It's an enthusiastic group that prepares annually for the W.C. Handy Street Strut parade.

They practice their moves that come with a little Dixieland flair.

They decorate umbrellas (and sometimes bicycles, scooters and baby strollers), and some even dress in costume in a quest to be named the best strutter, the best umbrella decorator or even the Grande Ooh-Pee-Doo, the person who holds the honor of leading the next year's parade.

The Ooh-Pee-Doo named at Saturday morning's parade will get the opportunity to sit in a specially prepared lawn chair throne during the Handy Java Blues Jam concert program taking place all day Saturday in Audubon Mill Park.

It's an enthusiastic group that prepares annually for the W.C. Handy Street Strut parade.

They practice their moves that come with a little Dixieland flair.

They decorate umbrellas (and sometimes bicycles, scooters and baby strollers), and some even dress in costume in a quest to be named the best strutter, the best umbrella decorator or even the Grande Ooh-Pee-Doo, the person who holds the honor of leading the next year's parade.

The Ooh-Pee-Doo named at Saturday morning's parade will get the opportunity to sit in a specially prepared lawn chair throne during the Handy Java Blues Jam concert program taking place all day Saturday in Audubon Mill Park.

Also at this year's parade -- presented by Downtown Henderson Project, led by Grande Ooh-Pee-Doo Deanna Meeks and sponsored by Alcan -- there also will be special recognition given for Best Use of Aluminum in honor of the sponsor.

The Street Strut will form around 9:30 a.m. beside Central Park on Main Street and at 10 a.m. will travel up Main to Second Street, on Second Street to Elm Street and on Elm Street back to Central Park. The Jeff Harmon Jazz Band will provide music to strut by.

In the meantime, there's a full day of music taking place on the riverfront today starting at noon.

According to Handy music chairman Dorin Luck, it's a mixture of excellent local/regional bands (Blues 4U, Hog Maw Blues Band and The Beat Daddys), an upcoming singer/songwriter (Eric Lindell), a "horn band" from the south side of Chicago (Big James & The Chicago Playboys) and headliner Tab Benoit, a Louisiana musician and wetlands activist who in May won the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year and Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the year at the Blues Music Awards, formerly the W.C. Handy Awards.

"Tab is at the top of his game," Luck said. "It's always nice to have a performer of his quality as the headliner on Friday night. We're going to be rocking."