Participants at work during Art Friday and at the Festifools studio.
If you saw Ann Arbor CIL artists on the street this Sunday, you would meet quite a cast of characters.
Actually, you would meet a really, really big cast of characters, all carrying dinosaurs, sea creatures, giant clocks and giant people, swaying to the beat of music played on home-made, fantastical instruments.
This Sunday is Festifools, Ann Arbor’s annual parade characterized by its large-scale paper mache puppets created by folks throughout the community. For one hour every first weekend in April, the Festifools parade takes over Main Street in Downtown Ann Arbor, filling the city with life, color and music. Anyone can create and march with their puppets in the parade, and anyone can come enjoy the show from the sidelines.
This year, the Ann Arbor CIL has engaged in Festifools on a whole new level.
Art Fridays, a traditional drop-in, social art group held at the Ann Arbor CIL throughout the year, was turned into a Festifools factory for the month of March. Twelve participants made their own paper mache masks, then later helped to create a giant paper mache puppet to be carried by all on the day of the parade. The puppet? It’s a giant octopus. One participant will carry the octopus head, and other participants will each carry a fabric tentacle.
Masks made by Art Friday participants.
Beyond parade participation, the Ann Arbor CIL has been involved in the spectatorship and logistics planning for the Festifools parade. As a result, Festifools is now a completely accessible event, with designated, accessible seating areas set aside for parade spectators with disabilities. For people with vision impairments, a live broadcast of the parade can be heard on Ann Arbor’s 107.1; spectators can bring a battery-powered radio and tune in to the broadcast of the festivities.
Bring your friends and family! Anyone and everyone is invited to join us for a fun-filled spring afternoon in our vibrant community.
Parade details: Sunday, April 3 from 4 – 5 PM; Main St. between William and Washington in Downtown Ann Arbor. Check out the Festifools website for more information: http://festifools.org/get-involved/come-to-event.html
