2026 Parade Activities
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What Is the Interdependence Parade?

The Interdependence Parade is a multi-day community celebration rooted in the idea that we are stronger, more creative, and more resilient together. Part walking art exhibit, part live music concert, part community gathering — it's a free, family-friendly event that invites everyone to show up, make something, and belong.

The celebration grows out of a simple question: what would it look like to celebrate the places, people, and relationships that sustain us? This gathering centers spectacle and connection. It began in 2023 as a grassroots neighborhood parade along Clear Creek and has grown each year into a larger, more collaborative community event. In 2025, about 500 people took part across creative workshops, a parade through downtown Berea, and a concert celebration.

The Flow

Creative Events | May–July 2026
Workshops, exhibits, and creative events are happening across Berea and the surrounding foothills in the weeks leading up to July 5. All are beginner-friendly and open to everyone — you don't have to be an artist to attend.

Summer Art Camp at Clear Creek | July
Three days of costume, puppet, prop, and parade art-making at Clear Creek Creative in the Appalachian foothills of Rockcastle County, led by experienced artists.

Additional events are being added — check back here for the full schedule as it develops.

Interdependence Art Parade in Berea | July 5, 2026 The parade itself takes place in Berea on July 5. Art-making workshops open the day, the Moving Art Exhibit and Mobile Concert moves through the streets in the afternoon — giant puppets, marching music, costumes, flags, and creative krewes of all kinds — and the parade ends with live music on the lawn. All of it free and open to the public.

What is a krewe?

A krewe is a group of people who create a parade art entry together. Maybe it's a giant puppet, a coordinated costume look, a banner, a float, a performance troupe, or a musical group. Krewes can be big or small, elaborate or simple.

Artist-led workshops in the weeks leading up to the parade give everyone the skills and materials to build their contribution. You can join an existing krewe or form your own.

Who is this for?

Everyone. The parade is designed to be genuinely accessible — free admission, ADA-accessible routes and gathering spaces, intergenerational programming, and workshops for artists of all ages and abilities. Elders, families, kids, longtime Berea residents, Berea College students, and neighbors from across the surrounding rural communities all take part.

The deeper story

Interdependence is a biological term for the way organisms in an ecosystem rely on each other to survive and thrive. It's also a description of how communities work at their best. This parade uses art, music, and shared making as a way to practice that — to build the kind of relationships and creative infrastructure that makes a community resilient over time.

The theme is an intentional complement to conventional Independence Day celebrations. It doesn't dismiss those traditions. It asks what else belongs in the frame alongside them — the histories, identities, and relationships that mainstream celebrations often leave out.

Join the Spectacle — Get Involved

Come to the parade. All events are free.

Join a krewe. Sign up to make parade art and join the procession alongside your neighbors.

Lead a workshop. If you have a skill to share — costuming, puppetry, music, banners, movement — reach out.

Support the work with a donation or sponsorship.

Donate or Sponsor the Parade

Creative Collaborators

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