Talk to residents of a certain age, and many will tell you that one of the annual Trashion Shows is when they fell in love with Moab and its community. Each year for over a decade, Moab residents craft costumes out of material that was headed for the landfill to promote reuse and show off their creative chops.
“That was the event that hooked me and kept me in this town,” said Clair Core, who first attended years ago and has helped organize the recycled fashion and fundraising event since. “There was this mass of people that were all willing to come out on a February night dressed in homemade, upcycled outfits that surprised me and intrigued me in a small desert town.”
Jesse Hinson says much the same about his experience DJing the event last year.
“I’ve been to events like this in other places, but seeing so many people so enthusiastic in wonderful costumes was amazing,” he said. Like Core, Hinson felt inspired to get involved and will be DJing again at this year’s event, held on Saturday, March 2 at Woody’s Tavern.
The event is for ages 21+ and includes music sets by DJ Paris Hinson (Jesse Hinson), the Fiery Furnace Marching Band, DJ Sparklefists, and a surprise final DJ set from the artist who performed at the very first Trashion Show.
“It’s a bit of a surprise set,” said Core. “It’s amazing to have him come back for this 11th annual Trashion Show so many years after his first performance.”
The event will include a runway walk-off costume competition announced by MC Gashley Olsen, otherwise known as Serah Mead.
One of the pleasures of the event is that it feels very much for the local community.
“It’s held during this liminal season at the end of the winter and right before the tourist season really opens back up,” Core said, “and it feels like the heart of the Moab community gets together for one big night of partying and dancing and being inspired before the summer starts.”
That community spirit also manifests in the support offered to the event, Core said. She noted that many businesses, like Woody’s Tavern, as well as local individuals and organizations go out of their way to make the event happen.
Hinson noted that he simply reached out to ask how he could be involved in supporting the Trashion Show, ending up DJing for the largest crowd he’d ever performed for.
“It was standing room only, full of people in trash costumes having an amazing time,” he said. “It’s just amazing to look up and see people liking the song that you put on and dancing…
I love the community that exists here.”
After a recent remodel, Woody’s Tavern will also have “a different flow physically,” said Core, who is excited to see “more space for more people and more dancing.”
The annual Trashion Show is put on by the Resiliency Hub, a “volunteer-run Moab nonprofit passionate about gardening, upcycling, and this vibrant community,” and will benefit the organization’s public CommuniTea Garden as well as other local nonprofits like WabiSabi Thrift Store.
This year, the Resiliency Hub is focusing its programming on the CommuniTea Garden, hoping to offer skillshare classes, plant walks and Tea and Talk events.
“We’re always open to more people with ideas in the realm of sustainability, permaculture, upcycling,” Core said. “The tea garden is a lovely space to hold classes and demonstrations so we’re going to continue to grow from that place.”
