Big Fresno Fair act Mango and Dango awe fairgoers

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- As Mango and Dango make their rounds at the Big Fresno Fair, many stop in awe at their stature and colorful costumes.

"There's some really sweet moments with dance parties," Megan Fontaine, also known as Mango, said. "Just when people see something that's so outside of the realm of anything they've ever seen before. It's so mystical and fantastical. It's got high energy."

The duo walks around on stilts-- making them around nine feet tall-- while inviting others to dance along with them and their music.

"Just seeing their eyes light up and see their inner child come out and want to play with you even if you're just passing by for 30 seconds and they start dancing, and you see them light up. That's where the magic is," Fontaine said.

It takes the pair around an hour to get fully ready with hair, makeup and, of course, the stilts.

One of the most unique features of Mango and Dango's act is their flying umbrella ship that Dango drives while on stilts.

"We got inspiration in street theater festivals in Europe," Fontaine explained. "The idea for the ship came from driving through the mountainside of Thailand and stumbling upon this wall of parasols of different colors, and Derrick pulled over the scooter and yelled, 'I got it!'"

The duo has been working together for around twenty years but has been doing stilt dance and acrobatics for thirteen.

"We found the circus scene, and the art scene, and the West Coast music festival scene was popping off with a lot of underground circuses at that time, and we were like, 'Woah, this is something that actually moves us,'" Derrick Gilday, also known as Dango, said.

Fresno is just one of 15 stops on their schedule.

"Such a beautiful fair," Gilday said about the Big Fresno Fair.

"I don't know if you guys have been to a bunch of fairs like we have, but these grounds are just really artsy and beautiful," Fontaine added.

Mango and Dango hope to bring joy to everyone they pass by, so join their dance party anytime through Sunday.

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