Nain Rouge exhibits the 'Spirit of Detroit' in Cass Corridor Sunday afternoon

The only thing missing at this year's 11th Annual Marche du Nain Rouge was the Nain Rouge itself.

Typically, the mythical red dwarf that has taunted Detroit since its founding appears at the event in devilish flair, with horns and an eerie grin, to cause trouble.

Yet, this year, the harbinger of doom was replaced by a stand-in character dressed in a motion-capture suit with a sign that read, "Insert Nain Rouge here." A similar banner hung outside Masonic Temple, stating, "Insert witty Nain Rouge banner here."

Organizer and Marche co-founder Francis Grunow of Detroit said these quips about a parade "not fully rendered" were, in fact, this year's theme.

"This year we were practicing how to do a parade because we're a little out of practice," Grunow said, noting the three-year gap since the last Marche in 2019. "That was the theme. We're all a little bit, you know, not fully rendered."

Due to the recent Omicron wave, the Marche's planning process stalled several months before the event. Fortunately, Grunow received the go-ahead from the city to host the Marche five weeks ago, one of the many festivals to hit the streets after a COVID-induced hiatus.

Despite the quickened planning process, the Mardi Gras-esque celebration of Detroit folklore went off without a hitch. Hundreds of revelers in tutus, feathers, and wigs danced their way down Cass Corridor to the beat of New Orleans-style music.

Andaiye Spencer of Ypsilanti, sporting a skunk costume — "If anything was gonna repel a little demon, it would be a skunk" — brought friend Rivonne Moore of Detroit to the Marche for the first time.

"I've been here since what? 12:30? And I still don't know what this is about. I have no clue," Moore said. "However, I can say it's the most fun that I've had in a very long time."

Moore said the Marche exhibited what can only be described as the "spirit of Detroit."

"It's so hard to put into words because Detroit is all about perseverance and reemergence and love and strength and everything was just here," Moore said. "It was so much fun."

For others, like Marche regular Salomon DeWane, who dressed in drag as the persona Sandy Francisco, this year's event felt slightly subdued compared to pre-COVID events.

"I feel like people are still holding back a little bit," DeWane said, surveying the post-parade reception in the Masonic Temple. "I've seen years where people really went (all) out."

Despite this, DeWane said the event fulfilled its purpose: "Scaring away the bad, welcoming in the good."

If the nuance of this year's Nain was lost on some attendees, the absence of the traditional Nain was viewed as a success by others. Revelers Kim and Chris Casteel, both of Detroit, donned a red sequin masquerade mask and devilish face mask with a forked tongue, respectively, to scare the Nain away.

"It was all that positive energy we've saved up for three years...." Kim Casteel said. "We scared him away."

Marchers cited the music as their favorite part, prompting them to stop walking and dance along to the groovy beat.

Nigel Foster, a trombonist who played in the Detroit-based Gabriel Brass Band during the Marche, said the energy he felt around him was "through the roof."

"Every second of it was amazing," Foster said.

Foster, who is the band director at River Rouge High School, said he hopes to play the New Orleans-inspired music with his students at next year's event.

For Grunow, this year's success was a relief.

"I don't know what the future is, obviously none of us do," Grunow said. "But we're gonna move forward with planning for next year."

Elissa Welle is a breaking news reporter. You can email her at ewelle@freepress.com or find her on Twitter at @ElissaWelle.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Nain Rouge 2022: hundreds turn out to banish Detroit's red dwarf