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It’s such a fun, magical time for everyone.” “It’s a wide open opportunity to show your creativity when you are in the parade. I can see this growing because we have created a recipe that really touches people,” he remarks. “I’d love to see the Wild Rumpus in Hawaii, Colorado, and other creative hot spots. What do you do with a spectacle like the Wild Rumpus once it gets this big? Take it on the road, says Conley, who hopes to bring the colorful, wacky event to cities across the country. This year, it is the Athens City Homeless Shelter.” “I want to make sure we’re giving back and creating good will in the community, so every year we chose a different nonprofit. “I tell Wild Rumpus sponsors that my two goals are to pay for the event and then donate profits to charity,” he says. Each year, Conley partners with a local charity or nonprofit and integrates a large-scale fundraiser into his budget. It takes me a long time to develop the vision, theme, and artwork each year, and it’s now my main creative outlet for my art as well.”Īn additional benefit to the Wild Rumpus’s success is the ability to give back to the community that brought Conley his own creative inspiration. With its gaining popularity, the Wild Rumpus now requires a year’s worth of planning, Conley says, noting that next year’s storyboards, budgeting, and staff requirements are laid out as soon as one Rumpus ends. “Athens attracts a lot of artists and musicians, and my personal mission is to do what I can to pay those creative people.” “Each year, I try to increase the amount that we pay the people that put in time and make this a worthwhile gig for local artists, musicians, and lighting designers,” he explains. True to his own profession in the arts, Conley says he does everything he can to ensure that his staff is compensated for their work. Permits, lights, props, and staff are made possible through sponsorships from local businesses. Over the years, the event has grown both in attendance and in the number of staff and volunteers necessary to make each Rumpus bigger, better, and more exciting than the last. There were so many people, I got a ticket for obstructing traffic!”Īfter seeing the success of the first Rumpus, Conley knew that he had to keep the tradition going. “I decided to go and son-of-a-gun, there were 200-300 people in the rain, in their homemade costumes. “The first year, it was cold and raining and I almost didn’t even go downtown,” Conley admits. “I moved to Athens right after I graduated, formed a new band, got to know the community, and immediately started doing Halloween shows since I always loved Halloween.”Įxpectations were low for the inaugural year of the parade. “When I was at UMass, my girlfriend at the time noted that my band was better than my painting,” he laughs.

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One year, a small group of people dressed up in sports uniforms and painted themselves gold, like a case full of trophies.” “There are some star players every year, though. There are no contests or prizes for best costumes because we want an even playing field for all,” Conley asserts.

The parade is free, family-friendly, and anyone dressed in a costume may participate.

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The two-day celebration includes free and ticketed special events, street performers, and the big parade through the streets of downtown Athens, enhanced by area bands performing live along the parade route. “I decided to create something where the spectators ARE the parade!” “I had been to Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans, in costume and ready to participate, but then realized that people were just watching the parades as spectators,” he recalls. The annual Halloween spectacular is one of the city’s staple events thanks to artist, musician, and parade master of ceremonies Timi Conley ’90.

Ghouls, dragons, princesses, and creatures from all walks of life line up to partake in the Wild Rumpus parade in Athens, GA.