Doo Dah Parade facts for kids

The Pasadena Doo Dah Parade is a super fun and silly parade held in Pasadena, California. It happens about once a year. This parade is known for being very different from traditional parades. It's a wild and creative event!

Other cities like Columbus, Ohio, Ocean City, New Jersey, and Kalamazoo, Michigan have even started their own Doo Dah Parades, inspired by the one in Pasadena.

The Original Pasadena Parade

How the Doo Dah Parade Started

The Pasadena Doo Dah Parade began in 1978. A group of friends, including Peter Apanel, Ted Wright, Charles "Skip" Finnell, Corky Peterson, and Richard Caputo, came up with the idea while sitting in a bar. They wanted to create a funny and relaxed alternative to the very formal Rose Parade, which also takes place in Pasadena.

In 1978, January 1st was a Sunday. The Rose Parade usually marches on January 1st, but it never marches on a Sunday. So, the friends decided it would be fun to have a different kind of parade on that day. This was the very first Doo Dah Parade! Peter Apanel became the main organizer, known as the "Czar of Parade," for many years.

Some of the first people and groups to join the parade were Corky Peterson as the first Grand Marshal, Queen Dorothy Romani, the official band Snotty Scotty & The Hankies, and The Red Shoes Dance Team. Many unique groups joined in, like The Loch Ness Bagpipe Band and the Pasadena Food Co-op Organic Vegetables Marching Band. A belly dancer named Narayana has even participated in every single parade!

A fun tradition started around the fifth parade: people began throwing tortillas into and from the crowds. It became a signature part of the event. The parade was first shown on TV in 1987 on a local community channel. Later, in 1991, it was even broadcast live on a Los Angeles TV station, hosted by famous personalities like Richard Simmons.

Doo Dah Today

Today, the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade still features many funny and unusual participants. You might see groups like the BBQ & Hibachi Marching Grill Team, the Shopping Cart Drill Team, and the Men of Leisure Synchronized Nap Team. Other groups include The Marching Lumberjacks, The Army of Toy Soldiers, and the Committee for the Right to Bear Arms, who march carrying mannequin arms.

Snotty Scotty and the Hankies are still the official band, even though Scotty passed away. Many groups use their participation in the Doo Dah Parade to raise money for different charities.

In 2010, the parade moved to May 1st and changed its location within Pasadena. In August 2012, the Pasadena Museum of History even had an exhibit about the parade's 35-year history. It showed items and photos from past parades.

The parade was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the 43rd Doo Dah Parade was held again on November 19, 2023, back in Old Pasadena.

Parades Inspired by Pasadena Doo Dah

Columbus Doo Dah Parade

The 2005 Doo Dah Parade in Columbus, Ohio

A very popular Doo Dah Parade also takes place in Columbus, Ohio. This parade was inspired by the Pasadena event. It started in 1983 as a small, informal march by friends from a local tavern.

The Columbus Doo Dah Parade happens every year on the Fourth of July. It marches through the Short North and Victorian Village neighborhoods of Columbus. The parade route starts near Goodale Park and ends at the Short North Tavern.

One of the most popular groups is the Marching Fidels. These people dress like Fidel Castro and pretend to take naps along the parade route. They also "recruit" people from the crowd to join their "Cuban army." Other fun participants include the Emperor of the Short North and the King and Queen of DooDah. In recent years, groups like the Fishnet Mafia and the Ohio Roller Derby have joined. Judges along the route give out prizes for the best and worst entries.

Ocean City Doo Dah Parade

A long-running Doo Dah Parade is held in Ocean City, New Jersey. It usually takes place every April, shortly after Tax Day. This parade started in Pitman, New Jersey, but later moved closer to the ocean. The route goes through downtown Ocean City and then along the boardwalk, ending at the historic Music Pier.

Ocean City's parade celebrates humor and comedy. It features people dressed as famous comedians and movie stars like Groucho Marx, Charlie Chaplin, and Marilyn Monroe. Well-known comedians and TV stars have been grand marshals, including Joan Rivers and Soupy Sales. After being a grand marshal, Soupy Sales became a regular guest. He would lead a "Pieasco" after the parade, where people could throw shaving cream pies at each other, just like he did on his TV show!

All parade participants get a free T-shirt and hot dog. Other regular participants include "Trash Buster" and hundreds of dogs in the annual Bassett Hound Waddle. The parade also gives out awards at the Music Pier. The "Golden Hot Dog" award goes to local entertainers. The "Double Doggy DooDah Glutton-For-Punishment Award" is given to anyone who has been in another Doo Dah Parade elsewhere in the country.

The 2020 parade was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

Kalamazoo Doo Dah Parade

In 1984, a radio station in Kalamazoo, Michigan, started their own version of the Doo Dah Parade. It was created to bring more fun and silly family events to the area. Like the original Pasadena parade, the Kalamazoo Do-Dah parade is meant to be the opposite of the formal Kalamazoo Holiday parade. It also gave a chance for businesses that didn't fit the Holiday Parade rules to participate in a fun event.

On average, the Kalamazoo Do-Dah Parade attracts about 60 groups, with 1,500 participants and around 40,000 people watching! Different organizations have helped run the parade over the years. As of 2015, the Kalamazoo Do-Dah Parade is organized by the Kalamazoo Experiential Learning Center.

Images for kids

• 

  Pasadena Doo Dah Parade, 2009