Festifools is coming up, to be held April 11, starting at 4 p.m. in downtown Ann Arbor. Our 2010 FestiFools preview has some sharp photos of the work underway.

From the organization

Some basic links for the organization to start; the festifools.org home page, plus the press kit which contains some photos that are free for the media to use.

Follow Festifools Q. Public on Twitter.

Watch the FestiFools video on the organization's YouTube channel.

Become a fan of FestiFools on Facebook.

From the University of Michigan

FestiFools is a project of the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program, and students who take a course through that program get college credit. Here's some detail of how much work goes into this event.

2010: LHSP 140 course guide: "In this creative course, students from all disciplines will be designing and producing their own large-scale animated sculptures, or “puppets”, which will be featured in our third-annual FestiFools extravaganza to be held on Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor on April 11th, 2010. As the originators of this artistic spectacle, students in this class will design, organize, and develop FestiFools in conjunction with local community and business partners."

2010: Lloyd Hall Scholars Program: "LHSP is a living-learning program focused on writing and the arts. Regardless of whether you major in English or Engineering, Art or Anatomy, LHSP welcomes your creative outlook. In LHSP, you live in a close-knit community of other first- and second-year students, and take small writing and studio arts classes with highly specialized faculty. You'll also attend lots of events, both in LHSP and throughout UM, such as photography exhibits, theater performances, live concerts, and poetry slams. We offer book clubs, guest authors, creative writing workshops, readings, art workshops, and encourage you to continue writing, painting, sculpting, rhyming, and reflecting on what it means to be a young writer or artist today."

2010: Arts on Earth: "Arts on Earth is a major partner with the College of Literature, Science and the Arts in the production of "FestiFools," an annual parade of giant papier-mache puppets that beautifully knits town and gown. Faculty and students in the School of Art & Design and LSA create the puppets and the event, learning by doing about public art, the history and staging of spectacle, construction, design, and interdisciplinary collaboration."

2010: Media Assistant job detail: University of Michigan student employment. "The Media Assistant will work closely with the Art Director for the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program and Creative Director of FestiFools (festifools.org) to design and produce graphics and visuals for special events related to LHSP/FestiFools. Special duties will include IT support, creation of promotional DVD's, designing posters and advertising graphics, managing web site(s), serving as staff photographer/videographer for LHSP events and FestiFools events. Other duties include general art studio/administrative assistance, as needed."

City of Ann Arbor

Since the parade takes place on the streets of Ann Arbor, the city gets involved. Some traces of the involvement here include two resolutions from Ann Arbor City Council, one to fund the cost of barricades for the street closing, the other to approve the street closings.

FestiFools event map (PDF) Streets will be closed Sunday, April 11, 2010, 3 to 6 p.m. Approved by Ann Arbor City Council, March 15, 2010.

Ann Arbor City Council, resolution of Feb. 16, 2010, 10-0170: approved disbursements from the Ann Arbor Community Events Committee; allocation of "up to $1,400.00 to cover city fees associated with the 2010 FestiFools Celebration event." It was sponsored by Sandi Smith and Margie Teall.

From the photographers

Any event with this much spectacle needs pictures. There's an enormous amount of photography that happens every April; here's some slice of it.

Myra Klarman is the FestiFools projects lead photographer. See her photo captures of the 2007 FestiFools, 2008 FestiFools and 2009 FestiFools events. Myra is also responsible for the photography in the press kit.

Many, many, many other people have photographed the event. Seventy-three people have contributed to the FestiFools pool of photos on Flickr, with over 1,300 photos in that collection.

From the blogs

Too many to count, but I'll try to do it some justice; lots of people have written about FestiFools, many with photographs.

2010 Preview from Michigan in Pictures.

2009 review from Peter Morville. "It's been an unusually long, cold winter in Michigan. That's why I'm excited by this weekend's insanely creative, colorful, participatory, fun, foolish celebration."

2009 review by Deets. "The weather was ominous, with storms surrounding Ann Arbor, the radar showing groups of yellow arriving and then splitting around our town as though all of those porch prayer flags were working their magic. The awesomeness of this parade gives me the warm fuzzies about this town I live in. Next year, we HAVE to make a puppet."

2009 review by Luke Larson. "First of all, we attended Festifools on April 5th in downtown Ann Arbor. It was an afternoon of fun that included a parade of paper machete puppets that were HUGE!!! The University of Michigan drum group called The Groove provided some music. It was cold and rainy but we didn't mind. Here are a few pics."

The Where's Waldo blog found Waldo in the parade.

Edward Vielmetti keeps AnnArbor.com foolish. Contact him at edwardvielmetti@annarbor.com.