What to KnowDoo Dah Takeover, a non-parade partySunday, Nov. 23, 202511 a.m. to 3 p.m. music and the crowning of the Doo Dah Queen at Dog Haus, followed by an after-party at Old Towne Pub from 3 to 6 p.m.Free to enter; food and drinks are additionalThe next Doo Dah Parade will take place Nov. 22, 2026
Never, ever, ever, and we do most passionately mean ever, count the Doo Dah Parade out.
It hardly needs to be said, and yet we’ll pause, with admiration, to say it: The decades-old Pasadena tradition is synonymous with a spunky attitude and a sassy approach to life, which means that even in “off years” the Doo Dah will still be very much switched on.
Even when the famous, and sometimes infamous, event doesn’t exactly adhere to its usual ways.
In short: The whimsical, wacky, way-out-there, do-what-you-like parade, a longtime November staple, is taking 2025 off… mostly.
There will be no march through Old Pasadena, in short, but there will be a couple of joyful parties to take the parade’s place.
Of course, nothing could ever supplant the Doo Dah’s sizable street strut, which began in the late 1970s as a cheeky answer to the pomp-filled Rose Parade. The Tournament tradition will roll on any day but a Sunday, so the Doo Dah’s frolicsome founders chose Sunday as the only day they’ll ever embrace.
The effervescent, anything-pretty-much-goes gathering has “occasional” in its name, because there’ve been a few bumps and hiccups along the way. But it is the bumps and hiccups that the Doo Dah is boldly addressing, in large part, for no matter the downs we face in life, there is always happiness to be found in this creative community event.
And on Nov. 23, Doo Dah devotees will gather at the Dog Haus in Pasadena, followed by an after-party at Old Towne Pub, to enjoy a spirited celebration that is most definitely not a parade but is still pretty dang plucky.
A new Doo Dah Queen will be crowned at the 2025 Doo Dah Takeover, yes, live music will play, and a host of parade regulars, including beloved Doo Dah doyen Count Smokula, who will surely be wielding his acclaimed accordion.
Revelers will be rocking outlandish looks at both affairs, as you might expect, so give your Halloween costume one more public appearance before the year concludes.
The decision to push the Doo Dah Parade to 2026, made by the Light Bringer Project, was not made lightly.
The nonprofit is aiming to “conserve financial resources and sustain the high quality of programs we deliver throughout the community in spite of this year’s wildfires and concerns over possible cuts in education,” revealed a statement on the Doo Dah site.
Want to try out for queen this year? You can: The raucous and memorable auditions begin at 11 a.m. on Nov. 23 at Dog Haus Pasadena.
Eager to simply soak up the Doo Dah aura? It may be a parade-less year, but the merriment and moxie of this long-standing spectacular is very much intact; join the non-parade party on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.