Hear ye! Hear ye!
The Royal Court
The Cleveland Kurentovanje Royal Court
The Royal Court of the Cleveland Kurentovanje festival is an honor to be bestowed upon individuals who espouse a love of Cleveland and Slovenian culture, have a fun and confident personality, and possess the willingness to be a caring and committed ambassador of the Cleveland Kurentovanje spirit. Congratulations to the 2026 Cleveland Kurentovanje Royal Court!
2026 Cleveland Kurentovanje Queen - Angel Breeden
Angel has been described as a loving person who makes everything she participates in special. She holds a deep appreciation for her heritage and actively preserves it through her dedication to Slovenian culinary traditions, preparing classic dishes with skill, care, and cultural pride. Angel is an artist and photographer, and has attended the Kurentovanje festival for years with her family as a cherished tradition. One nominator called her a graceful ambassador of her Slovenian culture. We are thrilled to celebrate Queen Angel and her passion for her Slovenian heritage!
2026 Cleveland Kurentovanje Princess - Roksana Taricska
Roksana has truly served her Slovenian community! She has been an active member of St. Vitus her entire life — from being an altar server to decorating the church at holidays to singing with the St. Vitus choir. Roksana was awarded the St. Vitus Alumni scholarship and she has won the Mihevc grant multiple times. She graduated from Slovenian School in 2024, visited Slovenia that summer, and is now a teacher assistant. She has been coming to the Slovenian Home since she was a baby and now Roksana loves to bring friends there to introduce them to her heritage. We are thrilled to have Roksana as this year’s Princess.
2026 Cleveland Kurentovanje Prince - Dominic Tromba
Dominic is described by his friends and family as a leader with a vibrant personality that lights up any room he walks in! Dominic has been a participant, counselor and head counselor at Camp Pristava, as well as volunteering for the Slovenian Cultural Garden and attending St. Mary’s Slovenian School. Dominic was a four year captain for the Baldwin Wallace football team where he received Academic All-OAC honors, recognizing student athletes that excel in the classroom as well as the field. He was a four year member of the BW Sport Management Club and was one of the few selected to represent and gain work experience at the Superbowl in New Orleans in 2025! He has visited Slovenia many times and is passionate about his Slovenian heritage. As one nominator said, Dom is the bomb! We are honored to have Dominic bring his Slovenian spirit and energy to this year’s festival!
2026 Cleveland Kurentovanje Queen of Hearts - JoAnn Arnold
JoAnn was born and raised in Cleveland Ohio, growing up in Euclid, where she was a competitive swimmer and is enshrined in the Euclid High School Sports Hall of Fame! Her family was a member of the Loyalites Lodge #158 and spent summers at the Enon Valley SNPJ Recreation Center. JoAnn proudly honors and celebrates her Slovenian heritage, passing on to her daughters the traditions that she learned — a love of polka music, eating sauerkraut and kielbasa, and attending the Cleveland Kurentovanje festival! JoAnn is deeply connected to her community as an avid walker, accomplished tennis and pickleball player, and as a generous friend to many. She is described as the type of person that rallies people together and she sees the best in all. As one nominator said, the world would be a better place if there were more people like JoAnn shining brightly in their community! We are honored to have JoAnn Arnold as our first ever Queen of Hearts!
Past Members of the Royal Court
2025 - Prince Adam Ribic, Princess Carolyn Dreye, Queen Debbie Zaller
2024 - Prince Cameron Knotek-Black, Princess Natasha Paros-Gaser, Queen Ann Gabrosek
2023 - Prince Blaz Vavpetic, Princess Justina Lampic, Queen Eva Ozbolt Kisley
2022 - Prince Michael Tromba, Princess Zoe Gregory
2020 - Prince Paul Sedmak, Princess Maya Stupica
2019 - Prince Patrick Shick, Princess Sophia Tromba
2018 - Prince Philip Monreal, Princess Abigail Bartlett
Are we missing someone? Send us an email at CLEKurentovanje@gmail.com