KBIA News

Fairy wings and banana suits: Columbia community comes together for March March 2024

KBIA | By Bailey Stover

Published March 4, 2024 at 1:04 PM CST

Marley Cutler, 5, left, and Winry Lynch, 4, watch parade goers during the March March on Friday, March 1, 2024, along 9th Street in Columbia. Some parade participants wore brightly colored costumes while others played musical instruments.

Early in the evening of Friday, March 1, a crowd gathered near the Boone County Courthouse to walk through downtown Columbia in the annual March March parade – a True/False Festival tradition.

Scott Fines holds Isabel Fines, 5, on his shoulders so she can see the March March on Friday, March 1, 2024, along 9th Street in Columbia. Although he had been to the True/False Film Festival in the past, this was his first year watching the parade. “The whole thing’s been fun,” Scott Fines said.

Some participants wore homemade costumes while others waited for their turn to have their faces painted.“Q” Queens mingled with marchers while local musicians filled the air with sonic celebration.

As the parade made its way along 9th Street, onlookers cheered and danced along with the Dancing Divas and the Mid Missouri High Steppers.

Breakdancers performed in front of the Missouri Theater before the crowd disbanded and festival goers went on with their night. KBIA’s Bailey Stover spoke to a few of those gathered.

Scott Fines: I don't know... do you like fairy wings?

5-year old Isabel Fines: Yeah!

Scott Fines: There we go.

We've never been to the parade. We’ve been to True/False, but never the parade before. It seemed like a fun thing to do with a 5-year old.

Mia Paddock, the True/False Film Festival Sustainability Coordinator, sits for a portrait after watching the March March on Friday, March 1, 2024, along Locust Street in Columbia. “My goal is to make sure that recycling and compost are things that are kind of normalized at festivals and that recycling and compost is something that is at the forefront of festival organization,” Paddock said.

Mia Paddock: I’m the Sustainability Coordinator for True/False.

From the people who start a month in advance to the people who are out on the streets dashing between films and volunteering. I just think it’s awesome.

Like, my volunteers, just – it means the world that they are so focused on this and they’re so passionate about it, and that they truly enjoy doing this. They truly feel good about it.

Diana Moxon spins around for a portrait while wearing a coat she got from Latvia during the March March on Friday, March 1, 2024, along Locust Street in Columbia. She said she has been attending True/False for about 15 years. “My husband is in the band, in the Mobile Funk Unit, and so it was fun to see them perform,” Moxon said.

And I – that’s how I want everybody to feel about recycling and things like that every day.

Diana Moxon: I live in Columbia, and I've lived here for 19 years.

It's just so colorful, and it's such an American institution to have a parade. It’s not something that we do in England.

And so, it's just an adorable component of what community means in America.

It's so important that we all understand everyone else’s umwelt, everyone else’s surroundings, how they see the world.

And I love that this festival lets me do that.

And I really hope that the festival continues forever and ever and that more and more people are able to come and be a part of it.

Rafael Stoutz, left, and Luca Stoutz, 4, skate at the end of the March March on Friday, March 1, 2024, along 9th Street in Columbia. “It’s a beautiful day, and I love to see all these people out and about,” Stoutz said.