The Fremont Troll

During our trip to Seattle puppeteer Rob D'Arc (see previous posts) gave us a great walking tour of Fremont, an arts neighborhood in Seattle. He took us to the rocket ship, the Lenin statue, the center of the universe and main attraction, the Fremont Troll. This concrete troll stands 18 feet tall and lurks under the Aurora bridge. He was created by local artists with the support of the Fremont Arts Council. Every October 31th the troll is celebrated with Trollaween, a mobil party that starts under the bridge and moves through the streets of Fremont.

Giant Parade Puppet Ant

This giant ant puppet was made by Rob D'Arc for the Fremont Solstice Parade. The parade sponsored by the Fremont Arts Council relies on volunteers to make the parade happen. Planning begins in late winter, and by May people are organizing ensembles, gathering materials, getting floats prepared and more.

Giant Parade Puppets

The Fremont Arts Council encourages the public to lend a hand in the creation of costumes, parade art, and puppets for the Solstice Parade . Workshops are offered to people of all skill levels. For more information e-mail: workshop@fremontartscouncil.org .

Another Giant Parade Puppet

This is another giant puppet from the Fremont Solstice Parade. The parade winds its way through the streets of Fremont, an quirky artistic neighborhood in Seattle every summer. Its final destination is Gas Works Park - a park built around the rusted remains of Seattle's old gas works facility (picture a rusted Emerald City emerging from green rolling hills). There the public can enjoy Food, drinks, music, art, and the Solstice Pageant - a community collaboration involving dozens of artists, actors, dancers, musicians, and puppeteers.

Solstice Parade Headquarters

While in Seattle we visited the Fremont Solstice Parade headquarters. The building is a charming brick structure that used to be a power plant for the adjacent school. The parade is an annual event now in it's 19th year. This fun and funky affair features ten float bodies and a limitless number of ensembles and individuals - no experience is necessary.