1. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Mummers Parade
The Mummers Parade is America’s oldest folk parade, dating back to 1901, and it’s one of the weirdest New Year’s traditions around, according to Travis Hughes and Dan Stamm from NBC 10. Thousands of costumed performers strut down Broad Street in a mashup of vaudeville, marching band, and full-on theatrical spectacle. It’s split into categories like Fancy, Comic, and String Band—each with its own chaotic charm. Some performers spend all year sewing sequins and planning skits.
What makes it so strange? Well, where else will you see a brigade of clowns with umbrellas break into choreographed dances before launching into a comedy sketch about the mayor? It’s deeply Philly—scrappy, proud, and wonderfully bizarre. The Mummers have their own slang, rituals, and a fiercely loyal fanbase.
2. Portland, Oregon – The Adult Soapbox Derby
Yes, Portland keeps it weird with a parade of homemade gravity-powered cars careening down a hill in Mount Tabor Park, John Patrick Pullen from Travel Portland explains. While technically a race, the Adult Soapbox Derby is as much about creativity and costumes as it is about speed. Expect to see everything from unicorn-themed racers to Viking ships on wheels. It’s an unfiltered expression of the city’s offbeat energy, and people come out in droves to cheer and laugh.
What makes this “parade” truly strange is how earnestly absurd it is—participants spend months building wild contraptions just to crash them. The event has been rolling since 1997 and embraces Portland’s DIY ethos and flair for eccentricity. No motors allowed, just gravity and guts. And yes, plenty of beer and cheering spectators line the course like it’s a local holiday.
3. Key West, Florida – Fantasy Fest Parade
Fantasy Fest is Key West’s answer to Mardi Gras, and their annual parade is something else entirely, according to CBS News. It’s all about risqué costumes, body paint, and over-the-top floats, often with themes that teeter on the wild side. Held in late October, the Fantasy Fest Parade crowns a week of uninhibited fun and eccentric pageantry. Let’s just say it’s not exactly kid-friendly.
The parade has featured everything from giant sea creatures to politically charged floats that spare no one. It’s a surreal, tropical fever dream that locals and tourists alike look forward to. Costumes are highly encouraged and often barely there, with body painting booths set up all over town. If you’re looking for pure, unfiltered revelry with a pirate-meets-burlesque twist, this is your spot.
4. Pasadena, California – Doo Dah Parade
Pasadena may be known for the Rose Parade, but the real oddball gem is the Doo Dah Parade, according to Kevin Tidmarsh from LAist. Created in 1978 as a spoof of the more traditional Rose Parade, this event is proudly absurd. Marching bands are replaced with kazoo players, lawn chair drill teams, and people in banana suits. It’s basically a parade for those who want to laugh at parades.
Every year, the participants bring new quirks—there’s been a flying baby brigade, a motorized barstool gang, and even an invisible marching band. The Doo Dah Parade embraces an anything-goes attitude that has kept it going for decades. It’s unpredictable, irreverent, and occasionally even politically satirical. You won’t find floats with roses, but you will find a whole lot of personality.
5. Minneapolis, Minnesota – MayDay Parade
Put on by the community arts organization In the Heart of the Beast, the MayDay Parade in Minneapolis is as earnest as it is unusual. Since the 1970s, this early May event has used giant papier-mâché puppets and eco-conscious messaging to celebrate spring, community, and social justice. It’s part parade, part protest, part pagan spring festival. Expect to see 20-foot-tall birds, sun gods, and dancing bees.
The parade culminates in Powderhorn Park with a ceremony called the “Tree of Life,” where winter is banished and spring is welcomed. It’s whimsical and a bit trippy, but full of heart and purpose. Local artists and volunteers work for weeks to make it all happen. It’s one of those events that leaves you smiling and squinting at the same time.
6. Somerville, Massachusetts – HONK! Parade
The HONK! Parade in Somerville is a loud, brassy celebration of activist street bands from around the world. The parade features dozens of socially conscious brass ensembles, all marching with a message. It’s not uncommon to see a band playing Beyoncé covers while holding up climate justice signs. Music, protest, and revelry go hand in hand here.
Held every October, HONK! is the highlight of a weekend-long festival that includes spontaneous performances and community workshops. The parade route winds through Davis Square, and the vibe is radically inclusive. It’s like Mardi Gras met a political rally and raised a child with a marching band. Bring earplugs—and an open mind.
