Doo Dah Replaces Street Parade With Memorial Park ‘Love-In’

Pasadena’s Doo Dah celebration will take the form of a music and art gathering rather than a street parade on Sunday, Nov. 22, with organizers planning a free, all-ages afternoon at Memorial Park.

Called ‘The Doo Dah Love-In,’ the event is scheduled to begin at approximately 11 a.m. at 85 E. Holly St. in Old Pasadena.

Light Bringer Project, the organizer, said in an Oct. 28 news release that it hopes to bring Pasadena and Altadena residents together after the Eaton Fire disrupted last year’s parade plans.

Spaghetti Cumbia is scheduled to headline the afternoon. The announced lineup also includes The Hankies, Radioactive Chicken Heads, Count Smokula, Shag Party, Bonehenge, Robbie Ravenwood and the Funhouse Porcupines, Rocka Chewbacca, The Nextdoors, The Whistling Diva, StOnYAtTi, Bone Creek and Soul Fuzz.

Former Doo Dah royalty Queen Mercy of the Merkettes, Taquila Mockingbird and Bootleg Meg are expected to appear, along with newly crowned 2026 Queen Hannah Jung-Bauer and her court, according to the organizers.

Jung-Bauer won the crown at the Oct. 25 queen tryouts at Old Towne Pub, where she performed in a googly-eyed hoop skirt that she raised above her head to resemble a tornado. The selection followed a competition involving 25 hopefuls.

Activities beyond the bandshell will include appearances by parade participants and displays of handmade crafts, wearable art, vintage clothing and interactive work by local artists and makers, the organizer said. Majano’s Coffee and Fat Boys are expected to provide food and refreshments. Visitors are encouraged to bring blankets or a picnic.

The outdoor gathering replaces the familiar street procession. The 2025 parade was postponed amid wildfire-related disruptions and uncertainty over funding for youth arts education. Organizers also were unable to secure permits for a traditional parade this year.

The Doo Dah Parade began in Pasadena in 1978 as an unconventional counterpart to the city’s Tournament of Roses tradition. Light Bringer Project is the nonprofit that produces the event.

After the park gathering, the official Doo Dah after-party will take place at Old Towne Pub, 66 N. Fair Oaks Ave., with live music by Ashton Slater’s Grateful Getdown. That event is also free, but admission is restricted to adults 21 and older.

The city’s Memorial Park listing identifies restrooms, drinking fountains, a picnic area and a playground at the bandshell’s location. Further event information is available through the parade’s official website.

NEED TO KNOW

Event: The Doo Dah Love-In. When: Sunday, Nov. 22. Time: Approximately 11 a.m. start. Cost: Free; all ages. Where: Memorial Park Bandshell, 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena. For more, call (626) 590-1134, email pasadenadoodah@gmail.com or visit http://www.pasadenadoodahparade.info.