The King Mango Strut

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Donate to DONATE TO GAINESVILLE'S FLYING PIG PARADE, organized by glenn terry Last December we created the World's First Flying Pig Parade in historic downtow… glenn terry needs your support for DONATE TO GAINESVILLE'S FLYING PIG PARADE

Words to live by: “They who shun whimsy shall suffer rigor mortis before death.”

“I grew up in Miami and came here to the University of Florida, and ended up with a law degree. I practiced for a number of years before realizing I was meant to be an art teacher. So I went back to school and at 44 I switched careers."

“I’ve always enjoyed creating events that bring people together. I love parades and in the 70's formed the 'The Mango Marching Band'. As non-musicians playing kazoos and conch shells we had a gas performing in local parades. We tried to get into the big one, the annual King Orange Bowl Parade, but were turned down (they said we were too silly), so we said, 'To heck with you' and started our own parade. ‘The King Mango Strut', a zany, light-hearted parody of a holiday parade, became a huge success and is now in its 41st year.”

“When my wife and I moved up here in 2019, I wanted to start something similar. Three years ago I put on a the King Mango Christmas show at Heartwood, every year we have a neighborhood Halloween parade, and last year I produced our city's 'Essential Worker Appreciation Month'. Then I started working on my big parade ideas again. At last year's Halloween procession Heidi Stein showed up with her friends as "The Flying Pig Brigade". I thought, 'Flying Pigs... Hogtown... that's perfect for a Gainesville parade!’ And thus, the world's first Flying Pig Parade was conceived, with its birthdate scheduled for Saturday, December 30th.”

“I later found out that airborne oinkers have been around since Roman times. John Steinbeck stamped his correspondence with a flying pig and these words: 'Reaching for the stars on the wings of a pig'. The critters represent achieving the impossible. It's like saying, 'Glenn Terry will become Gainesville's mayor when pigs fly".

“Eight months ago I posted a flyer around town with King Mango coming to Gainesville on the back of a flying pig. Last June I formed a parade committee. We managed to raise the $12,000 necessary to take over the streets for a few hours. Now we are looking for North Florida's most exuberant people to march with us. Amateur actors, musicians, dancers, retired fire-eaters, stilt walkers, puppeteers...all those folks to help bring King Mango's spirit to Gainesville and celebrate all that is wild and wonderful about Gainesville. To be in our parade you just have to be funny, entertaining, and/or inspiring' (we make an exceptions for kids, they only have to be cute). We want our participants to be amazing, to defy the audience’s expectations, and for the whole parade to be over the top - in a good way - and in the process, create a new Gainesville tradition.”

“Our parade's purpose is to create laughter. Pickleballers will play with real pickles We're also going to poke fun at the crazy stuff that happened during this past year. For instance, they are making it harder to vote – less polling places and so forth. In our parade we’re going to have a ballot box in the middle of the road. When people approach it to cast their ballots it will run away.”

“Our committee, which meets twice a month to drink beer and share ideas, is surprisingly organized. We invite potential participants: performers, groups, and volunteers, to apply through our website (see below) to be a part of 'The Pig'."

“What I appreciate about living in Gainesville is being close to nature and far from the maddening Miami crowd. I tell my friends there, 'In Gainesville I can go anywhere in 10 minutes and park - most likely for free - in 10 seconds.' Making money drives Miami and here it is secondary. Education seems to be the main thing, much more worthy than running a hedge fund.”

- Glenn Terry is Top Banana of December 30th's Flying Pig Parade. It begins at 2 PM on Dec. 30th at Bo Diddley Plaza. Connect with the parade via FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/619570883232508, the web: https://flyingpigparade.org/ or email Glenn: [email protected]

DOES ANYONE WANT TO STRUT NEXT MONTH? Sunday, December 26th marks the 40th anniversary of the Grove's signature event, the King Mango Strut. The parade's organizers tell us the pandemic has made it impossible to take over the streets this year. Assuming this is true (holiday parades will be happening in other cities this year) perhaps we should celebrate this occasion with a grand gathering in Peacock Park, or, a "secret" mini-Strut in one of our hidden neighborhoods.
What do you think about having a virtual gathering to share ideas? I can host a half-hour discussion on Zoom. If you'd like to participate in this virtual gathering next week let me ("Glenn") know, at [email protected].

King Mango's lil' Halloween Strut was a big success last Sunday. About 160 of us took to the streets with spirit, sun and spooky fun. That's the King himself leading the Mango Marching Band!

King Mango Halloween Parade 2021 This is a parade around the Florida Park neighborhood in Gainesville, FL led by King Mango. Great job of organizing Glenn Terry!