What Happens Behind the Scenes of the Alton Halloween Parade
Our Daily Show Interview! Alton Halloween Parade Preview!
ALTON - The 107th Alton Halloween Parade is right around the corner.
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The East End Improvement Association is preparing for the parade, to be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in downtown Alton. Organizers Steve Schwartz and Greg Erler noted their excitement — and a few guidelines — ahead of the annual Alton tradition.
“Since 1916, we’ve had this parade,” Schwartz said. “It’s gotten to be a community event. It’s fun to do. It’s expected within the community. It’s one of the best things that I’ve been involved in.”
Schwartz and Erler said that the East End Improvement Association has “a great committee” that organizes the parade every year. This “well-oiled machine” has been working since early September to get everything ready for Halloween night.
Parade participants will attend a meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, at the Alton Moose Lodge to learn more about parade safety and guidelines. This mandatory meeting ensures that the parade runs smoothly. There are 45 participants, which makes this year’s parade one of the biggest in the event’s history.
“We’ll discuss the route and staging and lineup and where drop-off is and what to expect in the parade,” Erler explained. “I think just to keep the flow of the parade is the key to a successful parade.”
The goal is to keep the parade moving forward. Throughout the parade, there are committee members at each section who are communicating with each other, and they encourage the parade participants to speed up or slow down as needed.
There are several safety measures in place. If you are participating in the parade, you need a “wheel walker” at each axle of the truck or float. If your float is a truck pulling a trailer, for example, you need six wheel walkers to walk alongside the float. Parade participants are also asked to have a fire extinguisher on board their car or float, just in case.
Candy is half the fun for the parade goers, and Schwartz and Erler tell parade participants to stock up. They caution against buying suckers, as these hard candies can injure people if they’re not thrown correctly. Instead, participants are encouraged to buy softer candies and aim their throws at the crowd’s feet.
“We always get the question asked by people participating, how much candy do you buy?” Schwartz said. “As much as you can afford.”
Parade participants line up between Main and Washington on Broadway in downtown Alton. These streets will be closed starting at 5 p.m. on Oct. 31. The parade kicks off at 7 p.m. at the intersection of Washington and Broadway, then travels through downtown Alton to Piasa Street.
Like always, the parade’s grand marshal will have a prime spot in the lineup. But the East End Improvement Association decided to switch it up and name two people as grand marshals this year.
“We’re doing something a little bit different,” Schwartz explained. “We are honoring first responders, the Alton Police Department and the Alton Fire Department. They’ll be both represented by their chiefs, Chief [Jarrett] Ford and Chief [Jesse] Jemison. It’s quite an honor to have them as marshals.”
Every year, the parade’s judges recognize a first, second and third place float in five categories: senior youth, junior youth, organizations, family and commercial. There is also the highly-coveted “Best in Parade” award, and plenty of friendly competition.
Like the rest of the Alton community, Erler and Schwartz are looking forward to the Halloween Parade on Oct. 31. They encourage everyone to come out, stay safe and enjoy the festivities.
“It’s been around for 107 years,” Erler added. “People have seen what the product is, and they want to participate…If you build it, they will come.”
You can watch a livestream of the parade here.
For more information about the Alton Halloween Parade, email AltonHalloweenParade@gmail.com.
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