Cotton Candies to hold public kickoff, video shoot ahead of performance in London New Year’s Day Parade

HUNTSVILLE — The Cotton Candies, a Huntsville-based all-female marching krewe with 40 members, are taking their signature pink dance show “across the pond” this holiday season.

The Cotton Candies have been invited to perform in the London New Year’s Day Parade (LNYDP), the world’s largest street festival.

A community-wide kickoff event and video shoot will take place Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. at Straight to Ale Brewery in Huntsville. The video will be aired on national and international television as part of the parade event on New Year’s Day 2019.

About half a million spectators line the streets of London for the LNYDP, which parades down Picadilly and passes many national landmarks, ending at Parliament Square. More than 300 million people watched the live event on television and online in 2018.

The Cotton Candies krewe received the invitation for the 2019 event from parade coordinators, who invited the group “in recognition of a reputation for outstanding performance abilities.”

“The Candies are honored to be part of this international celebration, which features performers from more than 20 different countries,” said April Black, Cotton Candies co-captain. “While some people in the United Kingdom celebrate Mardi Gras, they don’t typically have krewes, so we represent something very unique. We’re hoping to have lots of folks come out to the video shoot and kickoff to represent Huntsville and North Alabama.”

Founded in 2014, the Cotton Candies wear all-pink costumes and white boots. Their diverse krewe, nonprofit group, encourages empowerment and self-confidence through performing and raises funds for local charities. In January 2018, the Cotton Candies Krewe held their first Mardi Gras “Cotton Ball,” which raised funds for the Blount Hospitality House in Huntsville.

To learn more about the Cotton Candies krewe, visit their Facebook page, “The Cotton Candies.”

Straight to Ale Brewery, part of Campus 805, is located at 2610 Clinton Avenue W in Huntsville.