‘The Butterfly Effect’ | New Orleans-themed parade helps ring in the Spring on the Southside
The Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons introduces the City of Hapeville to their unique brand of magic during butterfly-inspired lantern parade
“I believe we have a common calling to delight one another.” - Chantelle Rytter
HAPEVILLE, Ga. - Excitement fluttered through the crowd on the evening of Saturday, March 23rd as hundreds of spectators and participants gathered in Jess Lucas Park in Hapeville for the city’s first (but certainly not its last) Butterfly Lantern Parade.
This creative colorful community event was overseen by Chantelle Rytter, captain of the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons.
The popular lantern-based parade Krewe was founded by Rytter herself in New Orleans back in 1999.
Since relocating to Atlanta from The Big Easy over a decade ago, Rytter and her merry band of Grateful Gluttons have created half a dozen annual events in the metro area, not to mention, a lantern parade held at the beach on Hilton Head Island.
The parades held in and around Atlanta are as idiosyncratic as the neighborhoods themselves.
Communities like Inman Park, Sandy Springs, Midtown, and Little Five Points feature distinctly unique themes that range from garden gnomes to owls to Dia de los Muertos.
“I think we have a common calling to delight one another. People don’t think about it, but pure creative play is a gift to your city. A gift to your community” relishes Rytter.
“I can't help but feel that it meets a need. People come to it like a tall glass of water, something they didn't know that they wanted until they saw it.”
After being contacted by the Hapeville Main Street Program a year ago to create a themed parade for the city, Rytter eventually settled on the hamlet’s most ‘obvious’ totem.
Butterflies.
“Hapeville identifies with butterflies. It's fun to see it all. To be butterflies, and then see the butterfly art everywhere. People like that,” affirms Rytter.
In the preceding weeks leading up to the Butterfly Lantern Parade, Rytter & Co even hosted butterfly lantern puppet workshops for the community at the Christ Church on Central Ave.
When asked by Vox Pop ATL about her takeaways from Hapeville’s inaugural parade, Rytter had these words to share.
“The Hapeville folks felt that it was the most successful event in the city's history. This is the most people they have seen in Jess Lucas Park longer than people can remember. I feel like we'll definitely do it again,” Rytter.
List of other Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons event:
Gnome March
Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade
Parliament of Owls
Sandy Springs Lantern Parade
All Souls Altars & Parade of the Dead
Hilton Head Island Lantern Parade
For those of you out there who may have missed out on the delightful spectacle that was the Hapeville Butterfly Lantern Parade, fret not because the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons’ flagship event extravaganza, the Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade is right around the corner on May 20, 2023, on the Westside Beltline Trail.
For more information about the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons, visit their website.
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