7. San Francisco, California – How Weird Street Faire
San Francisco doesn’t do anything halfway, and the How Weird Street Faire is proof. This annual event is technically a parade, but it’s more like a roving dance party through downtown’s SoMa district. People show up in glitter, space suits, steampunk gear, or nothing at all. It’s one part music festival, one part performance art, and two parts acid trip.
There are multiple themed dance zones, each blasting a different genre—from psytrance to dubstep—and yes, there are plenty of costumed dancers on floats. The parade portion moves at a glacial pace because everyone’s too busy vibing. It’s chaotic, colorful, and completely unfiltered San Francisco. Don’t expect organization—expect weird.
8. Burlington, Vermont – Mardi Gras Parade
You don’t expect a full-on Mardi Gras in Vermont, but Burlington throws one that’s both strange and heartwarming. Organized by Magic Hat Brewing Company, the parade mixes traditional floats and beads with eco-activism and Vermont charm. It’s got the usual suspects—marching bands, dancers, and costumes—but with local flavor, like maple syrup queens and Bernie Sanders puppets. Yes, those have really shown up.
The parade has also raised money for local charities, making it a feel-good spectacle. There’s something delightfully surreal about catching beads in 20-degree weather. The vibe is part New Orleans, part “quirky small town with a conscience.” Leave it to Vermont to make Mardi Gras wholesome and weird.
9. Manitou Springs, Colorado – Coffin Races Parade
Before the famous Emma Crawford Coffin Races, Manitou Springs holds a parade of coffins. Yes, decorated coffins pushed by costumed teams race through town in memory of a 19th-century local who wanted to be buried on a mountain. The pre-race parade is a hilarious spectacle where teams show off their haunted hearse-style floats and morbid themes. Think zombie brides pushing a skeleton-filled sleigh.
The event blends spooky humor with small-town spirit and a touch of the macabre. There’s also a bit of Victorian cosplay flair, with steampunk funeral attire and cobweb-covered umbrellas. The whole weekend is a celebration of Emma Crawford’s bizarre legacy. Only in Colorado could you turn a ghost story into a community party.
10. New Orleans, Louisiana – Krewe of Chewbacchus
In a city full of wild parades, the Krewe of Chewbacchus still manages to stand out. It’s a sci-fi and fantasy-themed Mardi Gras parade with an absurdist twist. Imagine a rolling throne for Baby Yoda, Wookiee Elvis impersonators, and Daleks throwing beads. This krewe combines nerd culture, satire, and DIY parade floats made from shopping carts.
Unlike many other Mardi Gras parades, Chewbacchus welcomes anyone who builds their own contraption and follows the rules—no gasoline-powered vehicles and all floats must be human-powered. It’s a glorious mix of cosplay, drag, and Star Wars references, often with clever political jabs. The name is a mashup of “Chewbacca” and “Bacchus,” which tells you all you need to know. It’s a geeky fever dream with a second-line beat.
11. Anchorage, Alaska – Running of the Reindeer
This one’s more of a dash than a parade, but it’s just too strange not to include. Every March, as part of Anchorage’s Fur Rendezvous Festival, people literally run down the street with reindeer. It’s inspired by Spain’s Running of the Bulls, but with way more layers and less danger (hopefully). Some runners dress in costumes—think Elvis suits, superhero capes, and even polar bear onesies.
The parade-like atmosphere includes music, food stalls, and thousands of spectators lining the snow-packed streets. The reindeer don’t always cooperate, often stopping mid-run or taking detours into the crowd. It’s bizarre, charming, and very, very Alaskan. And yes, they really call it “Rondy.”
12. Gilroy, California – Garlic Festival Parade
Garlic may not sound festive, but in Gilroy, it’s parade-worthy. The annual Garlic Festival once kicked off with a parade full of garlic-themed floats, costumed cloves, and the unmistakable aroma of roasted garlic wafting through the streets. You’ll see garlic queens, garlic tiaras, and garlic-bedecked convertibles. It’s pungent and proudly so.
Though the full festival was paused due to safety and funding issues in recent years, the spirit of the garlic parade lives on in smaller events. Locals still gather in quirky costumes to celebrate their town’s claim to fame. There’s something hilariously wholesome about a vegetable-themed procession. Especially one that ends in garlic ice cream.
