Some final MayDay pictures...

Events No Responses »
May 042011

In addition to my camera phone, which let me snap a lot of pictures at the MayDay parade and upload them immediately, I also brought along my Purma Special. This is one of my favorite cameras–a British invention from the 1930s, it has a gravity-assisted shutter: turn to the left and the shutter is slow, turn to the right and the shutter is fast, hold it right side up for normal speed. Unfortunately, it takes 127 film (a format that’s in between standard 35mm and the bigger 120 roll films), which is a little hard to get; I order Efke film, manufactured in Croatia, through Freestyle Photo. My two 127 cameras (the other is a folding Kodak Autograph) only get out on special occasions, and MayDay is about as special as it gets.

I’m running these pictures one at a time on my photoblog, but I’m giving a special preview here; Dad’s Eye View features some of my toy and vintage camera photographs, including a few out of the Purma.

Posted by Michael at 10:06 pm Tagged with: , , , , ,

MayDay Recap

Events No Responses »
May 012011

Goodness, that was a chilly parade! And windy–my dodo mask made me into a high profile vehicle, and my “Dodos for a brighter future” banner acted like a sail, so I felt at times like I was going to literally fly down Bloomington Avenue.

Despite the weather, though, the sidewalks were packed with people (some of them shivering under blankets, but all of them having a great time). It was fun to spot friends and neighbors in the crowd, wave my dodo banner, and generally be foolish in public: MayDay has more than a little of the Carnival spirit, and it’s good to step out of the lines and poke fun at the day to day world every now and then.

It’s a bone-cruncher of a parade, though, especially when it’s chilly; my joints are a little sore from all the mini Dodo Parades we did when we stopped mid-block, snaking around our marching band (in black and white polka dots) behind the head dodo on stilts. You don’t necessarily feel it while you’re in the parade, especially when the band is playing “Roll Out the Barrel,” but after it’s over, ouch!

From inside the parade, it’s hard to get a sense of everything that’s going on. I tried to see a few of the other sections while we were lining up–I was especially interested in the cornucopia the “Pay Up!” section was making–but I mostly saw my own gang of coyotes, dodos, and mandrills. They were an enthusiastic group, though, and well-led through the workshops and in the parade by Lindsay McCaw, puppet artist extraordinaire. It was fun to see how people interpreted the basic costumes in so many interesting ways; a big part of the fun of MayDay is putting a personal twist on the basic building blocks, and then fitting everything together into one big show.

A happy MayDay to all!

Posted by Michael at 11:26 pm Tagged with: , , , ,

MayDay Workshops in full swing!

Activities, Events No Responses »
Apr 042011

MayDay WorkshopsThe In the Heart of the Beast MayDay Parade workshops are in full swing, with the sections forming up and magic starting to emerge out of scraps of cardboard, cloth, and paint. The first sessions were this past Saturday, and continue on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings and afternoons until the parade on Sunday, May 1. If you’d like to participate, it’s not too late!

The parade story this year is complicated. It has something to do with eggs, crows, and rats, and also includes coyotes, dodo birds, and baboons. When we arrived a little after 1:00 PM, the lobby where the parade storyboard was being explained was over full, so we just headed into the workshop area (they pull out the seats and transform the theater and stage into a big work space, overflowing onto the sidewalks) to find a section. We’re going to be in the “Forward!” (or, if you will, “!drawroF”) section: the boys are working on coyote masks, and Kelly and I are making dodo bird costumes. I hope to take inspiration from either the Porky in Wackyland dodo bird, with a feather duster on the top of the mask, or Polly Moran’s dodo from the 1933 “Alice in Wonderland” (a movie that gave me nightmares the first time I saw it: it’s like the “Andalusian Dog” version of Lewis Carroll, not for the faint of heart!).

The great thing about the Heart of the Beast parade, and the artists who run it, is that it’s a loose enough structure that there’s plenty of room for creativity, but there’s also lots of guidance available for making something that will fit into the overall theme. It’s also as much fun to make the costumes and props as it is to put on the parade: the process of fitting your small piece into the overall show is just as important as the show itself.

