A little after 11 a.m. on Sept. 20, marching bands, real estate companies, therapy dogs, senior living facilities, arts groups, vintage cars, roller derby players, representatives of Forbes Library, recumbent bicyclists and one Gertrude the Gargoyle traipsed through the streets of Northampton for the 4th annual Doozy Do Parade.
Mark Karpel, the self-proclaimed “Father of Doozy Do” and a board member of Northampton Neighbors, dreamt up the idea several years before the parade’s inaugural run in 2022. After seeing images of the wacky, alternative Doo Dah parade in Pasadena, Calif., Karpel knew that a similar parade would thrive in Northampton, a famously quirky city. He proposed the Doozy Do parade to the Northampton Neighbors’ board in 2019 as a major fundraising event for the organization.
In recalling Doozy Do’s origin, Karpel made it clear that Northampton Neighbors is in vital partnership with the parade. “I don’t want the organization to get lost behind the event,” Karpel explained.
Northampton Neighbors is a fee-free virtual retirement village, a community aimed at keeping older individuals in their homes by connecting people to the services they need. The volunteer-led organization handles everything from flipping mattresses to guiding members through tech issues for more than 2,000 community members in the Northampton area.
While it serves as the primary fundraiser for Northampton Neighbors, Karpel explained that Doozy Do does far more. “It’s a fundraiser, it has connected us with so many other nonprofits in Northampton … It’s an intergenerational mixer, and the longer we have it, the more that winds up being true,” he said.
Indeed, every corner of Northampton came together to participate in the parade. The Expandable Brass Band and Northampton High School marching band strutted down Main Street with their shining instruments and coordinated uniforms, while A2Z Science and Learning Store and the Been Around Still Around dance troupe made their way to Pulaski Park. Buses of people from the Northampton Senior Center waved at parade viewers while a procession of electric vehicles trailed behind. Well-known local characters added extra flair to the parade, including Noho Mando, a Northampton resident famous for dressing as the Mandalorian character from “Star Wars,” and the Pioneer Valley Puppet Company.
After the parade, attendees and marchers alike gathered in Pulaski Park for Downtown Doozy, a live music program that extended the festivities.
Amidst the many parade-goers, which included children dressed as princesses and wizards, dozens of dogs and a number of high schoolers, there was one Northampton demographic that was noticeably missing: Smith College students.
Karpel has previously worked to encourage the Smith community to participate in the parade, though his efforts have been mostly unsuccessful. “I tried every year to get Smith involved. I tried to get a cappella groups, I tried to get teams,” he said. “I don’t have the answer as to how to get them, but I would not be surprised if what has the most effect is students … who have the enthusiasm. That’s what drives the parade.”
Two Smith students who attended this year’s Doozy Do shared the very enthusiasm that Karpel praised.
“[I was] enthralled by the little goblin creature, and we decided to attend. It’s just so fun, and it’s nice to see everyone in Northampton gather,” said Ellie Paximadas ‘28, attending her second Doozy Do.
Paximadas brought her friend Langley Owen ‘28 along for the 2025 Downtown Doozy. “I wish more Smithies would come out! I don’t know if they know about it,” Owen said.
As next year will mark the fifth anniversary of the Doozy Do, perhaps the wacky celebrations will draw in even more Smithies, bridging the gap between the college and the broader Northampton community. Karpel’s dream for the Doozy Do has turned it into the extravaganza it is today. “When I thought of the functions [of the parade] I wanted it to be a love letter to the city of Northampton,” he said.
