Post updated at 10:31 a.m. Wednesday, May 24:
All things with wheels will be decked out in decorations and parading down Massachusetts Street as part of the annual Art Tougeau event this weekend, which will also involve a new element: a block party in partnership with Hang12.
Participants transform skateboards, bikes, scooters, cars and more into artistic pieces, according to the event website. The first Art Tougeau parade was held in 1997 “as a way to celebrate creativity and ingenuity, with some good, clean fun on wheels,” according to the website. It has since remained a summer staple for the Lawrence community.
The Art Tougeau parade will take place on Saturday, May 27 in downtown Lawrence. In addition to the parade, the block party will be free for community members to enjoy the evening before.
• Block party: This year, Art Tougeau is partnering with Replay Lounge and Hang12 — a group of Lawrence high school students who curate art exhibitions and community events — to host a community block party and art car show on Friday evening, according to the webpage.
Hang12 will incorporate community art making, interactive art experiences, and a small exhibition from from 4 to 7:30 p.m. inside the Arts Center’s 10th & Mass studios, 1000 Massachusetts St., according to a news release from event organizers.
Afterward, Kansas City-area bands 95 Sweetbird and the Kansas City Bear Fighters will perform live music at Replay Lounge. All guests under age 21 must be accompanied by an adult, and it will turn strictly 21+ after 9 p.m, according to the bar’s website.
The block party is scheduled for 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 26 on the street at 10th and Massachusetts streets, next to Replay Lounge at 946 Massachusetts St. All ages are welcome to join the fun, according to the event page.
Visit the Facebook event page for more information on Friday’s event.
• Parade: Those participating in the parade will line up at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 27 in front of the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St.
The parade will then begin at noon Saturday, and all attendees are encouraged to watch along the sidewalks. It will start at 11th and Massachusetts and go north to Seventh and Massachusetts, then turn and continue back to the Arts Center. An awards ceremony will follow shortly after the parade concludes, according to the website.
“Several local personalities will judge the Art Car parade and winners will receive handmade trophies made by Lawrence High School students,” according to the news release.
People can still register to participate on the day of the event as folks start to line up in front of the Arts Center, according to the event page. Those interested in volunteering to help with traffic control for the parade and counting the number of attendees present are also asked to meet in front of the Arts Center.
Visit arttougeau.org to learn more about the event’s contributors and for more general information.
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