Even if you’re not able to participate in the parade, you should still make a point of attending: it’s a great outing for kids and adults of all ages, with plenty to see and do.

Posted by Michael at 8:51 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

Heart of the Beast MayDay Workshops are starting up!

Events No Responses »
Mar 312011

My favorite Spring event (and the one that kicks off the 52 adventures chronicled in the Dad’s Eye View book) is the In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre MayDay Parade. On the first Sunday of May for the past 37 years, the artists and performers of the Heart of the Beast Theater, together with members of the South Minneapolis community, have been putting on a wild, whimsical, sometimes puzzling parade down Bloomington Avenue to Powderhorn Park on the first Sunday of May. It’s the surest sign that Spring has finally arrived, and a great way to break out of the winter doldrums.

The MayDay parade is very much an audience-participation event. Indeed, the line between audience and participants gets very fuzzy as the dancers, drummers, marchers, and floats make their way along the route. And if you want to be in the middle of it all, this Saturday is the time to start: public workshops for people interested in building costumes and helping construct the floats, puppets, and other things that will be part of the parade start at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM.

Last year was the first time we were in the parade: the boys built a two-person tiger costume–the parade theme last year was “Roar!”–and Kelly held up one end of our section’s banner while I jogged along beside the parade with various cameras dangling. In the weeks leading up to the parade, we met with the artists at the theater and learned how to use cardboard, paint, and papier maché to construct our costume. The HOBT artists are wizards with cardboard and newspaper: just watching them turn ordinary objects into something magical is a wondrous thing.

Lots more HOBT pictures here!

This is a great activity for kids who like to build and create. Last year, about half of my Cub Scout den was in the parade, and lots of kids we know from school and the neighborhood. It requires a little investment in time–sessions are held Saturdays as well as Tuesday and Thursday evenings leading up to he parade, and it will take you three or four sessions to complete your project–but the payoff is pretty great. Our tiger head is still hanging on the boys’ wall, a reminder of how much fun you can have with a bunch of friends and a few simple materials.

Posted by Michael at 6:52 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day with Kids in St. Paul

Events, Places No Responses »
Mar 162011

Public St. Patrick’s Day celebrations can be a dicey affair with kids in tow: big crowds, a paucity of restroom facilities, and adults not always on their best behavior. But there are plenty of fun ways to partake of the wearin’ o’ the green with the wee’uns, and downtown St. Paul is the place to do it.

The big event, of course, is the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, sponsored for the last 44 years by the St. Patrick’s Association. The parade goes up 4th Street, from Sibley to Rice Park, and steps off at noonish (it’s an Irish event, and the Irish are not a people prone to precise punctuality, so expect a little bit of a delay). I’ve found that the best place to watch it is from the steps of the St. Paul Central Library, or from Rice Park, where you’ll find vendors selling a wide array of St. Pat’s paraphernalia. Further down the hill things are a bit more crowded and chaotic; by the time the parade reaches the library, it’s sorted itself out. The pipers and brass bands are always a hit with kids.

On the other side of Rice Park, in the Landmark Center, the Irish Music and Dance Association is running their big event full of music, dance, and activities. Kids who are interested in music might especially enjoy the 2:00 PM performance by students from the Center for Irish Music; I’ve seen them perform at a few events, and they’re really great. If your kids are interested in pursuing jigs and reels and airs a little further, you can get information there about the classes and camps that the center offers.

There’s also a special children’s stage with music geared to the younger set, and craft activities (in years past the craft room has been upstairs, which is a great opportunity to check out the haunted elevator, supposedly operated by a ghostly bellhop). Food is available, too, and not just corned beef and cabbage: there are kid friendly sandwiches and snacks for sale. Tickets $6 for adults, $4 for kids 5-12, and festivities run from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Sláinte, a chairde!

Posted by Michael at 4:55 pm Tagged with: , , , ,
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