If there is one event that still brings joy to folks young and old it’s a
parade. We have them for Memorial Day, 4th of July, Veterans Day and
the countless summer festivals, of course who can leave out the
Thanksgiving Day parades and the arrival of old St. Nick himself. What a
fun way to spend part of your day watching the marching bands, floats,
fire trucks and various groups like the local Scout troupes making their
way down the street. Perhaps you like the Shriners in their cool little
cars buzzing around in formation, or the local dance school putting on a
routine right there on Main Street. For many people it just wouldn’t be
a parade with out the clowns. Years ago the Circus would have a parade
down the main streets of town to advertise for the up coming shows. To
see the enormous Pachyderms marching single file pulling the cages of
wild animals was surely a treat. The clowns were always a hit many times
riding atop one of the trailers playing in the clown band. The
acrobats, jugglers and stilt walkers thrilled the crowd inviting
everyone to see “the Greatest Show on Earth!”
So how about the clowns today - does your
Clown
Alley participate in your communities’ parades? If so what do you do?
Clown bands are unfortunately not seen much these days, not even in the
Circus. Let’s have a look at some ideas for you as you march those big
floppy feet down the streets of town.
How to get involved:Usually
the Chamber of Commerce or City Hall will have information on joining
your local parade. Typically it requires nothing more than filling out
the participant form and turning it in for approval. I don’t think any
one would deny having clowns in their hometown parade. This is a great
PR move for your clown alley.
Safety First:This is
something that cannot be stressed enough, be cautious and aware of your
surroundings in a parade. There are moving vehicles and floats that
can’t easily maneuver around the parade route, so watch your step as you
walk the parade route. When riding on a float, make sure that you are
steady on your feet our have a safety rail to hold on to, even at slow
speeds one could loose footing. When you dismount the float make sure
the driver is well aware of passengers coming and going. We had a clown
from our alley who seriously hurt her knee to the point of needing
surgery due to a driver pulling forward while she had one foot on the
ground and one still on the float. Also remember to stay hydrated out
there have water on hand for the group. If at all possible, have a
vehicle in the parade in case some one needs to sit sown and you can
carry water and have a place to store props. The vehicle also can be
decorated and advertise the name of your clown unit. Also for you stilt
walkers, know the parade route, some parades may have extreme inclines
that could make your walk difficult.
Time to have fun:Now that we know to look both ways before entering a parade, let’s give you some ideas to please the crowd.
Smile
and Wave to the on lookers as you walk the route; we are ambassadress
of good cheer after all. Walking close to the crowd giving high fives
and shaking hands is great too.
Clown Props
are an awesome way to really go nuts with the crowd. They are
lightweight and easy to carry so you won’t tire out from carrying heavy
things. Running past the crowd gently “Bonking” folks with a jumbo Foam
Hammer really makes them laugh. Grab your Giant Pair of Scissors and
over sized Comb and offer free haircuts. One of my clown friends had a
cool satchel made to carry her props down the parade route; it looks
sort of like the old news carrier bags. This is also a perfect time for
Juggling, the crowd loves to see
clowns juggle and the supplies again are easy to carry.
Audience participation:This
is very easy to do and works really well when the parade stops or hits a
slow point. My friend Tippy and I will each choose a side of the parade
route, as typically there are spectators on both sides of the street.
We have a contest to see which side of the street can cheer the loudest.
One clown starts with one side of the street, the second clown gets
there side cheering, and this can go back and forth about three times
before announcing a winner. Trust me, people go crazy for this and will
going away smiling from this simple little game, not to mention, the
people up the street will be wondering what magnificent thing is coming
there way.
Simple routine:Use your
clown hat
as a prop. Wave to the crowd with it, fan yourself as if you are too
hot, or trade someone in the crowd hats and pose with them for a
picture. Drop your hat on the ground, as you walk towards it to pick it
up, give your hat a kick so it scoots away from you. Continue this for a
few steps and you will have the crowd roaring. This is a great bit for
Hobos and Tramps Obviously you want to use a hat that can take a
beating, many clowns will have specific shoes and costumes just for
parades so that the really expensive gear does not get ruined.
Handouts:Is
it a good idea to pass things out like little toys or candy? Well yes,
but the key word here is passing them out to the crowd, don’t throw them
from a vehicle or from the middle of the street. Most parade
coordinators have this as part of their rules; do not throw candy! The
reasoning here is that the kids will run into the parade route to grab
candy that has fallen to the ground and may get hurt. Children typically
are sitting right at the curb of the street so we can easily walk right
by and gently toss candy from a safe distance. Party supply stores also
have large bags of little toys that also are nice for a handout but may
be a bit more costly.
Vehicles:Not everyone can
afford a cool little clown car but they certainly are a welcomed sight
in a parade. The Clowns Around Redford, clown alley in the Metro Detroit
area, had been fortunate to have a few members with various modes of
clown transportation over the years. For a period of time Soomi and
Snudek would be seen driving their clown mobile with its many
accessories like a bubble machine and squirting windshield washers.
Speedy has a really cool Model A style car that is fun to see going
putt-putt-putt down the street or Apples the clown and his mini
locomotive which even has a passenger car. Of course you can always
decorate your own vehicle or even pull a trailer decorated like a parade
float, this is also great for clowns who may not be able to walk and
entire parade route. Just make sure that you are driving at safe speeds
and watch for all the folks around you.
Tips:
- Make sure that you and your group adhere to the parade coordinators rules; you want to get invited back of course!
- Be on time for the line up, there is nothing worse than trying to join a parade that is already on the move.
- Be cautious, remember you are around moving vehicles or are driving
one yourself; people can still get hurt moving at slow speeds.
- Be courteous to those around you; make sure your skit does not interfere with one of the neighboring parade groups.
- Make sure your group has transportation back to the starting point.
If you have walked a long parade route you may not have the energy to
walk back to the staging area.
- Remember to have fun, be safe and stay hydrated.
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