No Dress Code Required
March 1, 2008 at 12:25 a.m.
It is eclectic, fun, entertaining and makes me want to give my wardrobe a second thought. The "March into March" parade contains no central theme and no requirements. After viewing belly dancers standing next to a girl in a tutu and frizzy wig, nothing else surprised me.
I almost felt under-dressed being surrounded by all the costumes and makeup. A group of bicycle riders had devoted their entire faces to being a canvas for the True/False logo. I tried standing next to another girl who was taking some photos, just to blend in. Then I realized that she had the truest and bluest hair I had ever seen. It is hard to blend in with a crowd whose main goal is to stand out.
The "pre-parade" show was just as entertaining as the actual marching down Broadway. The march was short and sweet while providing the most unique entertainment I have ever experienced in Columbia. Gorillas and bears on bicycles traveled right behind a crowd favorite, the Mucca Pazza band. Based in the Chicago area, the band had their stage presence down and kept their energy high. Each individual band member had a different vintage-like marching band uniform on. Some of the jackets looked like they were straight out of the 50s. Not only were their uniforms entertaining, but their music had everyone dancing through the streets. While most marching bands stick to uniformity and structure, their movements can only be described as "different".
The added accordion player and electric guitar player set it apart from anything considered "normal". The head gear was another thing I could not keep my eyes off of. All the electric instruments were hooked up to a megaphone or electric sound projector on top of the musicians' hard hat helmets. Now why hasn't anyone else thought of that?
Broadway came alive before the crowd's eyes as the entire parade, no matter how short it was, traveled quickly downtown in about a 15-minute walk. Shop owners down Broadway gathered close to their glass windows to catch a peak at this once a year parade. Cars were at a standstill while drivers were glancing wildly around, wondering how they got caught in such an event. It would be quite a shock if you had no idea what was going on.
Holding his home-made True/False sign high, this boy was waiting to start the parade.
A saxophone player from Mucca Pazza took a quick breather during their pre-parade warm up.
Large red cloth was a staple in the belly dancers wardrobe.
The large bear was not the only one on wheels.
- Rachel Schroeder
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