Pasadena’s ‘other parade’ seeks new royalty to serve the Court

With its royal family expanding this year, the kooky court of the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade is setting its creative eyes on upcoming coronations.

The annual tryouts for the popular parade’s Queen will take place on Sunday, Oct. 27, at the Old Towne Pub at 34 Holly Street in Pasadena. All are welcome to show off their talent and temerity in an effort to prove themselves worthy of being Queen for a day, or at least among the parade’s royal house.

The spirited melange´ of people in attendance will also, for the first time, choose two people to be a Royal Night and a Royal Light to join the 45th edition of this hysterical historical parade when it marches through Old Pasadena on Sunday, Nov. 24.

Hoping to be Queen for another day, Natalie “Mama Sunshine” Blackner of Culver City, who reigned at the 2023 parade, will again vie for the honor.

“It was so much fun,” she said of her experience last year, which she shared with her family, all costumed as various insects. “We had a blast.”

Blackner was originally apprehensive about trying out for the honor, especially after arriving at the Old Towne Pub last year. There she witnessed quite a collection of eye-catching costumes and skits.

“There were some really cool creative ones and I thought, ‘No, I am not weird enough,’” she said.

“The only thing I could think to do was to sing ‘Colors of the Wind’ a cappella,” which she did wearing her toddler daughter’s butterfly wings.

“I didn’t think I was gonna get chosen,” Blackner said, but the judging team — composed of former Doo Dah Queens — deigned her delightful by one vote.

Vince D’Orazi, a Pasadena resident who created a Covid-era documentary in 2020 in place of the parade, and whose “Mobile Music Festival” pick-up band leads the parade each year, said the Queen tryouts compose his second favorite day of the year.

“(It) always features an amazing lineup of music,” he said, “and tryout participants who present their talents, freakiness, and beautiful creative souls with the crowd, in the hopes of claiming the crown.”

D’Orazi explained how the parade itself began as a counter to the “other parade,” beginning as the brainchild of some patrons of Chromo’s Bar & Grill, which used to be on Colorado Boulevard.

“They took advantage of that parade never happening when New Year’s Day fell on a Sunday, due to an old agreement with the churches along the parade route on Colorado Boulevard, so on Sunday, January 1, 1978, they took to the streets and held the first-ever Doo Dah Parade to a captive audience of those who were camped out waiting for the following day’s festivities,” he said.

Light Bringer Project, a Pasadena-based nonprofit, took over management of the parade in 1995.

“We like to say that we’re the twisted sister of the Rose Parade,” said Natalie Lydick, project developer.

She said last year’s parade drew around 7,500 people, with hundreds of people participating. More than 50 volunteers help make it work each year, though Lydick said they’re always hoping to get more.

“We don’t tend to do a theme for Doo Dah because we want to let people’s imaginations run really wild,” she said, with an unforgettable assortment of creative floats, costumes and characters making appearances each year.

Likewise for the Queen tryouts, Lydick said all are encouraged to show up and show off their talents. Contestants are admitted to the bar for free, while members of the public, who will be involved in choosing the Royal Night and Light, pay a $5 cover charge. Tryouts begin at 4 p.m., with the official coronation expected at 6 p.m.

“We’re going to allow people to really show their royal spark off and we’re having former royalty be the judges of who the new Queen will be,” Lydick said. Among the past Queens expected this year are MeowMeowz, Red Rosie, Naughty Mickie, and Tippi Headtrip and the Lost Language.

“They should put on a persona that they think is really distinctive … someone who has really put a lot of character into this character they’re crafting,” Lydick advised. “I think that’s what we like to see and what people really remember.”