Occidental Fools Parade

Out of the clear blue sky Saturday, it rained garters on Occidental.

Men in dresses marched down main street and a band of pink nymphs tossed Chai tea packets to onlookers — all to the beat of polka music.

It was the fourth-annual Occidental Fools Parade, a hippie Mardi Gras of sorts honoring the town’s bohemian spirit.

"I think it’s the strangest thing I've ever seen in Sonoma County," said Lisa May, a Windsor network engineer, as she shoved a piece of lingerie in her pocket. "And I’m from here."

The frivolity began at about 1 p.m. in the Occidental Community Center parking lot. There, a colorful cavalcade of musicians and jugglers, dancers and other performers assembled for a short walk through the one-time logging town of 1,200 people.

Marchers were encouraged to register, but they also could just throw on a costume and show up, organizer Kate Price said.

Wearing a blue pith helmet and a tutu, Price explained she started the parade when she discovered there was no single event celebrating local artists.

She heard about a "Silly Days" parade in the 1970s and decided to revive it and give it a new name.

The fact that it fell a week after April Fools Day adds a touch of irony, some said.

"The fool is not only playful and fun," she said. "But in literature, it’s the wise one. I think that embodies the Occidental community."

Many performers took the frolicking feeling to heart.

Jesse Olsen of Sebastopol, who played sousaphone with the 13-member Hub Bub Club marching band, said his goal was to stir things up. The band practiced a punchy tune as the parade prepared to move.

"We’re about getting out there and making some noise," Olsen said as a bass drum pounded nearby.

Tiffanie Kowalski and her daughter Jennifer, 10, of Rohnert Park wore neon-colored costumes to march in the parade.

Kowalski said after spending the week in a suit for her sales job, she longed for the chance to let loose.

"We’re as neon as we could be," she said before the parade started. "This is very West County."

Jessica Barrilleaux of Sebastopol put a purple wig on her pet pygmy goat and strolled in the procession. She said Max liked all the attention.

“He’s wagging his tail so you know he’s having fun,” she said.

Hundreds turned out to see the parade pass before landmarks like the Union Hotel. At the end of the route, women in bodices and fishnet stockings tossed garters at the crowd from the roof of a vintage clothing store, Aubergine.

Bernie Jungle of Sebastopol caught a pretty laced number.

"This is hilarious," said Jungle, who sported a yellow feather hat and suspenders holding up oversized blue pants. "I didn’t expect this in a small town."