Miami - Event

A truly off-beat procession, Coconut Grove's King Mango Strut is the only way to prepare for the New Year. Eschewing the classic trappings of an American street parade, the strut's only goal is to have fun with a capital "F".

The parade is a perfect illustration of the humour and wit that pervades the whole of Florida. It began in 1982 when the Mango Marching Band, playing "unsuitable instruments" such as kazoos and conch shells, were not allowed to perform in the Orange Bowl Parade. They were joined by the likes of The Synchronized Briefcase Drill Team and the Strut was born.

The whole parade is a take-off of local and national figures and events that have been prominent in the year, and travels along Main Highway and Grand Avenue in Downtown Coconut Grove. It is now more than 20 years old and continues to be as incisively satirical as the day it was born. The day's celebrations are rounded off with the Post-Strut party, featuring a different band each year.