Beloved light and art festival BLINK is returning to take over Cincinnati in October. And so is the illuminated BLINK parade.
On Oct. 13, parade participants will help kick off the weekend-long festival with a glowing procession themed after “Together: a constellation of shared cultures and unique identities; we illuminate joy through creative expression.”
Led by event producers Marie Krulewitch-Browne, founding executive and artistic director of the local ish Jewish cultural festival, and Megan Rahill, ish's director of programs and operations, the BLINK parade aims to bring communities together.
“The parade is the way our communities can get involved and collaborate. Anyone can be an artist or designer through their entry, and this is the spirit of what BLINK means for our city and our region,” says Krulewitch-Browne in a release. “In a time when there are so many things that can divide us, we want to focus on the Parade as a coming back together after the pandemic and a way of bridging those divides with joy and celebration.”
The parade is slated to step off at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 from a currently undetermined location downtown and run through the Central Business District. UPDATE: The parade route is along Fifth Street, between Broadway and Elm streets.
Those who want to march in the BLINK parade have until 5 p.m. Sept. 2 to submit an application at blinkcincinnati.com.
According to a release, applicants must show how they will use light in their submission, as well as how they will celebrate their "group's unique attributes, symbols, or cultural traditions."
"We are looking for a mix of submissions which highlight cultural heritage and pride, what it means to be YOU, to be part of your community, and part of our greater region! Entries are encouraged to consider and be inspired by the warmth and nurturing nature of light, and its role in defining and connecting us as humans throughout history," reads the BLINK website.
Entries must:
- Use light as a main element
- Be family-friendly
- Exhibit no bias or cultural appropriation
- Be human-powered
- Be less than 12 feet tall to accommodate traffic lights
"The collective impact of thousands of footsteps, faces, and voices, brings human power to the electrifying BLINK event, with many individual streams of light contributing to a greater whole," says the BLINK website.
The BLINK art and light festival returns to Cincinnati Oct. 13-16. Get details and apply to participate in the parade at blinkcincinnati.com.
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