Not the most festive May Day ever

[dreamshark]

This picture kind of sums it up I think I have attended every single one of the 37 May Day festivals. I've seen cold rain. I've seen blustery winds and cloud cover that resisted the pull of the Sun King and stayed stubbornly cloudy throughout the ceremony. There have even been a couple of years when the festival was rescheduled on account of rain. But this is the first year it has SNOWED. Not very much, but enough to make the point. It was cold. Damn cold. So instead of the usual flowery fripperies, people tended to dress like this.

	Crows, crows and more crows The parade theme this year was mostly crows, for some reason. Big crows, little crows, crows with backward-facing heads, crows with bicycle feet. There were some exceeding cool crows to be sure, but after a while it got to be a little too much.
	Not sure what this is... ... but it provided a nice break from the crows.
	Dodos! Inexplicably, between one wave of crows and another, we were treated to a contingent of dodos! If only I'd known, I would have worn a dodo t-shirt. IMHO, this year's parade needed more dodos with pink parasols and slightly fewer crows.
	Dodos for a brighter future! Right. Of course, considering that the concept that comes to mind most readily when dodos show up is "species extinction," the crows probably convey a more upbeat message. At least there's an animal totem that can take care of itself!
	Okay, maybe I was wrong about the dodos just being there for fun The disapproving dodo with the sign suggests that the dodo message is just another downer in a parade that desperately needed every bit of light-heartedness it could muster. Oh well. (If you can't read the sign, click the image and click again to supersize it).
	But some people were having fun Richard skipped the parade and spent the time spreading joy and bubbles and posing for pictures in his tie-dyed suit. He had a great time.
	They seemed to be having fun too ... although they were working awfully hard at it. If you have to pitch your picnic site next to a booth, a booth full of crazy laughing people is a pretty cheerful choice.

Comments

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Your presence made my own festivities possible; thank you for braving, braving, braving the cold. It was so good to see you!

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

And thank YOU for spending a little of your vacation in the Midwest visiting our little local picnic at our little local fertility festival. Your unexpected appearance was a bright spot.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

It was definitely a bright spot to see you and Richard, and your little grill offered the most warmth of the day!

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

(Not to mention that the sausages and the chocolate were delicious!)

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

You are hardier than I! After spending an hour waiting in the cold wind for the parade to reach the park I walked up along the route until I met it approaching (near 31st), and kept walking - catching the first bus home after the parade had passed.

I'm glad Richard spread his bubbles and fun. I liked seeing the dodos, if not their message.

The Wayniacs, and the Aztec dancers had a hot beat, and the other drummers and musicians helped warm things up for those who responded, but the crows were a downer. I think they were meant to reinforce the 'Caws to Unite' message. I'd generally prefer to see a message of warmth to what seems increasingly adversarial politics.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

I didn't know the Wayniacs were there! Were they riding on one of the floats?

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

They played near the corner of 31st and Bloomington, on the porch of a small business, keeping the crowd entertained before the parade came by.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

They run an extension cord out the window of Walker Church and play on the porch of the insurance or whatever that business is on the SE corner of Bloom. and 31st.

K.

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

I saw Richard with his bubble machine while I was walking about. I decided then and there that HE'S the elf in the tree by Lake Calhoun.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

He's not, but he's seen the elf.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

If not for the cold relatives from milder climes slowly turning into popcicles, we would have picnicked.

K.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Understandable. Powderhorn Mayday at its best might be a little much for in-laws, and this year was definitely not its best.

[barondave.livejournal.com]

I agree that the crow motif was overused, but different crows meant (slightly) different things. I think.

Plus, the cold sort of compressed the parade, already very late, and parts of it seemed hurried, and parts impatient.

My general feeling about large-scale volunteer-run activities, from May Day to Minicon: They can't all be gems. Still, I had a good time, and took lots of pictures (which I'm working on now).

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

My tree pollen allergies got more active, and with that and the cold I decided not to attend.

Damn! So far, I haven't yet gotten to the May Day Parade!

Next year, I hope.