The Doo Dah Parade

Seriously the best parade I have ever seen… deranged chicken people, a herd of Bernie Sanders aficionados, a Bavarian pretzel lady accompanied by a bizarre accordionist, a pink convertible bearing several bare-​chested men, and lots more.
I felt right at home.

Don’t miss it! See pictures here… www​.flickr​.com/​p​h​o​t​o​s​/​v​i​c​t​o​r​c​a​b​/​s​e​ts/72 157 633 374 680 864/

We have been going to the Doo Dah Parade for years, I like seeing the dogs and the disco drill team (YMCA!) we missed seeing the grill team with the flying hot dogs and the invisible man drill team. There were obviously fewer entries this year, but we still had a great time. There were a few entries we didn’t like though, but I guess that it happens every year. We were invaded by flying tortillas and the meteor shower of marshmallows, as well as the usual propaganda, but that’s what makes it all Doo Dah.

I LOVE THIS PARADE. born and raised a true Doo Dah Fan. I used to watch it when it was on T.V. and when Macho Dog was the mascot. I love this unconventional approach to a parade. You will see things like the Lawn chair drill team, drag queens, drunk garage band, Hula hoop girls. Any soft food, worth throwing… please bring! The parade used to be near Old town but now it’s moved to east pasadena. I did not attend last year, which was the first year they moved. I did get the pleasure of being in the 2010 Doo Dah Parade, in Queen Skittles court. I had a blast and would do it gain and again. I think on of these parades, I will apply for Queen :)

Last minute decision to attend this year.
We sure picked a lively bunch to sit with.
Tortillas wars started way before the parade did!
Like last year, we were nice and let some kids sit on the curb in front of us.
Next time, we’re chasing them off!
(Hahaha. What a grouch I am. But hey, because of the kids taunting the parade folks, we got silly stringed, pelted with shaved ice & tortillas, marshmallow goo on the bottom of our shoes, and every time we caught something worth keeping or eating, they’d turn around and look at us with that «Can I have it?» face. And one of them slipped a hotdog foil wrapper in my purse. Gah.)
Anywho…it was more kid-​friendly this year.
Minus some groups where parents would have to answer cringe-​able questions.
Yay! My favorite group, The Disco Drill Team was back!
There was a bit of disappointment for me though.
Some of the groups listed were MIA.
I was kinda missing The Bastard Sons of Lee Marvin & Elvespa…
And, where were the Dead Robert Palmer Girls?
I kid.
All the participants put on a fun zany show as always!
Oh yeah, we also came home with chicken feathers stuck on us.
Had a good time as always though!
Check my local photos link to see this year’s pics.
Oh wait, check out my hubby’s new girlfriend… www​.yelp​.com/​u​s​e​r​_​l​o​c​a​l​_​p​h​o​t​o​s​?​u​s​e​r​i​d​=​T​u​q​5​9​V​S​d​q​n​C​m​o​t​r​_​9​1​0​J​o​Q​&​a​m​p​;​s​e​l​e​c​t​=​M​K​w​b​_​U​n​i​K​4​f​5​6​L​_​o​G​ummIQ

It changed locations this year, this time on Colorado Blvd closer to Sierra Madre Blvd.
Watch out for the marshmallow gunk — it’s sure to get on your feet. Ick. XD

SO MUCH FUN!!! This is what a parade should be. I can’t even pinpoint my favorite group. I don’t even know how to describe it so you have to view the pictures people have taken. Plus, it’s fun when you can chuck tortillas at the exhibits and they throw back at you. But, it’s not so fun when one them hits you in the face.

Five stars!!! In all honesty I’m not much of a parade kind of guy, but if you throw in the Drunk in the Garage Band, Hula Hoop Girls, the drunk grandma on the unicycle, and the Tiger Woods’ float, you are going to have a great time!
Tortillas were flying everywhere! The crowd was loving it! The parade was about a block long and it lasted about two hours. The weather was great and the times were good!
I loved the zombies, the drag queens, the motorcycles, and everything in between! If you haven’t been to the Doo Dah, you have to make a stop! I’ll see you next year :)

I LOVE that this is the antithesis of the Rose Bowl Parade! The grand marshal this year was Charles Phoenix. (he’s the guy who does those retro slide shows. Google him! Which is on my «to do» list next year!
We went last weekend and it was a HOOT! A couple of hours’ examples of free speech extraordinaire’ does it get any kitschy ier’ than this?
Parking is OK, we parked in a lot that was near Green and it was $ 4.00 all day. Lots of folks were able to find street parking but you need to arrive about ½ hour or so for that. We arrived exactly at start time and still managed to find close parking.
If you arrive early enough, take a chair or find benches. I even saw some folks who made their own «risers» now that’s a parade aficionado!
It’s definitely a do it at least once kinda thing. VERY LA!

Well let’s face it folks, I’m no Rose Queen. I can however be honored in the Doo Dah Parade!
I actually entered this year with a group of scooters and we rode the route in style! Getting ready and setting up was more fun than the actual parade, and I met a lot of great people and got some great photos.
(HERE IS THE ONLY REASON I’M SUBTRACTING A STAR) If you are reading this and you are a spectator for future years: Please don’t throw marshmallows and water bottles at the scooters. It is not really safe and it really irked me that parents handed their kids marshmallows and told them to «aim for our heads.» It took everything in me to not stop and whack you with my helmet.

Best Parade Ever!
Pasadena’s Occasional Doo Dah Parade is the thought-​up-​in-​a-​bar antidote to the sickly corporate cleanliness of the Rose Parade. After enduring 5+ NYdays of standing watching squeaky clean fake Americana covered with flowers, it was a much needed refresher to see the flip-​side to Pasadena… the weird, the funny, the drunk and the surreal.
It’s the parade for Roller Girls, Furries, Drag Queens, Activists, Disco-​lovers, Dog Owners, Über-​Camp Gays, Star Wars Geeks, Political Satirists and people who smoke a shit load of weed.
Bring marshmallows, tortillas and necklaces to throw. Come early with a chair to bag the best spots and wear the weirdest clothes you’ve got. If you have a strange shaped bicycle covered in fur with a fish dangling off the back, you could probably just join in. There aren’t many rules, if any at all.
2009 highlights:
The mass unveiling of the new hit video game ‘Bagpipe Hero’
A man in a bunny suit driving a sinister Hearse with license plate ‘YOR NXT’
Hibachi Grill Team’s pump-​action hotdog rocket launcher
A weiner dog covered in marijuana leaves
Small kids beating up a giant TV with plastic baseball bats
I’ll be back next year