The 1st Annual Ypsi Glow event was put on by Wonderfools Productions, known for the Festifools and Fool Moon festivals the group puts on each year in Ann Arbor. The streets of downtown Ypsilanti were lit up on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016. The event lasted from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The city was filled with Illuminated objects such as jellyfish, skulls, black light puppetry, glowing dresses and hats, and a hearse driven by skeletons lit up with bright colors. A small tent provided free face-painting which glowed under the right light, while the other side of the street offered an opportunity to do art.
The Mix, which features out of the ordinary designer clothes for women ages 40 and up, had hot cider,ginger snaps, and an assortment of other sweets with cheese and crackers in addition to the store being open for business.
During the night Gretchen Adracie was in The Mix adorned with the Ypsi Glow attire. She wore a black and white hairdo, and blinking lights that Cruella Deville would be proud of. She also wore illuminated star earrings, and a poofy black dress. Adracie has been working alongside Wonderfools Productions ever since she met the organization at Festifools, a pancake fundraiser.
She gave Ypsi Glow newbies advice on making their first illuminated ornament, “It’s getting that picture in my head first. And then setting about to making it. It’s very time intensive, it makes my fingers go numb, it cramps my hands but it’s fabulous,” she said. “It’s countless hours. I would say if you put it all into one solid time frame, the elephant probably took two and a half months,” she continued.
“I love it. I would do it all the time if I could,” she said.
Adrarcie has already planning for next year.
