Marche du Nain Rouge

Yes, it’s that time of year again. This young “tradition” dictates that every spring the good people of the city of Detroit gather to chase out the red dwarf — the Nain Rouge — to protect our town from the disasters he regularly appears to precipitate. Now, we don’t necessarily agree that the little feller is all bad (see the intro to our cover story), but the broad variety of folks you see on the march, and all the creativity that goes into the costumes, props and floats, gives us hope for the future. More than just revelry, the parade proves that thousands of people are willing to put a great deal of energy into any effort that would claim to protect our historic home. Now there’s something I think we can all get down with. See the event’s Facebook page for info on the pre-march fun run and afterparties. Begins 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Traffic Jam & Snug, 511 W. Canfield St. Marche proceeds down Cass Avenue to Temple Street. Revelers are encouraged to come masked or fully costumed. facebook.com/MarcheduNainRouge