Honey for the Heart parade returns to Uptown Athens
The Honey for the Heart parade made a triumphant return to Uptown Athens with a spectacle showcasing community collaboration and the spirit of Athens.
Photos by Dylan Benedict | November 3, 2022
Share:
Hundreds of people of all ages lined Court Street on Saturday, Oct. 29, as the Honey for the Heart parade made a triumphant return to Uptown Athens to kick off the Halloween festivities with a spectacle showcasing community collaboration and the spirit of Athens.
Cloaked and bedazzled in costumes and masks made from upcycled materials, more than 300 people marched in the parade featuring larger-than-life puppets. Honey for the Heart is a project by the Passion Works Studio, an Athens-based art studio known for its vibrant displays and rainbow-colored palette. The parade is co-sponsored by Arts for OHIO, an OHIO College of Fine Arts initiative providing access to arts events at no charge to Ohio University students, and Ohio University Learning Communities.
Honey for the Heart is a beloved Athens tradition and has been sorely missed by locals who have eagerly awaited its return since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the month leading up to the parade, Ohio University students collaborated with other Athens community members to create puppets and other art in preparation for the parade as part of their Learning Community Seminars and through Arts For OHIO. More than 1,700 people participated in the collaborative making of art and puppets for this year’s Honey for the Heart.
An Ohio University learning community works together to create paper mache pieces for a costume to be worn in the Honey for the Heart parade in Athens, Ohio.
An Ohio University learning community works together at the Central Venue to create pieces to be used in the Honey for the Heart parade in Athens, Ohio.
A member of the 2022 Honey for the Heart parade smiles behind a handmade paper mache mask.
Participants in the 2022 Honey for the Heart parade dance, play music and walk down Court Street in Athens, Ohio.
Members of an Ohio University learning community work together at the Central Venue to paint a banner to be used in the Honey for the Heart parade in Athens, Ohio.
A member of the 2022 Honey for the Heart parade laughs as the parade makes its way down Court Street in Athens, Ohio.
Participants in the 2022 Honey for the Heart parade dance their way down Court Street while “Bam Bam” by Sister Nancy plays from a hand crank speaker in Athens, Ohio.
Parade members celebrate at the end of the 2022 Honey for the Heart parade on Court Street in Athens, Ohio.
Hand crafted floats are waved through the air during the 2022 Honey for the Heart parade on Court Street in Athens, Ohio.
Members of an Ohio University learning community work together at the Central Venue to create paper mache pieces for a costume to be worn in the Honey for the Heart parade in Athens, Ohio.
Paint brushes used to decorate a costume to be worn in the Honey for the Heart parade sit on a table at the Central Venue in Athens, Ohio.
An audience member records the 2022 Honey for the Heart parade as participants walk and dance their way down Court Street in Athens, Ohio.
Parade members take pictures and celebrate another successful Honey for the Heart parade on Court Street in Athens, Ohio.
Participants in the 2022 Honey for the Heart parade make their way down Court Street in Athens, Ohio.
Costume pieces sit on a stage at the Central Venue in Athens, Ohio before being used in the Honey for the Heart parade.