can enjoy schnitzel, polka and slivovitz. Sterle's Bier Garden will also be open throughout the day.