Solstice Parade Photos and Videos

By Robert Bernstein

Santa Barbara Summer Solstice was back 100% for 2023! The theme was Roots.

I am in a unique position to be one of the official Solstice photographers as well as being a performer in the parade. Official photographers need to keep moving so they don’t block anyone’s view, so it is already a bit of a workout before performing! Since I need time to get in position, I am only able to photograph the first half of the parade. But I am also able to photograph ensembles in the staging area and after the parade.

Here are all of my Solstice Parade Day photos! Fortunately, my other half (Merlie) took my second camera and made her own set of photos. I have just finished editing and posting her photos here!

As in years past, the many well-trained and well-costumed dancers of La Boheme led off the parade in style, thanks to the training and choreography of Teresa Kuskey Nowak. Here I captured only part of their huge ensemble in this pre-parade photo.

Here Teresa is leading the ensemble in the parade with long time La Boheme dancer Karen Lehman on her right (left side in photo).

Here is my video of them performing to Harry Belafonte’s “Jump in the Line.”

DJ Darla Bea was over the top and beyond on the La Boheme float. Joined by other interesting characters and performers. Including an aerial dancer! The title was “Birds of a Feather” in a tropical rainforest theme.

These young acrobats were full of energy and performing continuously at the start of the parade. I hope they were able to keep it up to the end!

The Brawlin’ Betties were one of the two roller skating ensembles this year. They have been regulars in previous years.

Mariano Silva’s Brazilian Dance ensemble posed for me before the parade.

Mariano and his performing partner radiated a megawatt of joy from the front of his float.

Here are just a few of the dozens of dancers in the ensemble.

And here is my short video of them performing.

Former Solstice Executive Director Claudia Bratton created a ship and ensemble honoring her nautical ancestors.

Lark Batteau repurposed and enhanced a tree from the past for her Children Are Our Future ensemble. Followed by the Brascals marching band.

The Grace Fisher Foundation celebrated people of all abilities with this float.

This gentleman represents Solstice at its best. Just jumping in and creating a solo piece.

Likewise with master costume designer Phyllis Chiu. I had no idea what she was supposed to be, though! A bleached pickle? A peanut? No. A ginseng root. Note the tea cup and sprig on top.

Lots of wings and mushrooms this year!

Perhaps these creatures represent our ancient roots?

Hathor Hammett was a Solstice mask maker for years. This year she took a ride in the parade. Showing me her mask and her face before putting on her Wizard Cat mask.

Former World of Magic creator Jeff Dutcher (center) posed with his husband David and his extraordinary Kaleidoscope of Butterflies float.

Emma-Jane Huerta ran the reincarnated Solstice Mask Shop this year. A revival of the Solstice tradition of giant masks and giant puppets. Her English roots led her to create her own Punch and Judy ensemble. She invited me to join them, but I already had other plans! Here she and her amazing ensemble of masked characters kindly posed for me. Her husband Richard McLaughlin is one of the original Solstice people and he can be spotted under the biggest mask.

World Dance for Humanity is always working for good causes. From Rwanda to Ukraine. But this year they were performing a tribute to Tina Turner, who passed away just last month. Here is my short video.

Now I must switch to some of Merlie’s photos to fill in the bits I missed! Here are the “Solstice Royalty” who were picked in a lottery raffle fund raiser for Solstice.

Here is just one part of the ensemble created by young artist Mae Logan. The Ents from Lord of the Rings. I am impressed with the expressiveness of her giant puppet.

We then come to Pali’s Cosmic Mushroom Grand Finale. I would have bet money it was not going to finish in time. But I also know better than to bet against Pali’s dedication, determination, engineering and artistic skills. Plus the dedication that he inspires in others to help him in so many ways.

This was by far his most ambitious project in a long series of exceptionally ambitious inflatable art projects for decades. So many complex pieces, including concave features that are a challenge in an inflatable art piece.

For the first time ever, he was up all night the night before Solstice. His wife Raven was helping for almost that entire time as well. Along with other dedicated helpers. Notably, Jeff Dutcher and Christine Dawn. At noon when the parade started, Pali was still working on it. Fortunately, we are at the end and it was a big parade. At 1:22PM with not a second to spare, he had it completed, installed and inflated and began to move out!

Here Pali and Raven are rightfully radiant in front of their creation. Notice the massive costume Pali is wearing, which is the model of the inflatable!

The artist who was creating my head piece ran into some difficulties. At the eleventh hour, long time Solstice artist Mary Price created a large mushroom head piece for me that was light enough for me to wear while riding my unicycle and swooping around at different angles. And it was Solstice artist Christine Dawn who came through at the very last moment and engineered a way to mount it on a bicycle helmet that I gave her. What a team!

My friend Teresa Diagostino called out to me and captured a wonderful short video of me as one of many mushroom people in Pali’s ensemble. In the middle of the video you can see Pali’s Cosmic Mushroom behind me.

Inside Pali’s Cosmic Mushroom you can see one of the talented young aerial dancers performing inside. Under the direction of aerialist and choreographer Ninette Paloma, who performed in Pali’s inflatable art pieces in past years.

With nearly 1,000 performers I am sorry I cannot share more photos here! Please look at the galleries of my photos and Merlie’s to see more! Here you can see all of my Solstice photos from recent years.
https://swt.org/solstice/

Most important of all: This is a community event where EVERYONE is welcome to participate! One young man showed up on Solstice Day and joined Pali’s ensemble, taking an extra costume that was made just for this purpose. He said he had watched the parade for years. He even had read my appeals that everyone is welcome to participate. But he said he hadn’t really realized until that day that we really meant it!

Don’t be that guy! As much as we welcome people like him showing up at the last minute, we are even more happy when people get involved in mid-May! Come to the Workshop when it opens! Meet the artists! Get inspired to join an ensemble or to create one of your own!

And don’t worry that being in the parade means missing seeing it. You can still watch most of it even if you are in it! Mark your calendar for next May to come down to the Workshop and be a part of the Solstice Community!