ABG in the 4th of July Parade


Alameda Backyard Growers rocked the Alameda 4th of July Parade thanks to the pollinator-inspired costumes and float design created and designed by Marla Koss and Cynthia LaCroix. Bikers and walkers dressed as bees chanted to save the bees and donate extra backyard fruit and vegetables to the Alameda Food Bank. Thanks to all of our supporters! See below for notes from Marla.

~ Cynthia’s theme of Pollinators and her vision for decorations (butterfly kites, white picket fence, bees and hummingbirds) came off beautifully–and if we don’t get a prize for it, then we say  ‘bzzzz!’ on the judging!

~ Feel-Good Bakery’s Rick came back to wow the crowd on his skateboard!

~ Our bike-riders (plus Rick on skateboard) made a gorgeous swirling swarm around us walkers and kept the energy level high (in the marchers and the crowd).

~ The Alameda Food Bank was the number just ahead of us, so all we had to do was point at the truck when we chanted about giving to the food bank.

~ The disparate and wonderful bee costumes made us look like the varied population of hymenoptera that work in our gardens every day.

~ Bruemmer Farewell Tour: Gary and Bailey, the Aussie Labradoodle, joined us for a little while; Amanda ditched the carrot costume and rode her bike. This was the Bruemmer’s final ABG parade, since they’ll be moving to a village near Avignon in the fall (oh, la!).

~ The usual perfect-driver award goes to Ron for keeping the truck at the right pace, even while chatting up the Brazilian babes with the fiery feathers and bare posteriors as we passed by their group on Lincoln near the start of the parade route.