Editing Cleveland, Tennessee (section)

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Photo of Tall Betsy, Fort Hill Cemetery, 1993.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Tall Betsy]] in Fort Hill Cemetery, 1993]]

The MainStreet Cleveland [[Halloween]] Block Party draws more than 20,000 people to the city every year. The event began in 1988 as a candy handout at the Cleveland Police Department and Centenary Avenue, and has grown to one of the largest events in Cleveland. It features live music, food stands, and a costume contest.<ref>{{cite news |last = Goad |first = Richard |title = 27th Block Party nears |newspaper = Cleveland Daily Banner |location = Cleveland, TN |date = October 3, 2014 |url = https://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/25874121/article-27th-Block-Party-nears |access-date = October 13, 2014 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141018023940/http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/25874121/article-27th-Block-Party-nears |archive-date = October 18, 2014 }}</ref> In 2015 Cleveland's mayor, [[Tom Rowland (politician)|Tom Rowland]], dubbed the city as the "Halloween capital of the world".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://clevelandtn.gov/index.aspx?nid=457 |title=The Mayor's Thoughts |last=Rowland |first=Tom |date=December 2015 |website=Clevelandtn.gov |publisher=Cleveland Chamber of Commerce |access-date=November 3, 2017 }}</ref>

Cleveland is known for [[Tall Betsy]], the official "Halloween goblin of Bradley County". For years, Tall Betsy's Halloween night appearance drew large crowds to Cleveland's Centenary Avenue. The growing crowds inspired MainStreet Cleveland to organize the Halloween Block Party around the event. Local businessman Allan Jones created the modern legend from tales of the Tall Betsy goblin that his grandmother told him as a child. The original legend dates to the 19th century, with print references in the ''Cleveland Daily Herald'' as early as 1892. In 1998, Tall Betsy retired after drawing a crowd of over 25,000 people. She returned in 2005 to celebrate her 25th anniversary.<ref>{{cite news |title = 'Tall Betsy' returning to life in documentary |newspaper = Cleveland Daily Banner |location = Cleveland, TN |date = September 30, 2011 |url = https://clevelandbanner.com/bookmark/15846428-%E2%80%98Tall-Betsy%E2%80%99-returning-to-life-in-documentary |access-date = October 13, 2014 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141018023940/http://clevelandbanner.com/bookmark/15846428-%E2%80%98Tall-Betsy%E2%80%99-returning-to-life-in-documentary |archive-date = October 18, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1 = Bell |first1 = Caleb |last2 = Bentley |first2 = Brianna |title = The Spooky Southeast: Tall Tales of Cleveland and Chattanooga |newspaper = Lee Clarion |location = Cleveland, TN |date = October 16, 2013 |url = https://leeclarion.com/life/2013/10/16/the-spooky-southeast-tall-tales-of-cleveland-and-chattanooga/ |access-date = October 13, 2014 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://archive.today/20141013174044/http://leeclarion.com/life/2013/10/16/the-spooky-southeast-tall-tales-of-cleveland-and-chattanooga/ |archive-date = October 13, 2014 }}</ref>

{{anchor|Cleveland Apple Festival}}
The Cleveland Apple Festival, begun in 2002, is an annual family event held on the third weekend of October.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://clevelandapplefestival.org/|title=Cleveland Apple Festival |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |year=2014 |website=clevelandapplefestival.org |publisher=Cleveland Apple Festival| access-date=January 10, 2014}}</ref> This festival offers a juried art and craft show, live [[bluegrass music]], food booths, pony and a hayride, entertainment, contests and children's activities. Unlike many festivals of its kind in the U.S., the Cleveland Apple Festival does not charge for children to participate in activities provided in the children's area. The festival is operated as a [[501(c)(3)]] public [[Charitable organization|charity]].

The city song is "The Diplomat", composed by [[John Philip Sousa]]. It debuted as conducted by Sousa in a performance in 1906 at the Craigmiles Opera House.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://clevelandtn.gov/index.aspx?nid=213|title=History of Cleveland|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=2017|website=clevelandtn.gov|publisher=Cleveland Chamber of Commerce|access-date=November 19, 2017|quote=John Phillip Sousa first introduced the song "The Diplomat" at the Craigmiles Opera House in Cleveland, TN in 1906. Since that time it has been the City song.}}</ref> In November 2017, the city celebrated its 175th anniversary.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bowers |first=Larry C. |date=August 19, 2017 |title=City's 175th birthday celebration set Nov. 5 |url=https://clevelandbanner.com/stories/citys-175thbirthdaycelebrationset-nov-5,64427 |work=Cleveland Daily Banner|access-date=November 2, 2017}}</ref>

In 2024, the Tennessee state legislature named [[hot slaw]] the first official state food of Tennessee, and Cleveland the hot slaw capital of Tennessee.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/18/us/hot-slaw-state-food-tennessee.html?smid=nytcore-android-share | title=This is Hot Slaw. And Cleveland, Tenn., Wants You to Love It, Too | work=The New York Times | date=May 18, 2024 | last1=Cochrane | first1=Emily | last2=Melton | first2=Audra }}</ref>