Giant puppets, handmade costumes and a street full of neighbors will take over uptown Athens on Saturday, Oct. 31, when the Honey for the Heart Parade returns for its annual Halloween march. The parade steps off at 5 p.m., and everyone is welcome to march in it.
Honey for the Heart is a yearly collaboration between Passion Works Studio and Ohio University’s Learning Community Programs, in which community members and students build oversized puppets and colorful costumes together in the weeks before Halloween. This year’s theme is “Pond Party,” celebrating the local flora and fauna of southeast Ohio.
This year’s theme is “Pond Party,” celebrating the local plants and wildlife of southeast Ohio, with builders making giant turtles, fish and waterfowl. “We’re exploring how to celebrate our local flora and fauna,” Lawrence, who meets the classes at the studio, said in Ohio University’s announcement. “Honey for the Heart really brings us all together to beautify the streets of uptown Athens.”
Would-be marchers should arrive at 4 p.m. at the Honey for the Heart studio, located at the Central Venue, 29 E. Carpenter St., to pick out a costume. From there the parade marches onto Court Street, continues down to Union Street and returns to Central Venue.
The project gives Ohio University students in learning communities a direct creative role in one of Athens’ signature fall traditions, working side by side with Passion Works artists and community volunteers. The finished pieces are built to be carried through the streets, turning the parade itself into a moving gallery.
For Athens businesses and residents, the parade is a family-friendly anchor of the Halloween season in uptown, drawing crowds to Court Street on a Saturday evening. Organizers emphasize that no experience is needed to take part: the costumes and puppets are waiting at the studio for anyone who shows up.
Anyone planning to march is asked to be at Central Venue by 4 p.m. on Oct. 31, an hour before the 5 p.m. start. Spectators can watch from along Court Street as the Pond Party procession makes its loop through uptown, giant turtles and fish held high above the crowd.
Photo: Stch2022, CC BY-SA