In addition to depressingly rare rays of sunshine, we also spotted the following things at this year’s iteration of the Funk Parade: free hug signs, a 51-foot joint, Mayor Muriel Bowser, and dogs in a wide variety of carriers. Naturally, the able photographers of DCist’s Flickr pool captured the kaleidoscope of color and movement with equal flair.

Co-founders Justin Rood and Chris Naoum launched the inaugural Funk Parade in 2014, but the city forced them to go around U Street (causing such a tight fit that it was dubbed “the rally in the alley”). The government gave them permission to shut down the corridor last year, though, marking the first time in 17 years that U Street was closed to traffic. This year, the parade return to U Street and got its own crowd-sourced anthem to boot.