A dog dressed as a nurse loped along, sniffing the ground and the walkers in turn. Women dressed as jellyfish and men sporting horns and tails and carrying pitchforks wove through the crowd. We walked on, passing bands playing beneath pop up tents. Matthew, dressed as Leatherface from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” chased Taylor, raising his saw high above his head as onlookers cheered him on. The crowds lining both sides of the street grew as we turned onto Pulaski Street, and then Clayton. I lowered our umbrella and began using it as a walking stick. Some people spend all year planning for the Rumpus, and it showed in the complexity of the costumes.Īs the parade began, the rain stopped. All around us people from all walks of life strolled along, dressed as demons and politicians and animals. Our group, which included Matt, his girlfriend Amber, my niece and nephew, Taylor and Matthew, Dena and I, joined the others as we headed through the streets of Athens. The crowd roared as Conley, dressed as Max from “Where the Wild Things Are,” raised a horn to his lips and set the Wild Rumpus in motion. Moments later Timi Conley, the Master of Ceremonies, appeared atop a platform nearby. Somehow, in the middle of the throng, we found my brother, Matt, and his family.
#WILD RUMPUS 2018 MOVIE#
We plunged into the crowd, slipping between serial killers, movie characters and everything in between. They were gathered at the intersection of Hull and Hancock Streets, huddled beneath umbrellas, but still chomping at the bit. Finally, we made it past one final crosswalk and came upon a faceless horde. We headed on, crossing streets an inch deep in water. Before long, water found its way into my shoes, which began to squelch with every step. Along the way we passed people in costumes, walking in the same direction. We hurried toward Hull Street, where the parade was to begin. We paid the parking fee and headed out into the rain. We put on our costumes (Pris from Blade Runner for Dena, and a random bandit/masked man for me) and drove downtown, parking in the Hancock Street parking deck. For the last hour, a steady rain had been falling, giving us pause and threatening to ruin everything.Įventually we decided to press on, bolstered by the news that the 830pm start time for the parade had been pushed back to 9pm. The game wrapped up around 7pm, leaving me with plenty of time to prepare for our night out. Meanwhile, the defense was dominant, shutting down the Florida offense.īy the time the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Dawgs had delivered a 42-7 beatdown of their longtime nemesis. The Dawgs dominated from beginning, exploding for 21 first quarter points behind the running of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. Then the game began, and it was immediately apparent that there’d been no reason to be. Georgia had every reason to win, but in this game, there is always a way for the Dawgs to lose. While a win brought a euphoria to our excursions into the night, a loss put a damper on the whole thing. Way too often I’d found myself rushing to get ready to go out after witnessing a close win or, way too often, loss. The game and the Rumpus taking place on the same day has caused me problems for years. Though Georgia, off to a tremendous start at 7-0, was favored by 14 points, I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. Kickoff was slated for 3:30pm, and I spent all morning waiting, impatient and conflicted. In 2016, over 7,000 costumed people turned out for “Athens’s Mardi Gras.” This year promised to be even bigger, and the Bear Team would be there to witness it.īut first, there was the matter of the game. Since then, the event has grown into a massive Halloween party. The first Wild Rumpus was held in 2009, when 250 people braved the rain and cold to celebrate in the streets of Athens. Being a huge UGA fan, I count myself among those who follow this border war with religious intensity. It is a rivalry game, perhaps Georgia’s most intense. Georgia and Florida have met nearly 100 times on the gridiron, with the result a matter of pride, celebration, sorrow or angst for hundreds of thousands of people. Here in Athens, it means two things: The annual Georgia-Florida football game, known to locals as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” and The Wild Rumpus Parade and Spectacle. The last Saturday in October is special to a lot of people. But in our hometown, adults have as much fun as the kiddies. Children trick or treat, just like they do everywhere. Not that it isn’t big in other towns, but in Athens, people tend to take it a little more seriously. Halloween is kind of a big deal in Athens.
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