(San Francisco, 09-09-2008)

The REEF float at the 15th Annual Pistahan parade in San Francisco on August 9, 2008 was a big hit with the crowd. 

Pistahan is a two-day festival featuring artists and various cultural activities, and a community parade.

Promoting the opening of the Philippine Coral Reef Exhibit, the float featured giant seahorses, seaweed and other marine life, while a giant clam shell provided a fitting backdrop for a blonde-haired mermaid. 

At the front of the float, Dr. Terry Gosliner (left) and Dr. Meg Burke (right) of the Academy, dressed as scuba divers, kept Miss Coral Reef (center) company. 

Children perched on a rock blew bubbles, and REEF members walking alongside the float handed out flyers to the crowd. 

With Three Dog Night’s “Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog” blasting from the speakers, the REEF float was easily the most exciting and colorful in the parade.