Floods Can't Keep the Florida Day of the Dead Celebration Down

When New Times reaches Jim Hammond (who uses they/them pronouns), the founder of the Puppet Network is in Texas working on the touring Lion King production. A true puppetry professional, Hammond has been working off and on with the legendary Broadway show since it first came to their hometown at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in 2002.

Luckily, Hammond will return to South Florida in time to arrange the 14th anniversary of their famed Florida Day of the Dead Celebration. Each November, with a puppet procession, dancing, plenty of sugar-skull makeup, and a full-on festival, Hammond's ingenuity and pure creativity honor the dead and the living with a South Florida spin on the traditional Mexican holiday.

This year, though, Hammond considered canceling the much-anticipated event.

In April, a historic flood damaged Hammond's Edgewood home and studio as well as the newly renovated home of their 85-year-old mother-in-law. Their mother-in-law was found sitting on a table in her cottage by Broward Fire Rescue. Hammond, heartbroken, carried the family's dogs through waist-high water to the sounds of exploding electrical transformers. The destruction was immense.

They lost about half of the Day of the Dead puppets and nearly all of the puppets for other shows. A particularly hard loss was the papier-mâché mask Hammond named Catrina. "She's my alter ego. I've worn her at over 70 events, and she's helped me connect with a lot of who I am," they explain. Hammond found her soaked through and disintegrating in the flood waters. There was a moment when Hammond texted a friend, "Well, this is when I quit and retire from being an artist in South Florida."

Eventually, hope returned when the community and Hammond's clients rallied in support. "We're going to get through it, and many of the pieces, we're going to rebuild. And Catrina is one of the ones I have to because she is so much a part of me," Hammond says. A group of folks from the South Florida Symphony came out to help clean the studio, inventory, and store what survived. The organization also received a $10,000 grant from the Community Foundation to help it rebuild.

Hammond didn't think a Day of the Dead celebration was in the cards after the loss. They started the event in 2009 when they were president of the FAT Village Arts Association. A grant from the Broward Cultural Division funded community workshops to build the puppets for the procession. By year three, the celebration had outgrown FAT Village. An ongoing partnership with Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale and Damn Good Hospitality allowed it to move to Esplanade Park and Revolution Live.

A supportive conversation with Riverwalk president and CEO Genia Ellis and Damn Good Hospitality partner Jarred John was what helped Hammond decide that the show must go on.

"They both said the same thing," Hammond shares. "'This community needs this event. This community needs your creativity and your energy. We're going to do whatever it takes to help you get through this year and rebuild your studio and rebuild this event.'"

John says his company has been honored to partner with the Puppet Network to build this into a nationally recognized event. "It brings such a strong cultural and creative experience for all involved," he adds.

The event starts at Esplanade Park, featuring a family stage and folkloric dancers. After the puppet procession makes its way to Revolution Live, it turns into a celebratory street festival. Hammond believes Florida Day of the Dead proves that the community can come together to create something that bridges divides and is fun and important. The energy in this celebration of life is a way to heal after some very tough setbacks.

"It'll be a very different event," Hammond says, "but have the same spirit and playfulness and aesthetic, but instead of having 40 puppets, we're going to have a dozen — and that's okay. Part of the whole conversation of Day of the Dead is life is about transitions. And this is a transition not only for the event and me as an artist, but it's a transition for everyone who suffered through that flood."

Florida Day of the Dead. 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, November 4, at Esplanade Park, 400 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale; and 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, November 4, at Revolution Live, 100 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale; dayofthedeadflorida.com. Admission is free with RSVP via universe.com.