WITH GALLERY: FestiFools establishes itself as unspeakably wonderful

The weather ended up being just about perfect, and spectators turned out in droves—all ages, some dressed in costume, and pretty much everyone smiling. I tried to estimate the crowd size; it's hard to say, but there were easily several thousand people there.

The way this event has caught on is truly remarkable. Mark Tucker, of the University of Michigan's Lloyd Hall Scholars Program, created FestiFools, but he's had lots of help from countless creative volunteers and participants. One of the great things about it is how it's remained a ground-up event, growing and improving through those efforts. It's a nice bridge between town and gown, too.

And they've even managed to expand the event without diluting it, by adding a nighttime FoolMoon celebration on the Friday preceding the festival, which was introduced last year and has already become a big attraction in its own right; and, new this year, a Saturday night benefit concert.

To Mark Tucker and every single person involved: Thank you. People like you and events like this continue to make Ann Arbor a great place to live.

FestiFools has quickly established itself as a key event on the Ann Arbor calendar, and I'm already looking forward to seeing what happens next. If you've never been to it, it's hard to convey just how terrific it is. See you there next year?