Fabulous Fishscenta Beaver is crowned as Beaver Queen at last year's pageant. (Photo by Barry Ragin)
Count us among those flapping our tails about the fifth annual Beaver Queen Pageant — a delightfully campy and unmistakably Durham-y fundraiser — this Saturday evening at Duke Park.

It started in 2005 with about 30 to 40 attendees. It now draws hundreds. Here's how Barry Ragin, a longtime organizer and supporter, describes the origins:

"The pageant got started as a celebration by a small group of beaver lovers in the Duke Park neighborhood in 2005, following a successful effort to persuade the NCDOT not to destroy a family of beavers that had set up housekeeping just south of I-85 along the old Brookline Road. We got the county to enroll in the state's Beaver Management Program (Eddie Culbertson was the county official who did the most work to make that happen), which kept them alive for a time. At least one of that group of beavers was later found hit by a car, and it's possible that the rest of the family moved on to a better lodge. However, the lodge behind Compare Foods remains active, and in fact is one of the largest in NC east of the mountains."

The pageant portion features performances by folk dressed up as fabulous anthropomorphic beavers, almost always with hilarious and bizarre monikers. (Belvis, an Elvis impersonator; Bedonna, a Madonna doppelganger who sang "Like a Beaver"; Flapper La Tail; and, last year's winner, Fabulous Fishscenta Beaver.)

The money raised for the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association has grown exponentially over the years, from $750 two years ago to $3,500 last year. The group is hoping to dam up at least $5,000 this year.

The judges usually are made up of local notables, and this year is no exception. But I've been sworn to secrecy about their real identities, so you'll have to check it out for yourself to learn who is "Beav Perdue," among others.

For some hilarious bios of the judges and other information, visit Barry's blog. (Be warned about prolific use of double entendre...)

If you're planning on attending, try to arrive early before the 5 pm start. Parking is very limited around Duke Park, so walk or bike if you can. No alcohol is allowed, as it is a city park, but feel free to bring your own food and soft drinks. Also, be sure to bring lawn chairs, as the ground will be wet from recent rains.

OnlyBurger and Locopops will be there selling treats, but it's likely they won't be able to feed every man, woman and child there. Also, be sure to check out merchandise commemorating "Woodstick 2009," as this year's BQP is being called, including T-shirts and coloring books.

A personal note: During my years in Durham, this event has achieved somewhat legendary status, as previous attempts to attend have been thwarted by one obligation or another. All that changes this year, and I'm stoked! See you Saturday!