For anyone who has ever seen (or heard of) the May Day Parade in Minneapolis and wondered why we don’t have anything of the sort in Duluth, do we have some news for you!

The Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe formed in 2011. At the nucleus are newish Duluthian Jim Ouray, bringing 30 years of experience with In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater (Minneapolis) and local musician and visual artist Anton Jimenez-Kloeckl. They’ve offered free stilt-walking and mask-making classes and are presently holding costume and puppet production workshops which will culminate in the Run, Smelt, Run! Parade and Party on April 22.

What makes this different from other programs in town? It’s cheap art, often made with discarded materials. It is free and accessible to all ages and abilities. It is participatory by nature, not created only to be observed.

The parade will be in the spirit of the New Orleans Second Line: The brass band kicks it off and friends, neighbors, strangers we pass are ALL invited to fall into the “second line” and boogie down the road.

This is only the first event in what could become a local, seasonal, spectacular, non-religious ritual. Community support will be the deciding factor. Cast your vote for Smelt!

Info & Updates on Facebook: Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe