Doo-Dah Parade stokes flames of freedom in Lewes

It wouldn't be a Lewes Doo-Dah Parade without Kathy Hughes holding the torch of freedom high as Lady Liberty. BY DENNIS FORNEY

A team of super heroes stands ready to fight for freedom.

Bev and John Eykelsheimer brought Ben Franklin, a Revolutionary war soldier and the Declaration of Independence to the parade.

Sebastian Elizalde adds bubbles to the festivities.

Andy Shaw, Ed Shockley and Mike Shockley charge the air with snapping cadences on their snare drums.

The Doo-Dah Parade is all about floats, red, white and blue and lots of patriotic partiers.

Phyllis Hoenen has been grand marshal of the Doo-Dah Parade for at least 50 years.

Led by American flags, the Doo-Dah Parade makes its way up Savannah Road.

For some Doo-Dah revelers, freedom means peace and love.

Bob Miller, with his tiny Model-T, does not miss Christmas or Doo-Dah Parades in Lewes.

Rob Perciful rode his authentic Mardi Gras-beaded bicycle in the Doo-Dah Parade.

Derek Cole trailers his patriotic sons Ransom and Willet in a tandem rig.

Dick Bryan hauls a load of fresh Historic Lewes Farmers Market volunteers through the Doo-Dah Parade route.

John Zacharias, accompanied by John Souder, couldn't resist the temptation of showing off his recently restored VW bug in the Doo-Dah Parade.

Andy and Alex Riggin make sure that our troops know we love them.

The Lucky Penny Produce team shows its colors during the Doo-Dah Parade.

Linda and Jim Gaskill took advantage of the Doo-Dah Parade to check-off Princess in a Parade from Tatiana Maroney's bucket list.

Everybody loves a parade and gets in on the patriotism at the Doo-Dah Parade.

A classic surf vehicle, painted the color of the July 4 sun, helps bring a colorful conclusion to the 2012 Doo-Dah Parade.

Dennis Forney

July 5, 2012

Event Date:

It wouldn't be a Lewes Doo-Dah Parade without Kathy Hughes holding the torch of freedom high as Lady Liberty. BY DENNIS FORNEY

A team of super heroes stands ready to fight for freedom.

Bev and John Eykelsheimer brought Ben Franklin, a Revolutionary war soldier and the Declaration of Independence to the parade.

Sebastian Elizalde adds bubbles to the festivities.

Andy Shaw, Ed Shockley and Mike Shockley charge the air with snapping cadences on their snare drums.

The Doo-Dah Parade is all about floats, red, white and blue and lots of patriotic partiers.

Phyllis Hoenen has been grand marshal of the Doo-Dah Parade for at least 50 years.

Led by American flags, the Doo-Dah Parade makes its way up Savannah Road.

For some Doo-Dah revelers, freedom means peace and love.

Bob Miller, with his tiny Model-T, does not miss Christmas or Doo-Dah Parades in Lewes.

Rob Perciful rode his authentic Mardi Gras-beaded bicycle in the Doo-Dah Parade.

Derek Cole trailers his patriotic sons Ransom and Willet in a tandem rig.

Dick Bryan hauls a load of fresh Historic Lewes Farmers Market volunteers through the Doo-Dah Parade route.

John Zacharias, accompanied by John Souder, couldn't resist the temptation of showing off his recently restored VW bug in the Doo-Dah Parade.

Andy and Alex Riggin make sure that our troops know we love them.

The Lucky Penny Produce team shows its colors during the Doo-Dah Parade.

Linda and Jim Gaskill took advantage of the Doo-Dah Parade to check-off Princess in a Parade from Tatiana Maroney's bucket list.

Everybody loves a parade and gets in on the patriotism at the Doo-Dah Parade.

A classic surf vehicle, painted the color of the July 4 sun, helps bring a colorful conclusion to the 2012 Doo-Dah Parade.

Freedom rang loud in Lewes on July 4th as the annual Doo-Dah Parade, with the barest of regulation, ended a day of independence celebration in the First Town in the First State. They came out with old cars and new cars, red, white and blue cars, super-hero-bedecked cars, and more red stripes and white stars than a presidential inauguration.

Benjamin Franklin and a revolutionary war soldier were there with the Declaration of Independence and at one point one of the largest Doo-Dah Parades in history stretched all the way from Lloyd's Market to the Zwaanendael Museum.

Phyllis Hoenen, grand marshal of the parade for more than 50 years, sat on a float and sang patriotic hymns, while children tossed and caught candy to the beat of snare drums and Johns Phillips Sousa music blaring from generator-fired speakers.

And they were all greeted by thousands of people lining Kings Highway, Second Street and Savannah Road dressed in patriotic colors and deep in the spirit of freedom and independence.

The parade started right about at 5 p.m. this year, earlier than in past years, but Lewes Police wanted to get the parade moving and the streets reopened to busy holiday traffic as soon as possible.

Mayor Jim Ford said he thought the parade went off well. "There were a few people mad because they were held up in traffic but they'll get over it. I particularly liked the guy standing up for the rights of carrots. Only in Lewes."