Photo credit: Dante Stella. 

Francis Grunow is the organizer of Marche du Nain Rouge, an annual festival and parade supported by Knight Foundation, planned for Sunday, March 23, in Detroit.

Imagine more than 4,000 revelers coming together on the streets of Detroit, dressed in the spirit of raw, creative energy to shake off the long winter’s doldrums and celebrate the renewal of spring.

Kids come as dragons riding in wagons. There are pirates, priests, fairies, devils, steampunks and assorted monsters. Couples come matching, as two sides of a piece of surreal artwork. Troupes come coordinated, as monopoly pieces and animal crackers, and on decorated bikes and themed chariots. Fife and drum corps intersperse among the crowd along with New Orleans-inspired bands.

 All sorts of folks come out in anticipation of the Nain Rouge, and the opportunity to join in the Marche du Nain Rouge, a growing tradition in the heart of Midtown Detroit. Based on a tale of folklore from Detroit’s earliest days as a French settlement, the Marche is a playful and participatory art parade that calls on Detroiters to come together to stand up to the Nain Rouge (red dwarf), a malevolent mythological creature that represents all things holding the city back. Each year on the Sunday following the vernal equinox, the cycle repeats: The Nain Rouge appears in one location to taunt Detroit. Then costumed participants follow the Nain on a one-mile march, and are finally victorious with a catharsis ceremony in Cass Park.

Like similar events encouraging people to experience a neighborhood or city, the Marche du Nain Rouge creates a positive sense of place in Detroit, by connecting people through art and the city’s history to a historic neighborhood, the Cass Corridor. The district’s assets, public spaces, small businesses, shops, restaurants and bars are also featured as a way of further building community. Many local businesses host events and have special offers this week, from offering exclusive themed T-shirt designs, to food and drink specials in honor of the Marche, such as the “El Diablito” pizza, the “Sangre Del Nain” drink, Creole beans and rice, and an annual crawfish boil.

Bringing people together for the Marche, and having them move through a neighborhood, bolsters not just street life, but also the local economy in significant ways. During a few hours on an otherwise quiet Sunday afternoon, upwards of $50,000 is spent at more than two dozen local establishments along the route, as parade-goers patronize bars, shops and restaurants. In the past few years, sponsorship has also grown beyond the Cass Corridor neighborhood to adjacent area establishments that view the Marche as a way to grow business, awareness and authentic community identity.

In a short time, the Marche has established a solid foundation, garnering a great deal of positive media, including the Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News and Huffington Post, and being named the “Best New Detroit Tradition” by the Metro Times. But it is just the beginning. With Knight Foundation support, Marche organizers hope to continue the growth and success of the event, accelerating the exchange of joyful, creative ideas to a broader spectrum of Detroit people, businesses and organizations, families and children, with continued engagement strategies to expand the event’s diversity and ensure its growth and sustainability over time.