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.
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: 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.
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.