The
much-celebrated Solstice Parade is a burst of individual inspiration
and community genius. It's a noisy, pulsing throng of floats, giant
puppets, stilt walkers, music makers, weirdly wonderful marching
bands, dancers and costumed performing theme ensembles.
The
usual suspects
Brainchild
of founders Barbara Luecke and Peter Toms, the Solstice Parade was
inspired by a celebration originally observed in Santa Barbara.
Since its beginning in 1989, the Fremont Solstice Parade has been
held every year on the Saturday of Summer Solstice weekend. This
wildly imaginative and colorful “Mardi Gras” style parade
is the signature event of the Fremont Arts Council. The Arts Council
is a grass-roots public service group which has promoted creative
activities in the neighborhood since its beginnings in1978.
Mischief,
Mayhem and Home-Grown Creativity. The
parade invites everyone and anyone who is interested to participate.
The event attracts kids, seniors, and folks from diverse neighborhoods
and ethnic backgrounds from all over Seattle and beyond, encouraging
them to express their talents and pitch in just for the fun of it.
The Arts Council facilitates participants of this seasonal madness
by offering work space, tools, materials, workshops, advice, support
and volunteer leadership. The event has a simple code: No live animals,
motor vehicles, written words or logos are permitted in the parade.
However, controversial subject matter and outrageous treatment are
heartily encouraged. The result is an entertaining and endlessly
varied event whose irreverence, inventiveness and impressive technical
expertise keep it fresh from year to year. The Solstice Parade attracts
tens of thousands of spectators and kicks off the annual Fremont
Fair — a lively weekend of performances, fun, concerts and
street fair festivities throughout downtown Fremont.
The
Art of Celebration and Vice Versa:
A Brief History of The Fremont Arts Council From
its world headquarters at The Powerhouse, 3940 Fremont Avenue North,
the Fremont Arts Council (FAC) has played a leading
role in transforming the once-depressed Fremont neighborhood into
a funky, larger-than-life arts mecca and the Center of the Universe.
In its early years, FAC helped to solicit and administer grants
for community arts and training programs. One of the groups more
notable projects was the installation of the “Waiting For the
Interurban” statuary in 1978. In the late 80’s the focus
shifted more toward the celebration arts and the art of celebration.
By 1990 FAC had successfully funded and produced its second major
piece of public art. The world-famous Fremont Troll under the Aurora
Bridge; all the while continuing to evolve the Solstice Parade,
establish the Troll-O-Ween event (held each year on Halloween),
and reach out to like-minded artists around the globe, promoting
the zany creative spirit which abounds in the community. Members
of the Arts Council are suspected to have been involved in many
major art installations and several anonymous Art Attacks (spontaneous
installations) throughout the land.
FAC’s
commitment to sharing creative energies worldwide has launched recent
embassies to Taiwan, Turkey, and the counterculture city of Christiania
in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as regular participation in kindred
celebrations across the U.S. and Canada.
Meet
the Fun Part of this Amazing Neighborhood Drop
in to any of the free Fremont Arts Council public meetings held
at the Powerhouse on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 pm. For
more information call (206) 547-7440 or visit their
website
The
much-celebrated Solstice Parade is a burst of individual inspiration
and community genius. It's a noisy, pulsing throng of floats, giant
puppets, stilt walkers, music makers, weirdly wonderful marching
bands, dancers and costumed performing theme ensembles. 
Mischief,
Mayhem and Home-Grown Creativity.
leading
role in transforming the once-depressed Fremont neighborhood into
a funky, larger-than-life arts mecca and the Center of the Universe.
In its early years, FAC helped to solicit and administer grants
for community arts and training programs. One of the groups more
notable projects was the installation of the “Waiting For the
Interurban” statuary in 1978. In the late 80’s the focus
shifted more toward the celebration arts and the art of celebration.
By 1990 FAC had successfully funded and produced its second major
piece of public art. The world-famous Fremont Troll under the Aurora
Bridge; all the while continuing to evolve the Solstice Parade,
establish the Troll-O-Ween event (held each year on Halloween),
and reach out to like-minded artists around the globe, promoting
the zany creative spirit which abounds in the community. Members
of the Arts Council are suspected to have been involved in many
major art installations and several anonymous Art Attacks (spontaneous
installations) throughout the land.