Radio host, humorist, and one of the original organizers of the King Mango Strut, Buzz Fleischan, makes his pitch for “King Coin”’ a riff on the FTX debacle, as he tries to con parade attendees into purchasing the worthless digital currency. The 39th Annual King Mango Strut, Coconut Grove’s famous and most iconic satirical parade, took place on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, and kicked off the month-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Coconut Grove.
Carl Juste
cjuste@miamiherald.com
Hundreds of people flocked to the streets of Coconut Grove with one purpose in mind: laugh out loud — together.
King Mango Strut returned Sunday for the first time in two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The satiric and topical parade has been poking fun at Miami, the state — and the country — for nearly four decades.
The spectacle kicked off the month-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Coconut Grove. The event’s theme was “The Queen is Dead, Long Live the King,” intended to honor the reign of a new era and a renaissance to commemorate this momentous occasion.
Here are a few snapshots of the jubilee — and some of the references they poked fun at.
Buzz Fleischan, center, makes his pitch for “King Coin”’ a riff on the FTX debacle, as he tries to con parade attendees on purchasing the worthless digital currency. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com
The King Mango Strut satirizes the Prince Harry and Meghan controversy with the British Royal Family. The 39th Annual King Mango Strut, Coconut Grove’s famous satirical parade, took place on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com
Screaming teen-age girls satirize the lack of swiftness in getting Taylor Swift tickets. The 39th Annual King Mango Strut, Coconut Grove’s famous satirical parade, took place on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com
A parade watcher at the 39th Annual King Mango Strut in Coconut Grove gets the “King Coin” reference as paraders mock the FTX debacle. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com
The King Strut Parade could not resist making fun of Donald Trump’s keeping secret documents in Mar-a-Lago. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com
It’s hard to be a queen, especially if you are dead, Venus Lovely waves to the parade crowd as an expression of adoration during the 39th Annual King Mango Strut on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com
Paraders mock the “Deadliest Catch” show with their version, the “Deadliest Crotch,” at the 39th Annual King Mango Strut, Coconut Grove’s famous satirical parade, on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com
A parader mocks Gov. Ron DeSantis’ migrant flights as a flight attendant of DeSantis Airlines during the Annual King Mango Strut in Coconut Grove on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com
Members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishnas) dance down Grand Avenue in this year’s King Mango Strut in Coconut Grove on Jan. 8, 2023. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com
This story was originally published January 8, 2023 at 7:46 PM.
Grethel covers courts and the criminal justice system for the Miami Herald. She graduated from the University of Florida (Go Gators!), speaks Spanish and Arabic and loves animals, traveling, basketball and good storytelling. Grethel also attends law school part time.
