Spring and Autumn 2025
COSMiC SERPENT is an interdimensional being. It is not knowable but shows glimpses of its infinite manifestations. . . . a 12-to-20-person costume with separate eyes, tongue, and rattling tail! Surrounding COSMiC SERPENT are cosmic entities: planets, shooting stars, clouds and creatures of the cosmos. Together we celebrate the ultramundane!
The first manifestation of COSMiC SERPENT was created through a collaboration by spectacle-maker Blue Lady and Roman Susan founder Kristin Abhalter. The project debuted at Mayday 2025 in Minneapolis, Minneasota. Roman Susan traveled to the Twin Cities with Great Lakes aritsts and paraders Aaron Cody, Molly E, Danielle Euer, Eliza Fernand, Yelena Kalinsky, Elaine Lemieux, Siobhan Leonard, Nathan Margoni, blake nemec, Andy O’Connor, Lara Oppenheimer, Sara Zalek, and Fancy.
maydaympls.org: Our Mayday celebration began in 1974, initiated and shepherded by In the Heart of the Beast Theatre (HOBT) as an annual event with broad community participation. For nearly 50 years HOBT enacted the Mayday Parade, the Tree of Life Ceremony, and the Festival in Powderhorn Park. In April 2023, HOBT announced that it would no longer produce Mayday, and “released it” to the community. Now, in 2025, there is no single organization producing Mayday; the Parade is built by decentralized community groups hosting puppet-making workshops and the Semilla Center for Healing and the Arts is sponsoring an artistic cohort and workshops to create the Tree of Life Ceremony. Festivities in Powderhorn Park following the Parade will be quite different than in HOBT years, with no organized food trucks or large music stages. You are encouraged to bring picnics and enjoy the beautiful park.
The first iteration of COSMiC SERPENT was created through community workshops and making sessions at Berger Park Cultural Center in Edgewater, and at Interfacing Studio in Rogers Park. Traveling paraders were joined by 25+ participants in Minneapolis, and the group were one of 50+ crewes marching in the 2025 Mayday Parade.
The images above were created by artist and parader John William Marks. The image below is from another friendly Minnesotan!
The second iteraion of COSMiC SERPENT was created through a collaboration Rough House Theater. The project processed as a part of the annual Arts in the Dark in downtown Chicago, slithering on State Street, moving south from Lake Street to Van Buren. Rough House is led by Claire Saxe, joined by paraders Kim Campbell, Lynda Cortez, Elisa Farmilant, Andres Fiz, Yelena Kalinsky, Felix Mayes, Ruby Que, Tia Pinson, Janine Saxe, Sion, and Jacqueline Wade.
artsinthedark.com: Arts in the Dark is a magical evening parade celebrating Halloween as the “artist’s holiday” and drawing together world-renowned institutions, celebrated Chicago cultural organizations, important youth programs, and aspiring artists in every field. It is a dazzling production that delights an audience of 100,000 with unique floats, spectacle puppets and creative performances – all set against the backdrop of historic State Street. More than just a parade, Arts in the Dark is a mission-driven and curated event that brings performance and creativity to the street. It draws together cultural organizations and artists from every Ward in Chicago to celebrate our values as artists and cultural organizations – and provide a platform for Chicago’s creative youth to explore a path in the arts.