Rain parade to ring in the next season

Excitement is rising as local artists, interest groups and enthusiastic families are signing up for the Margaret River Carnival Parade from 3 to 5pm on Saturday May 31 long weekend, to celebrate the coming season of the rains, and farewell the long dry.

Parade volunteer organisers Margot Edwards, Ellie Ward and Leone Piggford are doing the rounds of local schools, community groups and businesses to invite participants, sponsors, and partners to come on board.

“We are excited to be sharing the momentum throughout the community and the response has been so warm and enthusiastic to the Carnival Parade as a collective way to lift our anxiety about the drying climate,” artistic director, Margot Edwards said.

“Our next big steps are to invite school art teachers and families to come on board to support kids to paint their ideas for our huge street puppet, a hybrid character that can resemble any part of nature that’s been deeply impacted by the drying climate.”

Much-loved WA puppeteer/designer, Sandy McKendrick, will be in residence in Margaret River throughout May, creating the giant street puppet, with multi-skilled Cowaramup artist Cara Ratajczak, to lead the Parade along Wallcliffe Road community precinct.

Working from an artist studio sponsored by The Farm, Margaret River, the puppetry artists will be inspired by young people’s designs to create a large-scale original puppet, from all recycled and repurposed materials, that can survive the rains and become a regular character in ongoing annual Carnival Parade celebrations.

Margaret River teacher, Ellie Ward, from Parents for Climate has come on board to bring the design project to schools across the region in early Term 2, and Parade organisers are looking to raise $12,000 to support the young people’s design project make a big splash in the Parade.

Funding for event logistics and mobility support for people with special needs has been secured through an AMR Shire Community Events Easy Grant.

Arts Margaret River is providing production, venue support and volunteer marshals for the Parade, and to complete the Carnival atmosphere with a showcase when they arrive at the HEART outdoor amphitheatre on the day.

To register your expression of interest to be involved in the Parade, go to Carnival Humantix link events.humanitix.com/carnival-parade-celebrate-the-rains-margaret-river

The next community info session is Sat, April 12, 11am at the HEART outdoor amphitheatre – meet up, chat and chance to walk the short parade route. All are welcome.