Live music, dancing, bike creations, floats and performers on stilts filled Fifth and Garfield streets in downtown Phoenix Saturday night as the Phoenix Annual Parade of the Arts began its route.
Phoenix residents proved that whether you were planning for months or for hours, anyone could join the pedestrian-powered parade. Giant cardboard robots, tap dancers and shopping-cart floats commanded the urban streets.
“This is the fifth annual parade and we’ve grown steadily every year with participation of community members and people who come out and bring arts, floats and costumes. It’s exciting to see it all together,” says Maryana Riley, owner of Of the Earth Café and Gallery on Fifth Street, PAPA’s headquarters for the past two years.
This year’s theme was “Let it Grow, Let it Grow, Let it Grow,” which, according to the PAPA website, is “both a ‘shout out’ to the environmental consciousness of downtown Phoenix and a nod to the recent expansion of the city’s infrastructure.”
Riley says planning for PAPA starts the day after the previous year's parade ends. PAPA is presented by the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, whose mission is to use the event to bring the arts community together.
“This year we have more floats than ever before, which is really exciting because to make a float, it takes a lot of planning and commitment for any community member,” Riley says. “The fact that we have as many floats as we do this year really shows that our community is starting to take a strong positive interest in what we’re trying to promote and create for Phoenix. We’re all really happy to see that happen.”
Dr. Reverend Stephen D.F. Strange was the grand marshal for the night and lead the parade with a full-on strut in stilts.
“This is our city and these are our streets,” Strange shouted through a megaphone.
Behind him, the Bad Cactus Brass Band loudly livened spirits as the parade made its way down First Street.
A slew of custom bicycles, floats of all shapes and sizes, Flam Chen stilt walkers and paraders in costumes with their children and dogs followed.
The Mourning Fyre troupe preformed a skit for the first time along with fire breathing and pyro displays using fans and hoops.
Corinne Vivers, a criminal justice student at Arizona State University and one of the founders of Mourning Fyre, says the group must have a fire permit for every public performance in Phoenix. While they do comply with every city requirement, including paying a fee, Vivers says each performance is a hassle.
Despite the hurdles in place to keep everyone safe, the fire dancers were all smiles, tossing Atomic Fireball candies to spectators.
Nearby, a father and son from Scottsdale rode their motorized couch with a light-filled canopy on top in style.
High school senior Chase Fauer and his dad Robert built it last January and thought PAPA would be a fun place to take the couch for a spin.
“We started out with buying a go-cart and after three months when we got the engine running, we built the platform and put a sofa on it," Fauer says. "We got the steering and electricity working and had a motorized sofa."
Cowboys and Indians made an appearance as well. Phoenix residents Chris Gordon and Billie Speece pushed their smaller float along the parade’s path — a shopping cart decorated as a covered wagon with the sign “PHX OR BUST” on the front.
Speece had bright face paint on to match her Native American outfit while Gordon sported his Western finest, including a star-shaped badge that read “Sheriff Gordon.”
“We started [decorating the cart] last night and finished it up today. It took about 12 hours,” Gordon says. “The theme is 'Let It Grow,' but we think it kind of fits Phoenix as far as letting Phoenix grow with the pioneers that forged it,” he says.
The duo, however, could not actually ride in their wagon. “We have too much beer in there — that’s a part of it too. How can we hide our beer in the best way? A covered wagon,” Gordon says.
The night ended with contest winners being announced for "Best Costume," "Best Group" (Mourning Fyre won), "Cutest Float" and "Best Float," with an impromptu performance by Dr. Rev Strange. Once the police escort lights were shut off and the music stopped, the crowd dwindled and the planning for next year began.
Contact the reporter at apanguia@asu.edu.
