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Parade Performance Tips for Your Mascot Character

You’re preparing for a parade, and you want your part to go off without a hitch. With the right approach, you can steal the show at every corner you pass by. A critical part of the show will be your mascot character’s actions, which will draw the crowd’s attention and give them the energy they need to have a great time. That being said, a great mascot character performance will require more than just donning a costume. Both you and the person wearing the costume have to go into the parade with a plan. Here is how to make your next parade a success:
Always think safety first!
When an environment is the perfect temperature for everyone else, the person inside of your mascot costume will be hot. It may be so hot and humid inside of a mascot costume, in fact, that a person inside of it can suffer from heat exhaustion, faint or even have a heat-induced stroke. Because of this, your number one priority for mascot character performance has to be your mascot character’s well-being. To ensure safety, you must take the following steps:
Minimize the amount of time spent in the costume
The less time your mascot wearer spends inside of your costume, the less he will be subjected to the uncomfortable conditions therein. Time the dressing and undressing of your mascot to be as close to the start and finish of your parade as possible. For longer parades and hotter days, schedule breaks when your mascot wearer can relax without the costume on.
Instruct your mascot character to pace himself
Your mascot character will want to energize the crowd throughout the entire parade. While he can display energy the whole time, you must make sure that he doesn’t burn himself out in the process. Always instruct your mascot wearer to pace himself by splitting his time between prancing around with the crowd and simply standing on a float and waving.
Invest in a well-ventilated mascot costume
The quality of your mascot costume will have a huge impact on the overall safety of your character. Poor ventilation will make the costume hotter than it needs to be, putting the wearer inside at risk no matter what he does. Avoid this by always investing in a quality mascot costume that features good ventilation for cooling airflow.
Keep your mascot character in character
Your mascot costume was designed with a specific set of character traits in mind. These traits are what endear audiences, and you want to make sure that your mascot character can pull off the mascot’s true personality without a hitch. Therefore, you and your costume wearer should be doing the following:
Make sure that your mascot character has a place to change
A part of the image that your mascot character creates is derived directly from the sight of the costume itself. This image will be immediately shattered if someone sees a normal human being pop the head off and climb out of the costume. Always have designated areas like vans or checkpoints for your mascot to change.
Don’t neglect the audience
It won’t matter who the mascot is supposed to be engaging if it completely ignores everyone. In order to create an atmosphere of livery around your float, instruct the costume wearer to directly engage the audience by dancing with people, taking photos and acting out any playful antics that reflect the mascot’s personality.
Is your mascot character ready for the show?
Preparing your mascot for your upcoming parade right now will ensure that you will be able to deliver a show that everyone remembers.