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It’s Tofino’s 7th Annual Box Parade!
Only in Tofino…
This Thursday, April 28th marks Tofino’s seventh annual Box Parade.
The Box Parade may not be one of the events that visitors ever hear much about—but it is actually an event that gives a look inside this strange community, an example of the town’s quirkiness.
The Box Parade started innocently enough, back in 2005, on the birthday of a young Tofino woman named Jules.
She and a friend were bored at work, so they decided to make costumes out of the cardboard boxes. Then they decided to walk around town in their cardboard costumes.
And from little things, big things grow…
The Tofino Box Parade is now an annual event. Last year close to 200 people attended, and indications are that this year’s event will be at least as big.
Most of the attendees have probably never met Jules, but that doesn’t really matter. Box Paraders devote days to making their ornate costumes, all out of brown cardboard boxes: costumes for themselves, for their dogs, and even for motorized vehicles.
Box Paraders will meet this Thursday at 6pm, gathering at the park on 1st Street at Arnet. They leave from the park at 7pm sharp, to parade around town, then return to the park to destroy the costumes.
As crazy as this event seems, it is about both having fun and having respect. The organizers are very clear that it is a no-alcohol event. In the six years that the Box Parade has taken place, participants have cleaned up all of the cardboard at the end, leaving the park cleaner than they found it.
The Box Parade is uniquely Tofino—the kind of event that you’re not likely to witness anywhere else, ever.
If you are in or around town this Thursday, it’s worth making sure you’re out on the streets for 7pm.
There’s nothing like it! Here are some scenes from Box Parade 2010:
- Photos, text & video by Jacqueline Windh©
