This may be a dumb question, in all the years I've been to TRF I never really thought about it. To put it simply; Who gets to march in the parade ?
For the most part it is participants and cast.
They have on some weekends recruited extras. I have for example marched with the pirates on pirate weekend just so there would be a large enough crowd of pirates to make an impressive showing.
Also different shops will, along with the participants from that booth, recruit some to help show off goods (chainmail and armor shops mostly on that).
*Drinking rum on the death march is kinda rough so I have only done it twice*
Thanks Teach, that's about what I figured.