It's time to put on your wacky thinking cap and get creative, as entries are now being accepted for the 35th Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade.
Here's the big day vitals:
WHERE: Colorado Boulevard (between Altadena and San Gabriel Boulevards) in East Pasadena.
WHEN: SATURDAY, APRIL 28TH, Stepping off at 11:00AM!
COST: Always FREE-of-charge!!
Plenty of street parking is available ~ Parade route is also just west of the Sierra Madre Villa Gold Line Station (at Colorado Blvd. and Sierra Madre Villa). City busses go directly to the area.
Come early! Bring a lawn chair! Visit the local eateries and shops, and attend the after parties all within walking distance.
Official Doo Dah After-Party: American Legion, 179 N. Vinedo St. (2 blocks from Parade at Vinedo & Walnut), immediately following the event. Bands...cheap food and drinks!! $5 cover (supports a Legion charity).
Queen hopefuls should start dusting off their talent for auditions on April 1.
For more information, entry forms and all things Doo Dah, visit
Start making plans the 2012 Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade.
Queen try-outs will be April 1. Location and details TBA. But you can begin work on a stunning costume or gown and hone up your talent so you are fully prepared to wow the esteemed panel of judges.
The parade will be held April 28 in East Pasadena - plenty of time for you to gather up all your friends and make the best, weirdest and most memorable entry ever.
For more information stayed tuned at
On the afternoon of Wednesday, July 27, Atticus was
euthanized. It was the humane thing to do. The Royal Pup had been getting a little slower, although he could still tree Mr. Squirrel and use his smarts to get his best friend Indiana Bones to give up "the good spot" on the couch.
Atti ate a little less than normal Monday and Tuesday, but otherwise appeared fine. Wednesday morning he got up and his back legs were not working correctly, so he was rushed to the vet's office. There, he was diagnosed with massive organ failure, which was soon unfortunately confirmed with a couple of tests. The decision was made to put him to sleep rather than allow things to proceed naturally, which would have been painful and cruel.
The little guy was already full-grown when he was rescued from a shelter by a fellow journalist. His exact age is unknown, but he is estimated to have been 16-17 years old. I was fortunate to have been a part of about half of those years.
Atticus had captured many hearts with his always-friendly attitude and ever-spirited temperament. He inspired people to make the most of their lives and the lives of the animals around them, filling them with love and the pure joy of being.
Best known as a little dog in search of big adventure, Atticus had a life well-lived. He will always have a special place in my heart.
Rest in peace my love,
Mommy
What?! The 34.5th Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade was in April?!
Maybe you missed the biggest party of the year, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it any time you like. The parade was taped and is now streaming at
Make your own big party by inviting your friends over, donning your wackiest outfit, setting out your favorite snacks and tuning in.
Enjoy!
Now carry on, as you were,
31st Queen Naughty Mickie
For those of you who can't get enough of the Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade or missed the 34.5th event, you can watch a recording online featuring me as your delightful commentator along with the ever-steady Dean.
Make some popcorn, settle in your favorite chair and enjoy!
Dear Royal Subjects,
If you are unable to make it out to the Biggest Party in East Pasadena or would rather stay home in your jammies sipping mimosas, you can still catch the fun.
The 34.5th Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade will be broadcast live tomorrow, April 30, at
Listen and look close because you may hear and see some Royalty you know helping out with the announcing!
Now carry on, as you were,
Queen Naughty Mickie
Daring to go where no parade has gone before, this year's Pasadena Doo Dah Parade will
again bring its own brand of raucous eccentricity East, after its successful relocation last year. The 2011 Parade takes place on Saturday, April 30th, stepping off at 11am in East Pasadena along Colorado Boulevard.
