Annual parade featuring wackiness, music, fun coming soon. Here’s how to participate

Captain Hooch, Smiley, the Duck Man and The Phenix City Phoenix gathered recently at the corner at the corner of Broadway and 11th Street in Columbus. The Duck Man pulled out a small rubber duck and began squeaking it to attract passersby.

Although the scene had the trappings of a bad joke, it was actually an effort to get people excited about an upcoming parade organizers describe as absolute silliness. The 5th annual Strut the Hooch Parade, scheduled for Saturday, April 6 at 9:30 a.m. in downtown Columbus, helps kick off Market Days on Broadway and this year’s Artbeat celebration.

“It’s everything fun,” said Andy “The Duck Man” Benicasa. “It’s costumes, it’s music, it’s anything you want to be. It’s all your imagination.”

Benicasa and his wife, dubbed “the duck fairy,” will participate as they have in previous parades. He said Strut the Hooch is among the events and places they’ve visited the previous seven years, handing out squeaky ducks “. . . just to make people smile.”

Organizers are still looking for fun-minded individuals and groups to march in the parade: clowns, jugglers, horn tooters, musicians, animals and more.

“Some people just show up and that’s cool,” said organizer Steve “Captain Hooch” Scott, “but we would like people to sign up so we can put together a good parade and know who’s coming.”

Scott asks those interested to register by sending an email to StrutTheHooch@gmail.com saying who they are and what they want to do.

Participants are asked to meet between 8:45 a.m. and 9 a.m. April 6 near the 10th Street entrance to the Springer Opera House for parade formation instructions.

The parade is set to kickoff at 9:30 a.m. The route is north along Broadway from 10th Street to 13th Street, a quick turn and then back down Broadway.

Scott said they welcome spectators and encourage them to wear costumes..

Go to www.ledger-enquirer.com for a video introduction to Captain Hooch, Smiley, the Duck Man, and the Phenix City Phoenix.