NORFOLK, Va. — It was a Norfolk tradition. Or at least, an occasional tradition. Ok, so maybe not much of a tradition at all.
The Doo Dah Parade was a zany, fun event held by Festevents in Downtown Norfolk on April 1st. Its first incarnation was in 1992 and our reporter Joe Flanagan took center stage, along with about 30 others wearing prosthetic Joe masks and each donning a different "Joe's Job" costume.
In the end, the Joe's Job Corp won the foolish event, and in the years that followed, Joe would often find himself the parade's grand marshal.
Over the years it saw many notable participants. According to The Virginian-Pilot, units included "the Bed Pan Brigade, the Wingtip and Umbrella Precision Drill Team, the Marching Elvises, the Giant Food Items Unit, the Pooper Scooper Brigade, the Marching Waiters, the Dentist Drill Team and many more 'foolishly fun' people."
It being dubbed the "Occasional Doo Dah Parade" seemed appropriate and, thanks to a multi-year hiatus, it wasn't until 2007 that it celebrated its 10th edition.
As best as our research into this tomfoolery can tell, it only went for one more year, 2008, before the silliness was put to a halt for good.
Still, there's undoubtedly many an otherwise fine folk who long for the parade's return, just to have one day of the year to let the foolishness reign supreme.