Author: Alison Kjeldgaard
Dubbed the Rose Parade’s twisted twin sister, the Doo-Dah Parade in Old Town Pasadena has a character all its own.
Walking up Colorado Blvd., the street was jammed with onlookers from all walks of life. Children and dogs ran wild in the streets, while parents and beer-drinking middle-aged men chatted on the sidewalk. My roommate and I squeezed ourselves onto a sliver of the sidewalk to wait.
Suddenly a large white rabbit sped down the middle of Colorado on a tiny tricycle, and a resounding cheer followed him for miles. The parade was about to begin.
Eyes turned down the street with excitement to see what might be coming next. A few minutes later, marking the official beginning of the procession, a man dressed in purple joker attire skipped down the street, alongside a man wrapped in colorful material, wearing a green wig.
The parade far surpassed the diversity of its onlookers; floats ranged from the serious to downright strange. Among the most creative was The Men of Leisure Synchronized Napping Team. The group marched to the beat of a drummer who was, himself, reclining in a hammock. Team members carried pillows, at intervals falling to the ground and scratching themselves in unison.
Snotty Scotty and the Hankies, one of the parade’s original bands, made an appearance riding in the back of a pick-up. Another musical group, Drunk in the Garage, sang about drinking beer while wearing cardboard Budweiser hats and riding on a float covered in empty Budweiser cans.
Although it might seem that the Doo-Dah Parade is all fun and games, organizations like Amnesty International conveyed more serious messages. Amnesty members passed out flyers protesting human trafficking, while the Humane Society walked homeless dogs and the Disabled Veterans sold pins to onlookers.
Each year the Doo-Dah Parade gives out a Thorny Rose award to the most confrontational and controversial activist. This year’s winner, Ann Lau, was recognized for her Chinese human rights activism. According to the Doo-Dah Parade website, Lau is best known for her “political theater in front of the Tournament House portraying the harvesting of human organs from unsuspecting corpses, fake blood and all. She was promptly removed by the Pasadena Police Department.”
The end of the parade featured a high school drum line and a large human cupcake. As my roommate and I slowly made our way back to the bus station, we couldn’t help but wonder how we had never before discovered the whimsical wonders of The Doo-Dah Parade.
The Doo-Dah Parade takes place every year in Old Pasadena at the end of January. To find out more, visit the website at www.doodahparade.info.
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