In a year without the iconic Doo Dah Parade, Pasadena crowned a new queen Sunday afternoon as Meghan Kanyer, known on stage as Bootleg Meg, won the Doo Dah Takeover at Old Pasadena’s DogHaus.
Kanyer stunned judges with her original performance, “Tripping on Mushrooms and Heartache,” a reflection on the year’s challenges.
Dressed in a rainbow sequined gown with star-themed accessories, she was encouraged by fans to enter the contest despite arriving with no intention of competing. Her coronation was followed by a rousing rendition of the Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” alongside Ashton Slater’s Grateful Get-Down.
Eight contestants vied for the crown, including Shanty Wench, Doo Dah Baby Mama, Jolly Green Queen, Fakeoke Dennis, Shelley No Name, and the elaborately dressed Dr. Bobbs and Princess Cory. The event featured speeches, comedy, dance, and music, with former queens joining the crowd before a lively procession down Big Bang Theory Way to the Old Towne Pub.
Live performances throughout the day included Count Smokula, MA the Band, Seeñor Groucho, StOnYaTtI, The Rock and Roll Preservation Society, Robby Ravenwood and the Funhouse Porcupines, Bone Creek, and 2024 Queen Sparrow Dena. The announcement and coronation took place at the Old Towne Pub, capped by more music from Ashton Slater’s Grateful Get-Down.
The handcrafted crown, designed by Doo Dah Preservation Society co-founder Veronica Andrade, was presented by Sparrow Dena after her ukulele performance of Simon & Garfunkel’s “59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy),” honoring Pasadena’s tradition of irreverent celebration.
Kanyer, an Altadena resident of 15 years, has participated in Doo Dah since 2012 with bands Soul Fuzz and the Rock and Roll Preservation Society. She survived a local fire earlier this year and hopes to launch an outlaw country band under her Bootleg Meg persona.
Natalie Lydick of Light Bringer Project, which produces the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade, told attendees the “enormous and joyous turnout for the Doo Dah Takeover” signals a strong return of the parade in 2026.
Known as the “twisted sister” of the Rose Parade, the Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade has marked 45 years of satire and spectacle. Founded in 1978, the grassroots event has gained national attention for its eccentric floats, art cars, punk bands, and performance artists, inspiring offbeat parades across the country and earning coverage in the Wall Street Journal.
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