
Sparky the Giant Rideable Unicorn
Admit it, you probably think unicorns don't really exist. Let Sparky prove you wrong! Sparky the Giant Rideable Unicorn is a highly interactive, electric-assist four-wheeled art bike. He can be ridden by four people—two people in the saddle and two people pedaling the bike cart. Sparky stands about 11 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 11 feet long . He is basically a large puppet—he has an articulated head that can nod and shake and he has moveable legs that can make him appear to trot like a horse. Sparky is constructed out of a welded steel frame covered in chicken wire and fabric, and he is lit by over 6,000 LEDs. The bike cart carries a state-of-the-art sound system that can get any party mystically moving and grooving.
Sparky was built in the spring of 2019 in Ithaca New York by artists Doug Shire and Laurence Clarkberg. Sparky has made appearances in over a dozen parades, festivals, and other events nationwide. In the spring of 2019 he appeared at the Playa Del Fuego and PortalBurn regional Burning Man events in the northeast and several local Ithaca events. In August of 2019 he made an epic journey across the US to join thousands of other art cars at Burning Man. Sparky has been a huge hit everywhere we have taken him, and he has helped hundreds of people cross "ride a unicorn" off their bucket lists.
—Doug and Laurence
Upcoming Appearances
No events at the moment
Selected Past Appearances
- Winter Light FestivalFri, Dec 04Ithaca Commons
- Constellation BurnThu, Oct 10Pegasus Farm Campground
- Burning ManWed, Aug 21Black Rock City
- POrtalBurnThu, Jul 25Hannibal
- Grassroots FestivalThu, Jul 18County Fairgrounds
- Watermusic: Dancing on the TrailFri, Jul 12Stewart Park
- Interdependance DayFri, Jul 05The Haunt
- FIGMENT Art FestvalSat, Jun 01Roosevelt Island
- Ithaca Festival ParadeFri, May 31Ithaca
- Playa del FuegoThu, May 23Tamaqua, PA, USA