Last year, dozens of inventive, if zany, art cars and floats accompanied a legion of frolickers past the mom-n-pop shops along East Pasadena's shady tree-lined streets. They will be joined this year by Grand Marshal Ron Stivers, of Poo Bah Records in Pasadena, and many first-time entries including the League of Steam, Conehead Rocket Sled, Hippie Cream, The Iceland Queen, Rancho Talavera, combined bands of the 35th Dragoon Guards, Mile High Bed, Cheesus Chrust Pizza Company, 2011 Doo Dah Queen Red Rosie of Sierra Madre, Flying Baby High Dive, and the Ladies Auxiliary for Cultural Enrichment, et.al.
Known as the twisted sister of the conventional Rose Parade, the Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade began as a grassroots event in 1978 to gain national attention for its eccentric and, often, irreverent satire. The parade which has spawned numerous off-beat replicants across the country was named by Readers Digest as "America's Best Parade," and was recently featured in the book 50 Places You Must Visit Before You Die!
This year's spectacle will see the return of such wildly diverse entries as a fleet of motorized Kinetic Pastry Science Mobile Muffins, Captain McHogwash's Amazing Chundra, a humungous robotic spitting cat named Boo-Boo Kitty, oddly-attired sound inventors known as The Highland Park Thursday Evening Gentlemen's Society Circuit Bending Marching Band & Ladies' Auxiliary, and the crowd favorite Disco Drill Team, real American Bandstanders. Yes, another Doo Dah is here to help you forget your humdrum existence!
Last year's Parade incorporated over1,000 marchers, including Dr. Steel's Army of Toy Soldiers, Cheap Sax Addicted to Love, Her Royal Highness Queen Erica Valentine, The Martini Kings & Swing-o-matic, Linoleum Bonaparte, the World Champion Whistling Diva, Goddess of Democracy, The Pink-Slipped Pissed off Teachers, Friends and their Pissed-off Kids, Million Marijuana March, FireBrain, Evotrope, Motorized Couch, The Bra-Ettes Dancing Bras, ArtStorm, Thwop!, What Happened in Vegas Should Have Stayed, Gallery at the End of the World, Girls Who Draw Girls on Roller Skates, Classic and scary clowns, and such perennial favorites as the Men of Leisure, BBQ & Hibachi Marching Grill Team, the immortal Doo Dah house band Snotty Scotty & the Hankies, and many more!
WHAT: The 34TH OCCASIONAL PASADENA DOO DAH PARADE
WHERE: Colorado Boulevard (between Altadena and San Gabriel Boulevards) in East Pasadena.
WHEN: SATURDAY, APRIL 30TH, Stepping off at 11:00AM!
COST: Always FREE-of-charge!!
Plenty of street parking is available ~ Parade route is also just west of the Sierra Madre Villa Gold Line Station (at Colorado Blvd. and Sierra Madre Villa). City busses go directly to the area.
Come early! Bring a lawn chair! Visit the local eateries and shops, and attend the after parties all within walking distance.
Official Doo Dah After-Party: American Legion, 179 N. Vinedo St. (2 blks from Parade at Vinedo & Walnut), immediately following the event. Legendary Doo Dah House Band, Snotty Scotty and the Hankies, and Horses on Astroturf, and assorted Doo Dah Glitterati, cheap food and drinks, smoking patio, big screen TV, cash only!! (626) 792-9938. $5 cover Unofficial After Parties: Plate 38, 2361 E. Colorado Blvd. (near Sierra Madre Blvd.), Join Her Royal Majesty the Queen Red Rosie (right after the royals tie the knot!) for your post-parade lunch! American eats, including gourmet burgers, live music, $2.50 Coronas, family-friendly! Poo Bah Records, 2636 E. Colorado Blvd. (nextdoor to The Colorado Bar) will have live bands all afternoon, records, coolness, and the Grand Marshal, owner Ron Stivers!! The Colorado Bar, 2640 E. Colorado Blvd. Featuring cheap drinks, darts and pool, and the Infamous Drunk in the Garage band, immediately following the parade.
For more information go: www.pasadenadoodahparade.info
photographer/reporter Terry Miller. Here's a couple of his photos to pique your interest and a link to his story and video:
