Yesterday Patrick Elkins finally gave in and agreed to answer questions from City leaders and members of the press concerning the local pagan holiday he presides of over – Totally Awesome Fest. Several in our community, it would seem, had been pressing him for information about the event, which every year grows not only larger in scope, but also exponentially more strange. So, yesterday evening, Patrick stood majestically in front of Ypsilanti’s historic Thompson Block, protected behind an army of skateboard-wielding hooligans, and gave his fellow Ypilantians a glimpse of what he has in mind for this year’s multi-venue cultural happening… The annual celebration of spring, now in it’s 11th year, said Elkins, would run without stop for 55 hours, beginning at 8:00 AM on April 24. And, he promised, it would be weird. “People,” he said, “will be dressing as animals. And animals will be dressing as people.” Here’s the video.
I was particularly intrigued to hear of the multi-species basketball tournament planned from Prospect Park… In addition to basketball, there will be music, poetry, films, speakers, puppetry, clothing, food, parades, and much more, all held at various locations around Ypsilanti. And, as always, it will all be all-ages, free, and super fun.
If this year is like years past, maps to secret venues will be left around town in the hours before the start of festivities.
[For those who are curious to know more about the history of Totally Awesome Fest, I’d encourage you to check out a few of Patrick’s press conferences from previous years… like the one for last year’s Totally Awesome Fest, which took place at the back of an AATA bus, or the one for Totally Awesome Fest 8, which was hosted by Eastern Michigan University.]
update: Beards can be purchased.
9 Comments
I don’t see an army of skateboarding hooligans.
You aren’t looking hard enough.
Totally Awesome Fest memory of the day:
http://markmaynard.com/2010/05/psycho-killer-above-deja-vu/
“Totally Toady and Sycophant -Fest 11” more like it.
Most people going to Totally Awesome Fest don’t even know who Mark is, Concerned Reader.
The toadie bands play on Friday. On Saturday, it’s all sycophants. And each band is obligated to sing one song about me, all of which will be introduced into the Ypsi grade school curriculum after the event.
On a personal note, we enjoy looking out our back window and over our back fence into Ben’s back yard and hearing the music, seeing the artists and joining in as time permits. Looking forward to the Prospect Park events and the basketball. I am urging Cre Fuller to wear his Wurst Bar singlet and dog face. We are setting up the brackets and hope we have picked the “Final Four”. This is an Awesome Ypsilanti homegrown special event. Thanks go to Patrick and his skateboarding doggie posse for the heads up.
I’ve misinterpreted FAR too long in these pages: the toadys weren’t never Mark’s…they were always Patrick’s. It’s the sycophants that are Marks’ team. It’s like Shirts Vs Skins only neither side wants to be the ones that actually have to take off their shirts.
A totally awesome “breakfast for dinner” fundraising event at Beezy’s is scheduled between 4pm until 9pm on April 18th & 19th . A percentage of all sales will go toward Totally Awesome Fest 11! Please attend.
https://www.facebook.com/events/603853256381826/