FireFish goes out in a blaze of glory Community celebrates final FireFish Festival day

LORAIN — Crowds marched in Lorain Saturday evening, chanting "Burn the fish," an annual tradition at the James Levin FireFish Festival. The event concluded a month of festivities. This was a reimagined FireFish, said Executive Director Joan Perch. Usually the event stretches over one weekend. But after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the group rethought how to make the yearly festival better. Perch said they wanted visitors to interact with Lorain's improved Broadway streetscape. Different activities stretched down the road and different events were scheduled over the last four weeks, including a block party and art walk, a comedy show and various performances. At the same time, Perch said they tried to keep the spirit of the event alive. She said everything went amazingly well. She said the event brings the community together, and Perch said it's a magical thing. She said the community has a fire in its heart for good and creative things. FireFish Festival started as a grassroots organization, Perch said, and it's continued to grow and change over the years. As this year's events conclude, Perch said organizers will regroup and ask for funding to continue to grow the festival. This was also the first year FireFish was able to build its 100-foot long fish on site. Daniel McNamara and Ohio Burn Unit's Schuyler White designed the fire and pyrotechnics used in the grand finale. There also were performances near the fish designed by White, which Perch said is a new thing. She said organizers are always adding to the events and getting creative people involved. Except for one year, McNamara has designed the fish that is burned at the end of the festival. Perch said she likens the fish burning to a phoenix rising. There are all kinds of spiritual and religious traditions that involved burning, like incense or other ceremonies such as funeral pyres, Perch said. "The idea is that it's really about rebirth," she said. "What could we build this year and then how can we build again?" Contact Laina Yost at (440) 329-7121 or lyost@chroniclet.com.