Strut Your Stuff at Strut the Hooch Comic Parade
At 9 a.m. Saturday morning, April 6, be prepared. In front of the historic Springer Opera House on 10th Street, they will gather. Who will gather? The funnest, frolicking-est gaggle of lovingly wacky eccentrics the Fountain City has ever seen. Welcome to the 5th Annual Strut the Hooch Parade!
Come for clowns, jugglers, horn tooters and snake charmers. The forecast calls for unicorns, kazoo bands, fire trucks and “lawn mower drill teams.” There’s really no telling what assemblage of quirky paraders will arrive. Best of all, you can bring yourself: if you believe in diversity, music, wackiness and joy, dress up and bring the kids and the whole family. At the head of this curious cavalcade will be Captain Hooch himself, leading you and like minded revelers through Uptown to kick off Market Days and Art Beat.
Captain Hooch (a.k.a. Steve Scott) grew up outside Mobile, Al. As a boy, he marched in Mardi Gras bands, and the joy and jubilant spirit never left him. Also inspired by similar parades, like the Doo Dah in Pasadena, Ca., Captain Hooch wanted to bring a cortège of fun to Columbus. In its first year, the Columbus Comic Parade attracted 26 dedicated dancers, a humble beginning, to be sure. But with the encouragement of Richard Bishop (formerly of Uptown Columbus), Steve rechristened the parade Strut the Hooch, enlisted the design help of Jef Holbrook for the logo, and so was born one of the best-loved events of the season.
“We had 200 last year,” Captain Hooch told us, “even with the threat of violent storms.” While we can’t predict this year’s weather, we do expect the parade to be the biggest and most buoyant yet.
With support from Uptown Columbus and countless friends and fellow Strutters, this fun-for-the-whole family parade has become a staple of the Spring season. Participating is easy. Register by email (StrutTheHooch@gmail.com) by giving your name, what you plan do to (remember: fun, funky and family friendly), and your contact information. As Captain Hooch says, “No sweat! Easy peasy!”
Regular attendees include the Muscogee Roller Girls, Whitewater guides, Springer Academy students, and since the beginning, members of the Shriner’s Circus. Questions? Want to get involved? Call Captain Hooch at (706) 315-9117.
by Tom Ingram, Editor