The year was 2022, and Jerril Nilson of JLN Design was named the recipient of the David Hauser Business of the Year award at a celebration sponsored by the Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene. She was in the mood to celebrate big.
“I said, ‘Before I die, I want a parade,’” Nilson recalls.
So she and Jenette Kime got busy the next year and created a nighttime extravaganza in downtown Eugene, illuminated human and electric powered art in motion.
It was a success, and now the second annual Eugene BRiGHT Parade returns with 27 entries featuring marching bands and marching units, electric vehicles from the Emerald Valley Electric Vehicle Association, SLUG queens, dancing from Next Step Dance Studio, the colorful witches of Eugene Hexenbrut and last year’s “Best in Show” winning entry from Comunidad y Herencia Cultural as well as food vendors, music and more.
The multi-block parade begins at East 8th Avenue and Pearl Street, heads west to Lincoln Street where it turns south to 11th Avenue. From there the parade moves back to Pearl Street to where it began.
“LiGHTEN UP” is this year’s parade theme, and the judges are artist Analee Fuentes, Eugene Weekly’s Camilla Mortensen, artist Helen Liu, former congressman Peter DeFazio, illustrator and graphic designer Sophie Matilda Navarro Matchett, KLCC’s Rachael McDonald and Noreen Dunnells of United Way of Lane County. KLCC’s Brian Bull is the emcee.