Marche du Nain Rouge returns Sunday, producers promise to ‘go big’
Melody BaetensIt’s not only a rite of spring in the Cass Corridor, but the annual Marche du Nain Rouge procession is also an excuse to dress up, let loose and support the businesses in Midtown.
Returning at 1 p.m. Sunday with starting ceremonies at Second and Canfield in Detroit, the parade travels down Second to the steps of the Masonic Temple for a grand finale. There, revelers will have a chance to face Detroit’s legendary “harbinger of doom,” the fabled Nain Rouge.
Co-founder Francis Grunow said they are “preparing to see a new side of the Nain,” who was a no-show at last year’s event. The mythological creature is a "harbinger of doom" and part of Detroit's folklore. The parade is to trick and taunt him.
"Like every long-running series, there comes a time when you have to go big and put on a grand production,” Grunow said. “Expect something like we've never seen before."
Not giving way too many details is part of the fun, but Grunow and co-organizer Clare Pfeiffer say that while the event seems very spontaneous and impromptu, there's a whole nonprofit organization that works year-round behind the scenes on planning and logistics. There's a lot of support from the community and surrounding businesses, and organizers hope visitors stick around after the Marche to shop, eat and drink.
The parade is fueled by participation, so if you were a bystander in the past, organizers want you to jump in and be part of the spectacle this year. The Marche du Nain Rouge, which started in 2010, is made up of costumed revelers, musicians, human-powered floats and lots of creativity.
mbaetens@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @melodybaetens
Marche du Nain Rouge
1 p.m. Sunday
Step off at Second and Canfield, Detroit
Free