Here's a highlight reel from the Fremont/Seattle Solstice parade, which was held on Saturday. The most elaborate of these parades takes place in Santa Barbara, but won't be held until later in the week.
The American Festival Calendar continues to grow, still largely being fed by bohos and artsy types. Of course, I'd count San Diego Comic-Con and Dragon*Con and E3 and other major stops on the geek circuit as more localized festivals (more like Eleusis than the Liberalia, in other words) but perhaps not as accessible to the general population.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict America will never return to the halcyon days of the Eisenhower or Clinton eras, so look for these kinds of celebrations to grow in direct proportion to our economic and social miseries. We'll all be having a lot more steam to blow off.
But I'd say the Solstice thing is still a bit too esoteric for Joe and Jane Q Public. Plus, we here in America have our surreptitious Solstice festival two weeks later on "Independence Day," where we've replaced bonfires with fireworks. It's pretty much the same deal, but the date has a stronger connection to Templar history, obviously so important to our founding fathers. The Canadians have their equivalent three days earlier.
Europe used to have its Midsummer fires which then became "St. John's Fires" when the local inquisitors started oiling up the torture machines. But again, same deal.
More clips from other events as they surface.
UPDATE: Stonehenge. Probably all of the excitement here is going on inside their heads.
UPDATE: Brooklyn celebrates the Solstice with its annual Mermaid Parade. Wonderfully timely, no?
