The F.L.O.W Puppet Parade is set to begin an annual tradition in the Owens Valley/Payahuunadü on Earth Day 2027. This event, announced by Walking Water, the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission, and Revealing Payahuunadü, aims to bring the community together to celebrate the waters and all their beings.
The Owens Valley/Payahuunadü has been a focal point for over a century of conflict surrounding water. It is also recognized as a place where individuals have bravely committed themselves to protecting these vital resources. The F.L.O.W Puppet Parade will offer an opportunity for the entire community to collectively honor the water, celebrate local resilience, share stories of the past, consider what the future may hold, and recognize that which sustains life.
Puppet parades serve as a unique method for communities to enact a desired future, recount historical narratives, or celebrate the present through large-scale theatrical displays. These dramatic presentations unfold on familiar streets, creating a sense of majesty and wonder for both spectators and those who participate in the procession. Such parades possess the ability to revitalize established holidays or independently forge new traditions, as communities anticipate each annual event.
More broadly, these parades provide an opportunity to energize and imaginatively activate the places where residents live and work. After experiencing a parade, participants are often left wondering what creative elements the artists and organizers might introduce next, and how they themselves can become involved in enhancing the event each year.
The creation of a puppet parade allows for a wide array of community involvement. There is space for contributions across many disciplines, including music, lighting design, flag waving, chanting, singing, and various forms of physical performance. Individuals interested in painting, cooking, or developing rituals can also find a role. Additionally, opportunities exist for those with skills in political messaging, logistics coordination, clowning, construction, and teaching. Organizers emphasize that "there’s room within paradecraft for everyone’s passion" to enrich the event, making it more abundant and meaningful.
The process of constructing the puppets for such a parade is itself a valuable community endeavor. It brings together people from diverse backgrounds, fostering collaboration as they work to solve problems, source materials, share meals, tell stories, and generally get to know one another. Participants collectively build giant animals, mythical creatures, or representations of ancestors, all in preparation for bringing these creations to the streets. Strong bonds frequently form within these puppet workshops, where new friends and neighbors work enthusiastically towards deadlines, sometimes late into the night, learning about themselves and each other throughout the creative process.
In an era characterized by digital media and physical disconnection, puppet parades hold the power to overcome existing barriers. They can introduce new approaches for people to gather, envision the future, strengthen community bonds, foster neighborhood pride, and accomplish these goals with a distinctive style.
