by Kirby Lindsay, posted 8 June 2012
The Fremont Arts Council Solstice Parade will meander down the streets of Fremont on Saturday, June 16th starting at Noon. At the same time, a block or two away from the route, the Fremont Street Fair will pack the streets with vendor booths, music stages, beer gardens, and art opportunities – plus a parking lot filled by the Seattle Art Car Blowout and this year, at Fremont Studios, the Seattle Erotic Art Festival.
Fremonsters (people who live, work, and/or love to play here) get involved – often whether they want to or not. To learn the diverse of ways Fremonsters participate, fifteen deliberately random subjects (none of them had ever appeared before on Fremocentrist.com,) located at a variety of Fremont activities in May 2012, were asked, “What will you be doing at Noon on Saturday, June 16th?”
at the Glass Eye Studios sidewalk sale
Steven Diesburg
“I think I might be in Hawaii,” explained this Fremont resident. The timing of his trip is accidental – scheduled for the end of quarter when Diesburg, a University of Washington graduate student, can go to visit friends. He’s a little bummed about missing the festivities here. “I’ve biked it before,” he said of the naked cyclists that appear before the parade, but he likes the whole weekend. “There’re just so many people walking around,” he said, “it’s awesome!”
at the FAC Powerhouse parade building workshop
Monica Rockwell
“I have not decided,” admitted Rockwell, near the end of May. Last year, with co-conspirators, the ensemble paraded in Nick Cave-like sound suits, built with recyclables and engaging participants of all ages. “This is my 10th year in the parade,” she explained, “I lived here when I started.” Now having to commute, and on her own, she thought she might join the Ice Queens. However, “I’m here tonight because I’d like to learn how to build a giant puppet,” she explained.
at the Wallingford Boys & Girls Club Annual Celebration (and the B.F. Day Playground)
Luke Padgett
“I live on Fremont Way,” explained Padgett, who has to give a geography lesson even to a seasoned native in order to place this oft-overlooked street, quite near the FAC Powerhouse. “I usually watch the ramp up to the parade. I never participate,” he said, “but this is only my second year.” He plans to walk down to Ophelia’s Books, like last year, he admitted, “and watch the parade from there.”
at the FAC Powerhouse parade building workshop
Lisa Iland
“I will be participating as part of the Ice Queens float…troupe…ensemble,” explained Iland. “I’m making and wearing a dress,” she said, “this will be my third year doing it. I love dressing up, and I love dresses but especially I love the creative outlet.” Having never seen the parade before, she originally connected with the Queens through “an entirely random connection,” she explained. “It really opened me up to a whole new community,” she said, “I really enjoy working with other women.”
at the FAC Powerhouse parade building workshop
Jens von der Linden
“I’m building the dragon,” explained von der Linden. He’s not with Zero Waste Seattle, but he’s volunteered to help build a water bottle dragon with them. “It will be my first time at the parade,” he said, “I’m looking forward to that – to walking with them.” As a graduate student, in the plasma physics department, working on the parade has provided him with an outlet, and “I like building the dragon,” he explained.
at the FAC Powerhouse, before the May C.O.W. meeting
Jeff Pierce
“I’m not sure if I’m going to stilt walk,” admitted Pierce, “if not, an aerial of some kind.” Pierce has become deeply involved in the Arts Council, and “I don’t know if I’m going to have time,” he said. He may be performing, or helping with the ‘We The People Power’ celebration at Gas Works Park, immediately following the parade. “I know Maque [da Vis] is going to be doing giant puppets,” Pierce said, and he thought he might see if he could work on those.
at Pete’s Fremont Fire Pit
George Tracy
“I will be working here,” stated Tracy, co-owner of the Fire Pit – as well as Roxy’s Diner and the Backdoor @ Roxy’s. The Fire Pit will offer a special menu for the day of the parade, streamlined, with special items that can be purchased to go, quickly and easily. The entire staff will work that day, he admitted, “if they are breathing, they’ll be here.”
