What must be present to constitute a parade? Having attended my town's Halloween parade this evening (that's right, baby, we celebrate on the day no matter when it falls in the week), I feel equipped to answer that question now. Firetrucks with flashing lights are a must. We had not one but two kick off the proceedings. They were followed by a truck towing a cart full of kids in costumes with instruments. 5th graders, I'd guess, who played Louie Louie five or six times over the duration of the parade. Band, check.
Then came the mass of children (and some parents too) bedecked in Halloween finery walking down one side of Main Street. There was a cop directing traffic at the start, but they didn't actually close the whole road down for it. Capping the costumed pedestrians (I rather liked the dinosaurs I saw) was an ambulance with its lights flashing. And that was it. Well, for me; I had to get home for our trick or treating window in case anyone showed up. The parade revelers wound up at the big party at the Community Center. Peeled grapes, costume contests, all that good stuff.
The photo above is my award-winning alien costume from 1981. I'm holding my huge Hershey bar prize.
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On another Halloween note, my mom was telling me about one of the years I went as a vampire. I must've been in early elementary school because I was missing my front teeth. Like every good vampire, however, I wore fangs as part of my costume. Unfortunately, I got upset because no one recognized me with the fake teeth in. Mom is still laughing about it.
Happy Halloween, everybody!
tags: Halloween, Halloween+parade, alien+costume, disguise
Happy Halloween (well, has-been-Halloween..) to you too :) As posted, we're still a little unsure about the whole thing over here, but I'm all for any excuse to eat chocolate.
ReplyDelete... That's either a huge Hershey bar, or you were really, really short..
great costume! :)
ReplyDeleteScholiast: Chocolate is good! And yes, that was one of those giant Hershey bars. Do you have those over there? (It wouldn't surprise me if they only marketed such excess here.) It's about twice the width of a regular bar and twice as thick.
ReplyDeleteSizzle: thanks! My mom rocked with the costumes.
Cool costume, indeed. I watched the segment from last night's David Letterman's show with the trick-or-treaters, and it was hillarious. Great costumes, and the prizes Dave gave the kids were incredibly funny.
ReplyDeleteElisabeth: Sorry I missed Letterman. Sounds like it was worth watching.
ReplyDelete