On Saturday, June 16th, at 1p, the Fremont Arts Council will present the 30th Annual Fremont Solstice Parade – a cavalcade of creative expression, and volunteer sweat equity. This legendary procession will dance down the streets of Fremont, east from 2nd Ave NW to Gas Works Park, displaying art installations all along the way.
The Dave McKay Parade Art Grant program provides funds for artists to design and create art projects that transform our streets into theater. Awards are granted for the development of parade ensembles, of groups of five or more people, collaborating on a common theme and/or work of social commentary. The Grant program, named after a celebration artist who believed art and art making should be a part of everyone’s life, has funded several ensembles.
During the 2018 Parade, look for:
- Cool Earth! by 350 Seattle – See a two-sided, two-dimensional, dirty earth, pulled by pasty corporate executives with money bulging from their suits, and followed by a future, beautiful, life-rich ‘Cool World’ displaying a socially just and sustainable planet. The ‘Cool World’ will be surrounded by a costumed crew celebrating clean water, healthy salmon, an orca pod, and 30 heart/earth bobbing lanterns.
- Garden of Life by Bloco Pacifico – Through music, dance, and creative costumery, the band hopes to inspire feelings of joy, celebration, and connection in the community among human, plant, and animal. Drummers will represent a vibrant field of lavender flowers, with dancers transforming into bees, pollinating the garden. With VamoLa’s input, world-renowned Brazilian samba musician Eduardo ‘Dudu’ Fuentes has developed two pieces of music just for the Fremont Solstice Parade.
- Joiboi Deva Puppet Ensemble by Sarah Lovett – Known for creating amazing, storied puppets for past Solstice Parades and Pageants, Lovett has promised to create Devas that celebrate joy with an interactive, swirling dance. Her aim is for fluid movement, and creatures of the air and water that dance and float above the street and the crowds.
- Paradisiax Parasol Project by Tina Ilvonen – This structure will be used, in a stationary form, for a stage at festivals this summer. For the Fremont Solstice Parade & Celebration, this ensemble will create a triple parasol on a tripod of steel poles, powered by tricycles. The parasols will be 13 – 15 feet in diameter, and the poles will be 12 feet tall. During the Parade, the rolling structure will be joined by a marching band, and people dressed as pollinators such as bees, flowers and butterflies, either rollerblading or dancing, and carrying personal parasols, pinwheels and pennants.
- Super Moi! directed by Marilyn Kurka – The Intergalactic Pussy Alliance (IPA) team will be transitioning to Super Heroes by discovering and highlighting the super hero trait within, through participants’ costumes (including the Muppets.) The IPA will also build tall, ventriloquist-driven Muppets, fully poseable and on rollerblade wheels to accompany their ensemble down the street.
- Technological Terrors by the Seattle Steam Rats – The Giant Steamrat Robot Float is presented as a whimsical caution against unbridled lust for technology. Unrestrained technology will turn against us with global warming, bioengineered disease, or terrifyingly efficient weapons. Their float will symbolize runaway technology with an eye-catching 13’ tall mechanical steampunk robot rat inspired by clockwork mechanism, science fiction and Japanese Anime. The float will be towed by a team of steampunk supplicants and led by a high priestess, representing the current spirit of blind veneration for and indulgence in technology.
- Tides of Change by the Seattle Women’s Steel Band – They’ve proposed a work of kinetic mobile art featuring music, dance, theatrical elements, costumes and pageantry. They envision a magnificent entry of 90 participants and a 36 foot float, meant to evoke a powerful reaction. The ‘Tides’ links essential awareness of the oceans, female power and cooperative effort, and invites audience response and interaction.
- Pollination Revolution directed by Desiree Jones – Queen Bee Juanita and her bouquet of dancing wildflowers will be taking their message about the importance of weeds, flowers, and bees out to educate and excite the masses. While Juanita shares her message of bee love and flower power, beautiful weeds in blooming costumes will surround her, carrying handmade signs with slogans about ‘Save The Bees’ and ‘Free The Weeds.’ For the pollination revolution, the costumed participants will pass out packets of bee-friendly wildflowers to the audience.
Look for these ensembles during the Fremont Solstice Parade, among the other installations of art and expression that will be dancing and promenading through the neighborhood at 1p on Saturday, June 16th.
The Fremont Solstice Parade, as produced by the Fremont Arts Council, is preceded by the Solstice Cyclists, and other random groups and individuals, who ride bicycles in body paint. The cyclists ride independently of the Parade, and are strongly encouraged to create art. To join the ride, visit the Solstice Cyclists website.