at the FAC Powerhouse parade building workshop
Farley Harding
“I’m not sure,” explained Harding, a FAC parade workshop coordinator, “I’m going to be in the parade if I can get away with it. I’m hoping I have time to play. I have responsibility for parking the floats at the end of the parade [at Gas Works Park,]” he said, “I’m supposed to be available for everyone.” He’s made a Red Butt Baboon mask, in case he gets to boogie with the baboons, but, “I don’t know where I’m going to be.”
at the Wallingford Boys & Girls Club Annual Celebration
Eric Kirby
“I will be at my booth,” explained Kirby, a Fremont resident, B.F. Day parent and, it turns out, Fremont Fair vendor. “Unfortunately, I miss the Solstice Parade every year,” he acknowledged. His booth, Something Unusual (inside the ‘I Heart Rummage’ area,) sells ‘geek’ greeting cards and journals made from repurposed game boards and children’s book covers.
at the Seattle Public Library Fremont Branch
Cory Sutton
“I’ll probably be down here watching it,” Sutton explained. A check of the schedule (he works at the Library) showed that he’s not working, so he can come enjoy the parade, and the Fair. As for being in the parade, “I was thinking about it,” he said, “but I’m not sure. It will depend on how much sleep I get the night before.”
at 509 Wines Tasting Room (during First Friday Art Walk)
Chris Tsongas
“I don’t know,” Tsongas said hesitantly, “I’m an artist, and I would like to body paint someone, but I need volunteers.” He’s never been in the parade, although he’s an art student and teaches sculpture at Ingraham High School. “I’m much more interested in being a painter, than a marcher or a cyclist,” he admitted, “I used to have an office on Leary [Way,] and I watched it go by.”
at Pete’s Fremont Fire Pit
Cera Grindstaff
Grindstaff is new to Fremont, and her recent promotion to Front of House Manager at the Fire Pit has thrown her into the thick of it all. “I’d like to be headquarters,” for the parade watchers, she admitted, “with all the things we’ve got going on here.” The Fire Pit celebrates Fremont culture, and recently took on the title of unofficial headquarters of the Artist’s Republic of Fremont. “I’d love to see it,” Grindstaff admitted of the parade. Even though the restaurant sits on the route, neither she nor George Tracy think they will get a chance to see it due to crowds, and the need to tend to work.
at the FAC Powerhouse parade building workshop
Carla Ahrens
“This one I’m going to be doing the Carnaval Clowns,” explained Ahrens, a veteran parade participant, “I love it because I’m about 5 feet tall, and this makes me about 7 feet tall, with the hat.” The Clowns, as led by Norma Baum, wear towering, brightly decorated hats. “I have been in the Olympia parade – the Procession Of the Species – and the Heart of the Beast in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and parades in Europe,” related Ahrens. Baum had introduced her as a master costumer, but Ahrens denied that credit. “I know a little of everything, not a lot,” she said of her skills, “just give me a glue gun…”
at Fremont Brewing Co (during the Rotary Club of Fremont fundraiser)
Andy McShea
“I’m not riding in the bicycle thing,” admitted McShea, “I’ll be making chocolate.” As Chief Operating Officer of Theo Chocolate, McShea will be busy that day launching the Theo line of Christmas products, with “lots of new flavors,” planned. “I’ve never been,” McShea admitted, “I’m ashamed to say. It’s not that I’m disinterested,” he insisted, “It takes a lot of energy and a lot of time to make good chocolate.”
at Milstead & Co.
Andrew Milstead
“We’ll kind of be doing our normal thing,” explained Milstead. The coffee shop hadn’t opened by last year’s parade, “but we went out selling cold brew coffee and water,” he said. For this year, he has a special burnt caramel lemonade and a unique cold-brew coffee that requires a 16-hour brew process to create. “We’ll have a full staff,” he said, and maybe even have someone out front. As to the parade, “yes, we’ll get to see it,” he said, based on his experience last year, “we are in a prime viewing place.”
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“When you live that close,” stated Fremont resident Luke Padgett, “you get involved in some way.” The Solstice Parade attracts approximately 50,000 people that come from all around the region to see what madcap, freaky, unhinged creativity can create. So, what will you be doing during the Solstice Parade? Whatever it is – have a great time!
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©2012 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.