Hometown Doo-Dah Parade in Lewes, DE

"Old-fashined Hometown Doo-Dah Parade

Nominated by Maura Jenkins

An early Doo-Dah parade. They’ve only grown since! (Credit: Maura Jenkins)

Our town has an old-fashioned, hometown parade every Fourth of July called the Doo-Dah parade. It was a tradition started by the Shockley family as the grand finale to the their annual Independence Day party.

Now, the entire town of Lewes joins in the Doo-Dah parade. (Credit: Maura Jenkins)

Stories About the Hometown Doo-Dah Parade

I think the niceness has to be experienced, or experienced in the many pictures online! Words alone will scarcely do it justice. The niceness lives in neighbors helping neighbors get their floats ready, the applause and laughter of children, and the creativity of the patriotic floats that show such love of country. The town of Lewes is one of the friendliest beach towns you’ll find, with the Lightship Overfall acting as our anchor drop every New Years Eve, town fireworks on the beach, and roots as a Dutch whaling village settled in the late 1600s. But I chose the Doo-Dah parade as my point of niceness because when your sitting on any random porch or curb along the route of the parade and someone offers you sweet tea or a piece of pie as you watch your neighbors crazy patriotic floats, assembled with love, roll by…you know you are home. And what’s nicer than being home.

A Doo-Dah parade “float.” (Credit: Maura Jenkins)
Pie contest winners live in glory, the rest are served a slice of humble pie. (Credit: Maura Jenkins)
This mini Model T makes for a model float. (Credit: Maura Jenkins)