If you drive down East Passaic Avenue in Bloomfield, you might see some unexplained silly behavior on the sidewalk.

This is because one family took a cue from a classic comedy routine to get their neighbors to show off their silliest walks. Yandun and Sarah Lopes have dubbed the area in front of their home under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Silly Walks.

The family put up the signs on May 1 amid the COVID-19 lockdown when they saw an increase in people out for walks as a way to get fresh air and clear their heads. The family said that they thought the neighborhood needed some silliness.

“Quarantine got to us. We were looking for a quarantine project. This is fun. It gives a sense of community now, where people are afraid to even see each other,” says Yandun Lopes.

The family says that the project was inspired by a skit on the British TV show “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” about a Ministry of Silly Walks in the British government and by a Michigan family who put up similar signs.

 

The walks are all caught on camera as people dance and prance and waddle and do all sorts of silly walks past the home. Yandun will sometimes edit the videos or add music and sound effects. They are then posted on Instagram.

The family says that most of their neighbors enjoy the effort and will often participate.