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, usually in the fall or winter. Recently, it moved to the Saturday closest to May Day. This unique event has inspired similar parades in other cities like Columbus, Ohio, Ocean City, New Jersey, and Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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The Original Pasadena Parade: A Fun History
How the Doo Dah Parade Started
The idea for the Doo Dah Parade came about in 1978. A group of friends, including Peter Apanel and Ted Wright, were hanging out at a bar in Pasadena. They wanted to create a silly, laid-back alternative to the very formal Rose Parade, which also takes place in Pasadena.
In 1978, New Year's Day (when the Rose Parade usually happens) fell on a Sunday. The Rose Parade never marches on a Sunday. So, the friends decided it would be fun to have their own parade on January 1st that year. This was the very first Doo Dah Parade! Peter Apanel became the "Czar of Parade" and organized many of the early events.
Some of the first groups to join included the official band, Snotty Scotty & The Hankies, and The Red Shoes Dance Team. People even started throwing tortillas into the crowd, which became a special tradition.
Doo Dah Parade Today
Today, the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade is known for its really strange and funny participants. You might see groups like the BBQ & Hibachi Marching Grill Team or the Shopping Cart Drill Team. There's also the Committee for the Right to Bear Arms, who march with fake mannequin arms!
Snotty Scotty and the Hankies are still the official band, even though Scotty is no longer with us. Many groups use the parade as a way to raise money for different charities. In 2010, the parade moved to May 1st and changed its location within Pasadena. This parade has inspired many others across the country.
In 2012, the Pasadena Museum of History had an exhibit about the parade. It showed items and photos from the past 35 years. The exhibit even recreated part of the original bar where the idea was born! In 2020 and 2021, the parade was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it came back on November 19, 2023, in Old Pasadena.
Other Doo Dah Parades Across the USA
Columbus Doo Dah Parade
There's a very popular Doo Dah Parade in Columbus, Ohio. It was inspired by the Pasadena event and started in 1983. It began as a small, unplanned march by people from a local tavern.
The Columbus Doo Dah Parade happens every year on the Fourth of July. It takes place in the Short North and Victorian Village neighborhoods. The parade route starts near Goodale Park and ends at the Short North Tavern.
One famous group is the Marching Fidels. They dress like Fidel Castro and pretend to take naps along the route. They even "recruit" people from the crowd to join their "Cuban army"! Other fun groups include the Fishnet Mafia and the Ohio Roller Derby. People even bribe the judges along the route to win prizes for the best and worst entries!
Ocean City Doo Dah Parade
A long-running Doo Dah Parade takes place in Ocean City, New Jersey. It's held every April, usually the Saturday after Tax Day. This parade celebrates humor and comedy.
The Ocean City parade features people dressed as famous comedians and movie stars. You might see impersonators of Groucho Marx or Charlie Chaplin. Famous comedians like Joan Rivers have even been grand marshals! After his appearance, kids' TV host Soupy Sales became a regular guest. He would lead a "Pieasco" where people threw shaving cream pies at each other, just like on his TV show!
Other regulars include "Trash Buster" and hundreds of dogs in the annual Bassett Hound Waddle. The parade gives out awards, like the "Golden Hot Dog" for local entertainers. There's also the "Double Doggy DooDah Glutton-For-Punishment Award" for anyone who has been in another Doo Dah Parade elsewhere. The 2020 parade was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it returned in 2021.
Kalamazoo Doo Dah Parade
In 1984, a radio station in Kalamazoo, Michigan, started their own version of the Doo Dah Parade (sometimes spelled Do-Dah). It was created to bring more fun and silly family events to the area. Just like the Pasadena parade is different from the Rose Parade, the Kalamazoo Do-Dah parade is the opposite of their traditional Holiday Parade.
It also gave businesses that couldn't meet the rules of the Holiday Parade a chance to participate in a "silly parade." On average, the Kalamazoo Do-Dah Parade has about 60 groups and 1,500 participants. Around 40,000 people come to watch it!
Today, the Kalamazoo Do-Dah Parade is organized by the Kalamazoo Experiential Learning Center.
