This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 12:49 PM- How's this for a parade entry: the Four Horseman of the Shopocalypse - Greed, Waste, Vanity and Gluttony - followed by an Arm of Gettin' sculpture.
Expect that spectacle, along with much more, in downtown Salt Lake City on Saturday as part of Visual Cacophony's "Shop Outside the Box Parade."
The event, to proceed up 400 South from 200 West to the City-County Building, coincides with the international day of action against big-box stores.
Artists, activists and small-business owners will gather at the intersection of 200 West and 400 South at 12:30 p.m. The parade, which will culminate with a Washington Square rally to celebrate the vibrant array of local businesses, will start at 1 p.m.
"Preserving and celebrating local businesses is becoming increasingly important as big-box stores and sprawl threaten communities," says group member Shannon Cornelius, who notes the nation's top-10 chains account for 30 percent of the dollars Americans spend each year. "Many believe that this kind of sameness and suburbia is inevitable, and our city is shouldering the burden of an unimaginative economy."
The parade and rally also will feature live music, bikers from Critical Mass and small-business owners in costume. Participants will carry small boxes to represent local businesses. At the end, the small boxes will be combined to make a sculpture that will travel around business districts to remind people to patronize local merchants.