Of the many events that take place on the ever-popular and
growing Roosevelt Row, there is one that creates a lot of hype for families
around Phoenix on account of its 100 percent participatory tactics.
The Phoenix Annual Parade for the Arts (also known as PAPA) has brought together families and community members since its inception in 2006 for a march around downtown Phoenix to welcome fall and celebrate the creative community the city encompasses.
Stephen Strange, who coordinates the Strange Family Circus that travels all over the U.S., was hired to organize street entertainers in downtown Phoenix. Strange then proposed a procession as part of the street entertainment program, thus creating PAPA. Ryan Winters and Sahar Mitchell later jumped in to help with the program. Mitchell and Strange currently manage the event.
"We really liked the idea of having a community art event where people would actively participate rather than spectate," Mitchell said. "Stephen always wanted some sort of a procession. We have been to All Souls in Tucson, the Mermaid Parade in Brooklyn and Burning Man, and we wanted to bring that energy to Phoenix."
This year's parade was themed "Weird Wild West" and participants came decked out in chaps, cowboy hats, Steampunk attire and other various Southwest-themed clothing.
Roosevelt Row has been supporting the parade off and on since the beginning of the project.
"It's a really fantastic event and a very participatory arts parade," Greg Esser, the Roosevelt Row board vice president, said. "This is one of many opportunities for artists and creative people to come together and be a part of something that is a bigger, community-wide event."
The sponsors for Roosevelt Row had a booth at Saturday's event, where they sold water and soda, and gave out maps and information about Roosevelt Row.
The project was jumpstarted with money from the city and a budget, so they could hire people to help out with the event, but they have not had the same funding since. That lack of funds forced the coordinators to depend on keeping it community-oriented, which Mitchell said they prefer.
She said there is a lot more ownership that the community puts into it, "but it did help that we had that initial boost from the city to help it come along."
Mitchell also mentioned that it was hard to explain what they were doing when they were writing their grant to get funding.
"Oftentimes, somebody would call us back and go, 'Really? People are just going to show up and walk around?' and we were like, 'No, no, no, it works in every city. Really, we've seen it work before,'" Mitchell said.
PAPA prides itself on its stellar participation in the march, which they achieve by creating performances, in which locals can show off their talents, and holding contests that award prizes. The contests include categories for best float, group, bike, costume and “cute,” which Mitchell said usually goes towards kids or pets.
The winner of each category receives an award, and this year, the award was a piece of art from local artist Jason Alan Davis.
"This gentleman made a bunch of really beautiful paper mache and cardboard pieces of art that are trophies, and depending on what the award is, people will get those," said Freedom Espinosa, who has been working registration and performing in the parade for five years and judged this year’s contest entries.
Along with engaging the public on an artistic level, PAPA aims to educate Phoenicians on the current state of the environment and promote an ecologically friendly lifestyle.
"One of the goals of PAPA is to get people to see Phoenix from outside their car. We drive way too much in Phoenix," Mitchell said. "Also, we advocate reuse/recycle float building material. It's a message I feel is particularly important for the kids to show them how to be creative in a way that is also responsible."
PAPA organizers also stay after the event to help pick up any and all trash that was left behind.
Unlike a lot of events that take place in the evening hours of downtown Phoenix, PAPA wants to keep it family friendly while still being "weird."
"We want to make sure that people understand that it's not like 'Disney family,' but that it's someplace where you can bring your kids. They might see some things that are kind of strange, unusual, edgy or fringy," Mitchell said. "We feel it’s important that sometimes you might see things that aren't Disney-friendly but are still kid-friendly."
PAPA believes that by keeping the celebration family friendly, open to local business participation and encouraging to professional artists, the parade celebrates the creative diversity of Phoenix and brings together the community in an active manner.
"So much of our world is based on solitary, isolated experiences with screens," Mitchell said. " I am glad to see people coming together in a mob of creative energy."
Find out more about PAPA and how to participate in next year's event online.
You can reach the reporter at kfaller@asu.edu or her Twitter @KatieFaller
