The Legend of
the menagerie of the imaginary
When the long cold nights of winter have dragged on quite long enough, the Menagerie of the Imaginary departs the land of make believe for one enchanting weekend. They visit us to light up the dark, to warm our hearts, and to remind us of the daydreams and dear ones dwelling within each of us. You never know what might show up in this enchanting cavalcade of creatures from three magical realms: Sky, Water and Earth. From the Air realm come glimmering moon owls soaring in starlit skies with other airborne creatures. From the Water Realm come fantastical fish, jellyfish, and unknown swimmers from the depths of far-off oceans. All sorts of captivating creatures and fantastical flora from far flung fields of fancy all make their way to this luminous parade. Gather round, soak up their radiant glow, and carry away some light and hope to pass along to others.
Learn more about the large lantern puppets leading the parade.
EARTH REALM
Amelia the Curly Tailed Bird Horse
Amazing Amelia spends her days bumbling about seeking food, fun, and friends. She adores tasty snack snakes caught with mighty thwaps of her powerful tail, and crafts delectable concoctions juiced from cloud berries which she shares with her many pals. If you listen very carefully as you nod off to sleep, you might hear the distant snort-caws of Amelia saying goodnight to her friends. You might also hear the tinkle of her footfalls as she heads to bed in her cozy cave to dream of exotic earthlings and prancing ponies.
Inspired by a child’s drawing, Amelia was created in a workshop in 2025, led by Andrew Kim. Participating artists were: Steve Allison-Bunnell, Matt Cameron, Thomas Dunning, Emmi Kat Johnson, Rachel Ingle, Jade Lowder, Tory Moeckel, Jakob Niedziela, Sarah Smith, Kelsi & Nora Tjernagel, and Lu Willis
WATER REALM
Echo the Tassel Finned Dragoon
Effervescent Echo is adept at camouflage and concealment, which helps them evade fierce predators like the beak-nosed hornswoggle. Disguised as flotsam and jetsam, Echo snoozes the day away in the warm, shallow waters off the coast of Honah Lee Island. As night falls, their phosphorescent scales glow and their long antennae sway as they begin to hunt for jelly eels and smardines. Tassel Finned Dragoons have often been mistaken for dolphins as they leap and dive, echo-locating with a high, burbling bup-bup-bup. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse Echo in your daydreams.
Inspired by a child’s drawing, Echo was created in a workshop in 2025, led by Andrew Kim. Participating artists were: Steve Allison-Bunnell, Matt Cameron, Thomas Dunning, Emmi Kat Johnson, Rachel Ingle, Jade Lowder, Tory Moeckel, Jakob Niedziela, Sarah Smith, Kelsi & Nora Tjernagel, and Lu Willis
AIR REALM
Phineas the Phantastical Phoenix
Phineas - Phinny to his friends - is the majestic protector of the land of make believe. He uses his keen eyes, sharp beak, and fierce flappers to light up the dark corners and tear through the grey clouds left by gloomy joy-gobblers everywhere. Phinny was born in fire long, long ago in a volcano of raspberry lava, orange pop rocks, and lemony flames. He has celebrated 789 re-birthdays! Did you know that when he first emerged from the volcano, Phinny was smaller than a spring chicken? On the eve of every lantern parade, he burns to a pile of ash and emerges in fresh and fiery plumage just a little bit larger. Who knows how big he’ll grow?
Phinny has many magical powers, but our favorite is inspiring us to smile a little brighter, dream a little bigger, and soar a little higher. Phineas is there in the sunrise and the sunset, the swirls of the Northern and Southern lights, and in the spark of a shooting star. Say hello the next time you see him!
Phinneas was created in 2026 by a group of local artists: Steve Allison-Bunnell, Matt Cameron, Thomas Dunning, Rachel Ingle, Emmi Kat Johnson, Jade Lowder, Tory Moeckel, Kelsi Tjernagel, and Angela Yonke.
