2012 Pinellas Park Christmas Parade

Updated: Video of parade at bottom of this post

Once again The 501st Legion marched in one of the biggest parades in the area, the Pinellas Park Christmas Parade, which runs down Park Boulevard for over a mile. Our group was voted Best Amateur Unit by the parade committee!

Legion members put together some incredible displays for the parade, including Han Solo in carbonite (left), a wampa creature, wookies and a golf cart with big speakers that played the Imperial March, our theme song (listen to it HERE). 

The parade route was jammed with throngs of people. This is one of my favorite events of the year, and it starts at the home of my friend Brian (in the Vader costume, left), who lives a block way from the parade route.

Members gather in his back yard to hang out before getting suited up.

Note: Click on each picture for a larger view

Left: Brian secures his hand-made puppet, Salacious Crumb, to the hood of his pickup truck. The puppet was signed by the man who operated the original, in Return Of the Jedi.

Below: We struggle to set up the huge wampa costume in the pickup truck bed

Tim does a fantastic, movie-accurate Darth Maul, which involves painting his head with professional-level theatrical makeup using a facial template. 

The first step is laying down the base color with an airbrush.

Below: the facial template is held in place while black paint is applied to apply the Darth Maul pattern on his face and head.

The makeup applied, the horns (made of resin from molds) attached to his head, Tim is now in full Darth Maul mode. He does one of the best Darth Mauls I've seen.

Below left: homemade Star Wars chocolates

Below right: no get together is complete without clowning around

It's time: we head out toward Park Boulevard where our parade staging area is. Our parade position number is 28; we'll be waiting for the parade to begin, when it gets dark.

Below: waiting for the parade to begin

Below: It's almost time! Darth Vader and Boba Fett will ride in the trailer with Han Solo in carbonite. The two wookies will ride in the back of the other pickup truck, and the other members will walk behind, interacting with the crowd.

Here it is: the video edited by Brian, our Lord Vader in this parade:

Here is a video I shot and edited from last year's Pinellas Park Christmas parade. Enjoy, and happy holidays!