With a theme of "Reunited and It Feels So Good," the 74th Mardi Gras Halloween Parade will return to Columbia on Thursday, Oct. 28. The parade will step off at 7 p.m. from 10th and Manor streets before proceeding along the 1.5-mile route that will include blocks of Manor, Fourth, Union, Second, Locust and Sixth streets.
The parade is sponsored by the Columbia Lions Club and Sunsnappers, which have announced that Robert A. Herman Jr. will serve as grand marshal. He and his wife, Sylvia, will lead the parade in a horse-drawn carriage. Five divisions will be featured in the parade, and attendees will be able to see high school marching bands, baton groups, Scout troops, floats, walking groups, fire companies and local businesses. A steam calliope will be the final unit, which has been a tradition for nearly 20 years.
"Everyone loves a parade, and that's especially true in Columbia," said Paul Resch, vice president of the Lions Club. "People really look forward to both the Memorial Day parade and the Halloween parade. ... We're ready to put on an awesome parade this year, hopefully one of the biggest and best ever."
Resch noted that interest in the parade is higher than usual this year since the past three parades - two Memorial Day parades and one Halloween parade - have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year is believed to be the first year the Halloween parade was canceled in its history.
Parade organizers are encouraging spectators to light up the parade route with their cell phone lights as a sign of unity and a tribute to all those affected by the coronavirus as the first division passes by.
Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three winners in various categories. John Grunden, Lions Club treasurer, explained that judges are anonymous and roam the parade route to rate entrants on their overall appearance and performance. This system helps ensure that parade viewers get a fair representation of what each unit has to offer, including things that might have been missed if the entrants were to save their best performance for a specific reviewing area. Several nonprofit organizations will sell food along the parade route. For the safety of spectators, parade participants are reminded not to throw candy from floats, Resch said. Handing out candy along the curb line is permitted.
Columbia Borough Police have identified social distancing zones along the parade route that will be designated as no parking areas to allow spectators to spread out along the curb line and safely watch the parade. Municipal parking lots at 102 Locust St. and the 200 block of Avenue H will be open, and parking will be available from 6 to 9 p.m. at St. Peter's Catholic Church, 121 S. Second St.; Holy Trinity Church, 409 Cherry St.; and Columbia United Methodist Church, 510 Walnut St.
For more information or to enter a unit in the parade, call John or Cheryl Grunden at 717-684-2714 or search for "Columbia Mardi Gras Halloween Parade" on Facebook.
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