Whole lotta sniffin' going on at 2019 Do Day Day parade, festival
Thousands of people and dogs flooded Rhodes Park in Birmingham on Saturday for the 2019 Do Dah Day festival.
The day began at 11 a.m. with the annual parade along Highland Avenue. It started at the Highland Park Golf Course and wound past Rushton Park and Rhodes Park before concluding at Caldwell Park.
Dogs of all kinds participated in the parade, and many were dressed in costumes ranging from Wonder Woman and Captain America to a princess and a peacock. The best-dressed award went to a pet dressed as Yoda from the Star Wars movies. The best movie-themed pet was one in Harry Potter attire.
Two Irish wolfhounds took the largest pet award, while the best float went to a float with a Mexican fiesta theme. The “best team” in the parade went to the Disco Amigos, a dance group that entertained the crowd with groovy moves and costumes from the 1970s.
After the parade, the festival continued in Rhodes Park with musical acts on a stage, dancing, food trucks, a children’s art contest, face painting and bungee jumping.
And given that the parade and festival are fundraisers for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society and Friends of Cats and Dogs Foundation, there were lots of dogs being led around on leashes — and a whole lot of sniffing going on.
Musical acts that participated in the festival included The Starlings, Roots Posse, Nikki McCleod, Taylor Hunnitcutt, The Stink and Holiday Gunfire.
Rusty Russell, president of the Do Day Day board of directors, said he was very pleased with the turnout for this year, the 41st year for the event. With a blue sky hanging overhead, he said he couldn’t have asked for better weather, which always has a huge impact on attendance.
An attendance estimate was not yet available, but Russell said the festival and parade typically draw anywhere from 7,500 to 10,000 people. The event typically raises about $30,000 to $40,000 for pet-related charities, he said.
Because admission to the festival is free, the money comes from the sale of drinks, T-shirts, hats and coozies, parade entry fees and fees paid by vendors and food trucks, Russell said. There also was a crawfish boil on April 28, and several restaurants held fundraiser days where they gave 10 percent of their proceeds to Do Dah Day.
Additional proceeds came from the pet royalty competition. People can register their pets to be considered for pet king and pet queen, and the male and female pet that raises the most money are crowned king and queen.
This year’s king was Banksy, a 7-year-old orange tabby who, as a kitten, was found in downtown Birmingham under the hood of a truck. He found a home in Highland Park.
This year’s queen was Bebe, a 5-pound Pomeranian dog found a few years ago wandering on the side of a road. She has a heart murmur, collapsing trachea, severe arthritis and dislocated kneecaps and is believed to have been completely blind since birth, according to her bio on the Do Dah Day page.
This year’s Do Dah Day festival was consolidated into just one park — Rhodes Park. Over time, it had expanded to Rhodes and Caldwell parks, but organizers switched back to one park this year to help trim expenses, Russell said. Doing so likely saved about $10,000, which is more money that can go to the charities, he said.