Todd parade

celebrates liberty
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

A local Fourth of July event has no spectator sidelines or bombs bursting in air, and everyone is on the parade's guests-of-honor list.

The Liberty Parade in Todd is a colorful community gathering designed to celebrate individual expression and art. It's the third year of the parade, which is organized by Elkland Art Center and open to all.

“The theme this year is ‘Coming to Our Senses,’” parade coordinator Lexie Danner said. “It’s about taking the time to be present to all that is around us, celebrate our senses and all that we experience through our senses.”

The parade features different sensory surprises along the way, with large props, colorful costumes, musicians and street performers.

Participants will be supplied with costumes, hats and props.

The annual parade grew to more than 100 people last year and twice that many are expected this year. The parade's roots came from the wish for a more peaceful and broader celebration of the human spirit and freedom.

“We went with the concept of Independence Day, and we just expanded it because we liked the ring of the word ‘liberty’ better than 'independence.' Liberty is maybe a bigger principle than independence,” Elkland Art Center director Martha Enzmann said.

The parade is participatory, meaning everyone is encouraged to join in. Participants should gather at between 10 and 10:30 a.m., put on costumes and choose props, and then walk down Railroad Grade Road to the Walter and Annie Cook Park. Parking is in the field across a small bridge in a field near Elk Creek.

Danner described the parade as having an emphasis on individual expression and the liberation inherent in creativity.

“It encompasses so much more,” said Danner, “It’s a place for people to be free to be themselves and have a radical art experience.”

The final workshop for the parade will be held June 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. The workshop at the Old Bank Building in Todd will allow community volunteers a chance to finish sculpting and painting props and preparing costumes. Volunteers are also needed to help haul food and supplies from the parking area to Cook Park on the day of the parade.

“It's about community-building and it’s the concept of each member of the community moving together as a whole,” Enzmann said.

At the end of the parade, a gathering at the park will feature “an old-fashioned backyard circus,” with people encouraged to share their talents, such as singing, juggling, whistling or dancing. Earth Fare has donated some snacks and “not-dogs” for the circus, and local musicians will also be performing.

The parade is supported by the N.C. Rural Center, Handmade in America and Todd Community Preservation Organization.

Elkland Art Center's mission is to “educate and enlighten on such matters as the environment, care and concern for all living things, conscious living, and the value of living in family and in community.”

For more information on the center's work, visit elklandartcenter.org. To volunteer for the parade, call Enzmann at (336) 877-5016.