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Organization behind Festifools shuts down, ending "foolish" Ann Arbor tradition

Festifools 2019
Myra Klarman
/
Wonderfool Productions
Festifools 2019

UPDATE (11/24/23): FestiFools plans to return in April 2024

The organization responsible for events like Festifools, YpsiGLOW and FoolMoon is dissolving.

Assembli, previously known as Wonderfool Productions, put on Festifools every spring since 2007. It was an annual takeover of Ann Arbor’s Main Street. There were armies of puppets of all shapes and sizes accompanied by live music and other artistic performances.

After taking two years off during the COVID-19 pandemic, Festifools returned, only to be put on hold again in an effort to reorganize.

Jeri Rosenberg is Assembli’s board president. She said the organization was unable to recover from the pandemic, and her team has been going through the five stages of grief as a result.

“We’ve tried and tried and tried … how can we make this work, how can we make this work, but we just have not gotten a consistent amount of funding.”

Rosenberg hopes the events can find a way to return, in some form, in the future.

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Josh Hakala is the general assignment reporter for the WEMU news department.
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