Quick! Name an event that can combine politicians, naked folks (ok, just a few), Klingons, hippies, bunnies, art cars, and cheerleaders on a Sunday afternoon. Only the Tenth Annual How Berkeley Can You Be parade and festival in downtown Berkeley yesterday could do all that. Screwy Louie of Berkeley Liberation Radio kicked off the parade at 11:30 AM on one of the most summer-like days of the year.
Although this year's parade was not as large as it has been in the past and since this isn't a presidental election year, many familiar groups come out for the occasion anyway. The Emeryville Taiko Drummers, Tibetan Youth Council, Berkeley Public Library, and Grandmothers for Peace, were some of the walkers but the largest group consisted of the Art Cars. These are the cars you stare at on your street wondering how long it took someone to put 1000 cds on their Honda, and why. Now you know it takes as long as it takes, and they do it for the art, man.
Guest reporter Valerie J. Cochran, of Your Waitress Photos (which will feature highlights from the event all week), contributing