Friday, July 25th, 2008
Girls can-can - Dave can't
By Janie Southard
Photo by Janie Southard/The Daily Standard
Downtown Dave Giesige is all dolled up for the 2008 Lake Festival parade Satuday. This year, he'll be joined by a cluster of coquettes, the CanCan Cuties. He sure looks good in that hat, huh!!
Skirts will be twirling on Main Street this weekend and there will be dancing in the streets as The Curbside Queens and Dave put on their annual romp.
Giesige sisters, Crazy Sally Coate of Fort Wayne, Ind., and Amy Caggiano of Celina, have once again roped their brother Dave into some stunning evening gowns and lavish hats for the Lake Festival Parade.
This 20-year tradition is not just some thrown-together, last minute, seat-of-your-ballgown hooley. It takes planning and leg work and that's where Crazy Sal shines.
"Sal has gone around to garage and rummage sales for years gathering up dresses, hats, wigs and other props for this one weekend a year," Dave told the newspaper Thursday morning as he posed in his black crepe jumpsuit featuring spaghetti straps and turquoise net trim on his black picture-brim hat. (Other than being flat-chested, hairy and whiskered, the guy looks quite fetching.)
What always troubles Dave for some reason is that Sal tells people she's buying gowns for her brother in Ohio. Fortunately, this meat cutter's wife and kids go along with the gag.
Sal, Amy and another half dozen gal pals will converge on Dave's abode and shimmy into character for the weekend - can-can girls. "All the girls have these, plus black stockings. They'll be quite the show," he said holding up a frothy green petticoat that will make for a perfect can-can.
The theme changes each year and these madcaps have done patriotic, phony yard sales and many others over the past decades.
For Dave's part, he dances in the street following along with the various high school bands, who, he confessed, were more than a little taken aback during those first years. "But I don't drink and am just enjoying the antics. My wife and kids have a great sense of humor. And almost all the band directors get into the spirit. One was alarmed at first but he's settled down now," Dave said.
One year Dave came out of the house after one of many costume changes (he changes for each band) wearing white pants and a bowtie. "Chippendale," he announced to the crowd. "No, more like Clydesdale," Sal chirped.
This year Dave and the can-can girls will be billing themselves as Gladys Knight and the Pimps. Too bad they won't let Dave can-can; he claims he's got the legs for it. Perhaps, by that he just means he has two.
