Hello All! Happy New Year! In my efforts to promote dressing up in costumes as often as possible, I have registered a group for the Doo Dah parade in Pasadena this weekend 1/18/09. We will be called the XXXmas afterparty. See this website for more www.pasadenadoodahparade.info.
All you need is a santa outfit (contact me if you need a costume) and to meet the herd using these instructions:

PARADE DAY:
Sunday, January 18th, 11:30am, Old Pasadena

YOUR ARRIVAL:
The staging area is located on Raymond Avenue, between Holly & Walnut Streets.
Please arrive NO LATER THAN 10:30am.
You may enter off of Walnut Street. Vehicles not in the parade will need to drop off people, props, floats, etc., and find parking outside of the staging area.
Come early, mingle, have fun, take pictures, practice your routines, pose, there will be lots of media on hand.

PARKING:
Parking is available in the following locations:
Some free parking is available north of Walnut Street on Raymond Avenue. Please do not use the church parking lots.
Convenient, reasonably-priced parking is located in the Marriott Hotel structure. The entrance is located on Raymond Avenue just off of Walnut Street as you enter the staging area.

More convenient, reasonable parking is located in the Presbyterian Church structure, located on Holly Street, between Arroyo Parkway and Marengo Avenue (only 1-2 blocks from staging area).

There are many other parking structures in the immediate area, including Union Street, between Raymond Avenue and Fair Oaks Avenue, and on Raymond Avenue between Colorado Blvd. and Holly Street.

Memorial Park Station is a stop on the Pasadena Gold Line, which will take you straight to the staging area.

CHECK-IN:
Check-In will be open from 8:00am. It will be located on the grassy area (Memorial Park) at the side of the staging area on Raymond Street. LOOK FOR THE LIGHTNING BOLT! Only the ENTRY CONTACT should come check-in.

Additional entry fees for more marchers, or brand new entries who appear that morning, will be collected at check-in. The main entry contact person (on the form) will be given parade stickers for every participant in their group, who must wear them so to be visible.

PARADE TIPS:
The Doo Dah Parade has no marching order, so find a place that makes you comfortable. But, remember, it’s first-come-first-serve. If you are concerned about your spot, come early. Think about what is fun in front and behind you.
If you’re a band you’ll want to find a place that’s not in front of or behind another musical group. Entries have been really good at figuring this out!
Please do not throw any hard objects into the crowd. As specially requested by an entry, marshmallows have caused problems to their props, so please avoid them.
Make sure and wear comfortable shoes unless your costume begs for something else! Bring water and snacks if you need to for before the parade, there will be vendors selling coffee and hot chocolate, sodas and hot dogs and soft warm pretzels, not to mention the breakfast noted below.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST:
Take advantage of the Pasadena Senior Center “All-you-can-eat!” Pancake Breakfast. The Senior Center is located at Holly Street and Raymond Avenue (at the staging area) and offers its annual fare of pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, eggs, OJ and coffee for $7.00 per person. Breakfast will be served from 8:30am until 11:30am.

SOUVENIRS AVAILABLE:
Official 2009 Pasadena Doo Dah Parade T-shirts can be purchased for $15.00 at the entrance to the Senior Center (corner of Raymond Avenue & Holly Street). Doo Dah pins are for sale for $5.00 and vintage T’s can be purchased for $10.00! When you buy a t-shirt or pin, you are supporting the whole Doo Dah Parade operation, with a percentage also benefiting the humanitarian work of the Lion’s Club of Pasadena, and your support really makes a difference to us, and to others who thank you with good karma points! The shirts will also be sold along the parade route.

OFFICIAL DOO DAH AFTER-PARTY:
Please join us and your fellow participants at the official Doo Dah Wrap Party held at the American Legion Hall located at 179 N. Vinedo Avenue (91107) in east Pasadena (north of Colorado Blvd. between Altadena and San Gabriel). The Legion’s telephone is (626) 792-9938. Don’t miss immortal Doo Dah house band Snotty Scotty & the Hankies and Horses on Astroturf as they entertain us until the cows come home!!


How you can make it!