Legendary Michigan Parade May Be In Its Final Years

Parades are one of the most exciting spectacles in life as many people take the time out of their lives to represent their organizations while walking through their city, spreading joy and candy to everyone watching. There are several different parades that happen in a year for several different reasons some of them are national recognized and watched on television.

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Most of the time, parades are coming on holidays like Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July also known as Independence Day. Those parades have a clear reasoning that is tied to traditions connected to the holidays that many of us in the country celebrate but what about those odd end parades that happen throughout the year?

Michigan is a state where there are parades happening in many cities but mostly in the summer months as they enjoy the great weather. Kalamazoo is one of those cities that takes advantage of the opportunity to have special parades that mean something to the community. There's one parade that has been engrained in the Kalamazoo community for decades that's different than any other parade you've ever seen.

Kalamazoo's Do-Dah parade has been a must-see event for 4 decades but as they enter their 41st year, the future is uncertain. The parade has been known as one of the silliest parades known to man as it takes on a different theme every year and participants are encouraged to decorate their float and dress up according to the theme.

There have been endless memories, cavities, and crazy photos taken from Do-Dah parades over the years and almost every single person in Kalamazoo has had the chance to experience the greatness. Deb Droppers, executive director of the parade’s host nonprofit, the Kalamazoo Experiential Learning Center has said the parade is becoming too expensive to host.

Long Time Iconic Kalamazoo Parade May Be In Final Years

Rising costs and economic uncertainty has made it difficult to find sponsors for the parade and they are now being honest with themselves about the future. Labor costs and equipment rentals have become more expensive and raised the total losses for the KELC by thousands.

Last year they lost $7,000 hosting the providing even though they are used to and expecting to lose only about $2,000-$3,000 hosting the event. Their largest expense was traffic modification and road closures through the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. This year's parade will bring fairy tales to life with the theme “Once Upon A Time” on Saturday, June 7, at 11 a.m.

If the parade doesn't at least break even this year than the organizers will revisit the conversation on continuing the parade into the future, meaning this year could be the last year we ever have a Do-Dah parade.