ANYTHING GOES DOO DAH DRAWS ANTI-TRADITIONAL.Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer PASADENA - The weird, the raunchy raun·chy adj. raun·chi·er, raun·chi·est Slang 1. a. Obscene, lewd, or vulgar: "[He] and the wacky descended on Old Town Pasadena Built on the foundation of one of the oldest, most beautiful and most prosperous cities in California, Old Pasadena arose from the ashes of a decaying bowery that had a well deserved patina of homeless and hippie. on Sunday for the 26th annual Doo Dah Parade The Doo Dah Parade is a popular farcical and flamboyant parade held in Pasadena, California on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Founded in 1976 as a response to the traditional formality of the Rose Parade, which is also held in Pasadena, the Doo Dah Parade features absurd parade , the city's spoof of its more traditional New Year's Day New Year's Day, among ancient peoples the first day of the year frequently corresponded to the vernal or autumnal equinox, or to the summer or winter solstice. In the Middle Ages it was celebrated among Christians usually on Mar. 25. rival. On a day when irreverence rules and anything goes, everything went - down, the parade route that is. From Toastmasters tossing toast and the Libertarian Party The Libertarian party was founded in Colorado in 1971 and held its first convention in Denver in 1972. In 1972 it fielded John Hospers for president and Theodora Nathan for vice president in the U.S. general election. pelting paradegoers with peas, a symbol of world peace, to the Briefs Brigade sporting nothing but white boxers, the dozens of entries offered something for everyone, especially smiles. Thousands of paradegoers, many sporting beads and colorful hats, sat or stood at least six people deep along Raymond Avenue and Colorado Boulevard Colorado Boulevard (or Colorado Street) is a major east-west street in Southern California, United States. It runs from Griffith Park in Los Angeles east through Glendale, the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Arcadia, ending in Monrovia. . The two-hour spectacle - dubbed by some as Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (mär`dē grä), last day before the fasting season of Lent. It is the French name for Shrove Tuesday. Literally translated, the term means "fat Tuesday" and was so called because it represented the last opportunity for meets the circus because of the clownish attitude - featured live bands, and free junk tossed into the crowds. More San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. residents found their way into the mix this year, many of them participating. Northridge gave birth to The Spawn of Captain James T. Kirk. Trekkie Tony Genovese and his group, a menagerie of Vulcans and aliens, said they wanted to pay tribute to one of ``Star Trek's'' most famous captains and all the children he may have sired while stomping through the final frontier. ``James T. Kirk was a cowboy,'' Genovese said. ``He may have spawned across the galaxy.'' On the Spot, a comedy troupe also from Northridge, represented some of the most famous spots in history, from those on Monica Lewinsky's dress to the much-discussed, G-spot. Richard Devere went as the spotted Gateway computer cow, complete with a rubber udder udder: see mammary gland. attached to his stomach. ``I've wanted to do the Doo Dah for a long time,'' Devere said, while squeezing his udder. ``To me, it represents the anti-traditional.'' Burbank gave paradegoers a human burrito. About a dozen people representing burrito fillings, such as black beans, lettuce and sour cream, walked behind a large tortilla, pausing occasionally to sit in it and wrap themselves up. This year, the parade went back to its anti-establishment roots, turning serious themes like the impending im·pend intr.v. im·pend·ed, im·pend·ing, im·pends 1. To be about to occur: Her retirement is impending. 2. war on Iraq into political satire. ``Make Doo Dah, not war,'' one group's sign read. The Green Party slammed President George W. Bush and turned him into a huge stick puppet. The Mini Army Tanks from Long Beach featured children dressed as soldiers riding around in toy tanks. Whatever the message, many paradegoers cited the creativity behind each entry. Russell Eagan and his family drove from Valencia to catch the parade. ``For 20 years, I would read about the Doo Dah Parade in the papers and think I missed it again,'' Eagan said. ``We've been coming for three years. We like the irreverence of it.'' His daughter Sarah, 10, said her favorite entry was last year's ``Barbie on a Hibachi Grill.'' This year, she got Bungie Barbie - or Barbie dolls dangling by rubber bands tied to sticks. ``You've got a lot of characters here,'' said 9-year-old Jaime Henderson of Pasadena. ``It's funny. Kind of dumb too, but funny.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Spectators sport flamingo hats, among other items, during Pasadena's Doo Dah Parade on Sunday. (2) Charles Delvalle of Twentynine Palms lights up his Uncle Fester before the start of Sunday's Doo Dah Parade in Pasadena. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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