FestiFools parade to make full return to Ann Arbor in spring 2024
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - FestiFools will be returning to the streets of Ann Arbor next spring, according to the event's founder, Mark Tucker.
Tucker announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday about relaunching the event.
He said the event was a late-night idea that became a reality years ago.
"I'm to blame, I guess, for starting it," said Tucker. "Back in 2006, it really started out with an idea like, 'What if we took over Main Street and we had hundreds of these giant puppets?' It was just a crazy 3 a.m. kind of idea. But then it kind of blossomed into: 'Wow, other people would like to make this stuff too.' Could we take over the streets for one day of the year and just be fools?"
A nonprofit was created to keep the event going but eventually dissolved earlier this year after several event cancellations.
"I just missed it," he said. "I just missed it so much. I missed working with the students here in the studio on the university campus, and I missed the people on the street that we would interact with."
Tucker shared that two local artists reached out and offered to fund the event.
The only rule about participating in FestiFools is that there are no rules.
Community members are invited to parade puppets, luminaries, foolish outfits and makeup for one hour a year.
Julie Hagopian is a recent graduate and a former student of Tucker's. She has stayed on board as the production manager of the event.
"I think my favorite part about the whole FestiFools process is that you don't need to be an artist to be here and that you don't need to have a special skill to be involved or have fun or feel valued in this space," she said.
Tucker said many of his students are not art majors. While in studio Thursday, students were working on a mural project that will be installed in buildings on U-M's campus.
While a date for FestiFools 2024 has not been announced yet, Tucker said he will be reaching out to the community to get involved this winter.
"Starting in January, you know, when it's the winter doldrums, we're going to invite people right to this space here to come help make the puppets with my students and then to help make luminary sculptures for an event called FoolMoon to get that event back up and running, too," he said.
