You don’t have to be an artist to be part of the All Species Parade or to create your costume, mask or puppet. You do not need to have a grand scheme, or spend money on expensive materials. Last year’s parade showed the amazing ingenuity of its participants using the simplest of supplies to create the greatest outfits! One of my personal favorite scenes was a fleet of children dressed in costumes made entirely of cardboard boxes! Abracadabra! So don’t be intimidated by any aspect of this creative process. The subtlest of costumes can create the greatest transformations.

The Family Arts Festival took place under sunny late September skies with a wind that lifted the wings of last year’s cloth birds on display. Children of all ages came to make hand puppets out of paper bags and plates with Spindleworks and Arts Are Elementary, and everyone helped put feathers on our gigantic owl! A great start to a new year of ideas for next year’s parade. Don’t underestimate what a cardboard box can turn into!

What did you think of the All Species Parade? Did you participate? Spectate? If you watched, were you inspired to take part if we continue the tradition next year? We would love to hear your thoughts as we reflect on this year’s event. Please email us with your thoughts and feedback about the day, and ideas for a continued parade next year. If you have great pictures from the day we would love to collect those as well for documentation’s sake!

Okay, we are just over a month away from Brunswick’s first ever All Species Parade! Are you feeling it yet? Can you imagine what this amazing procession might look like, sound like, feel like? That’s okay if you can’t, we are here to help. Take a few minutes to watch  Procession of Species and then let spring fever take over and start making your costume!

Okay, so why are we having an All Species Parade, really? As well as a celebration of species, and our glorious earth, the parade is a celebration of our creativity. Where does your creativity come from? Do you paint? sing? dance? Sculpt? Clown? What part of your creative self can you use to celebrate in this parade? Though spectators will be welcome, we would love as many people as possible to march down the street in this river of life! Can you be a dancing zebra? Are you an owl that plays the flute? Does your inner snake have rhythm? On May 13th we are celebrating spring, celebrating each other, our diversity and creativity. How can we collectively reflect the beauty and richness and diversity of the earth through our creative selves? What part of the growing world do you want to celebrate? What is your favorite animal? Flower? Bird? What part of our natural world would you be sad without? BE that flower! DANCE that bird! SING that animal! BE part of the parade!