It Took A Wacky Village
- Thomas Smugala
- May 1
- 3 min read
Updated: May 2
Last Saturday in Marquand, Missouri, the 573 Chalk Festival turned the sleepy town into a kaleidoscope of chaos and creativity. Hosted by the City of Marquand, 573 Magazine, Mineral Area Council on the Arts, Num Nums restaurant, the mysteriously named Yellow She Shack and a pile of other people and sponsors, this shindig was proof it takes a wacky village to make magic—Art for Art’s Sake and nothing lasting.
The parking lot bloomed with chalk art as kids and grown-ups scribbled psychedelic goldfish and wonky portraits of SpongeBob, who grinned despite his chalked-on unibrow, and crazed penguins and frogs. Jazz music floated from a makeshift stage, where a Jazzman named Kevin improvised a tune about a rogue raccoon. Meanwhile, stone stackers teetered on the river town building gravity-defying towers until a rogue breeze toppled their dreams.
What's you lookin' at?
Some people are drawn to the beauty of a stone stack.
All fun aside, the people and business owners of Marquand are the most super nice people. Without all their support, this event could not have been a FREE-FOR-ALL and surely not been as great of an event.
99% sweet.
Num Nums’ cake walks were pure pandemonium. Granny Ethel, 92, elbowed her way to a triple-layer chocolate cake, cackling as she outmaneuvered hip-hop dancers freestyling nearby. Those dancers, led by a dude called “Crank,” popped and locked so hard a crowd formed, chanting “Go, go, go!” until he accidentally moonwalked into a chalk masterpiece of a groovy frog with sunglasses who oddly enough looked like Elton John from the 80s.
The Yellow She Shack, rumored to be a clothing store and speakeasy with a secret handshake, passed out vintage jackets to some of the chilly artists. Lemon & Honey Twins served neon drinks that made everyone giggle uncontrollably—totally legal by the way. By late afternoon, the festival was a glorious mess: chalk dust on every face, jazz notes tangling with hip-hop beats, and stones stacked like modern art gone rogue and a very large white dog with a woman named Tina.
As the day came to a close, Ex-Mayor Denny took the mic, chalk unibrow-smudged, and declared, “Marquand’s wacky, and we love it!” The crowd cheered, cake crumbs flying, proving that in this tiny town, a wacky village makes the coolest chaos.
Take a ride on the 573 Chalk Express.
Lauren won the fastest artist award. Really, she was a fast draw.
Dude needs to become an engineer.
Art For Art's Sake!
She was all in!
A boy and his trusted steed.
Talented dancers make their art.
Some artists thought out of the box.
Things flew away!
Hands got chalky.
Hair was braided.
Cakes got walked.
There was shameless self-promotion. Ha Ha!
Gremlins made an appearance.
Koi fish swam!
Special thanks to Ex-Mayor Denny, Mary and her shack, Gail and her hall, Katey and her goodies, Amanda, Diane the manager of gifts and prizes, Wolfy the Event Manager, Hannah the check-in lady, Charlie and Marianne, Kevin and Sarah of Lush Life, Crank and Fingerprint Hip Hop Dance Studio, The Unstoppable Beverly Brown, Lisa, Misty and MoMo of Fredrock, Artist Pam, Artist ZuZu, Artist Terri, the 4H, Num Num's, Yellow She Shack, MACOA, City of Marquand and all the financial supporters who enabled us to make it a FREE-FOR-ALL. We hope to see you at the 573 Chalk Festival next year!
Get Out There! Dance. Stack rocks. Sing something. Draw something. Volunteer for something. Do something. Do anything. Take that class. Get that new job. Start that new business. What one person can do, another can do. That sunken sofa will be fine without you.
Pics & words - T. Smugala
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