Second Annual Handmade Parade a Success

A procession of puppets marched, swam, hopped, and soared down Churton Street Saturday afternoon.

More than 400 puppeteers and their puppet creations entertained an estimated crowd of 1,000 at Hillsborough’s second annual Handmade Parade.

The theme for this year’s parade was “The Waters of the Eno and Her Creatures,” and like the previous year’s festival, paid tribute to the animal life of the river that runs through Hillsborough.

Many of the parade’s puppets were created and worn by local children. Cameron Park Elementary student Hannah Venable was a frog.

“Our art teacher at Cameron Park came up with the idea of frogs,” Hannah said of her teacher, Laura Casey. “The whole school worked on it and everyone who wanted to come got their frogs and were in the parade.”

One of the crowd favorites was a giant praying mantis worn by resident Margie Stetson. The insect, crafted out of bamboo, PVC pipe, cardboard, papier-mâché, wire and fabric, weaved along the street, reaching its arms out to children watching the parade.

Sculptor Tinka Jordy, who co-organized the parade with Mark Donley, said they and Stetson came up with the idea for the mantis puppet over coffee.

“We were planning the first parade and we were sitting at Cup A Joe and a praying mantis crawled up on the table,” Jordy said.

Another puppet, a great blue heron, flew with its fabric wings spread wide across the street, guided by three puppeteers wielding poles on the ground.

Betty Eidenier, one of the puppeteers, said the wind Saturday made it difficult to keep the heron under control.

“When we turned the corner and the wind hit the wings, it was hard. It wanted to fly,” she said.

Eidenier said when it came to choosing a puppet, she knew immediately what she wanted to create.

“I love great blue heron and I think the day is never lost if you see a great blue heron in it,” she said.

Another kind of heron served as inspiration for a completely different puppet.

Elizabeth Houghton, a high school senior from Durham, walked on stilts that doubled as the legs for her gold-crested heron costume. Draped over the bird’s body was a pair of legs, donning rainbow tights and gold boots, creating the illusion of Houghton bareback riding the bird.

Houghton and her unusual heron earned the praise of attendees.

“I get positive and enthusiastic reactions. Sometimes the children just have big eyes,” she said.

Next year’s theme has not been announced, which will keep puppeteers like Hannah guessing.

“Whatever Ms. Casey decides is what we’re going to be,” she said.



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