EAST ALTON - 'Twas the night before Halloween, and all through the streets, children were stirring and picking up sweets.
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The East Alton Halloween Parade, sponsored by the East Alton American Legion, will march through the streets of the town at 7 p.m. on Moday, Oct. 30. Chief parade organizer Steve Huck said the parade will move from its staging area in Berkshire Plaza toward Main Street, onto Shamrock Street, Smith Street and St. Louis Avenue, before coming to its conclusion at the East Alton American Legion. A costume contest for children presented by the legion's Women's Auxiliary group will immediately follow the parade.
Huck said the parade will go much the same as it always does, since its creation by the legion sometime in the 1930s, around the same time the legion itself was established in the area.
He also wanted to address a rumor he has been hearing regarding this year's parade. Huck said people will absolutely be throwing candy to people from the parade - but only if they are on foot. The rules regarding the parade did change this year after meeting with the East Alton Police Department, Huck said. People will no longer be allowed to throw candy from vehicles.
"We had a meeting with the police chief about it, and Alton has been doing it like this for years," Huck said. "I think they had a kid run up on the vehicles while people were throwing, and we don't want someone to fall under a vehicle and get hurt. So, this year, we asked all floats have walkers alongside to throw candy - and yes, they can throw the candy. People have been calling saying they heard they have to hand them candy. No, walkers can throw it."
An exact number of those floats throwing the candy is not available at this time, and Huck said the legion accepts applications for the parade through the weekend before it. If someone has entered, however, he asks they meet at the East Alton Shop N' Save no later than 6:15 p.m. the night of the parade.
The parade will most likely start with the East Alton Police Department's D.A.R.E. vehicle followed by firetrucks, village officials and the floats.
Following the parade, the costume contest will award kids from three different age groups, 0-3, 4-7 and 8-10, on costumes based on how scary, pretty and original they are. Huck said prizes for the contest will range from $2-$5.
For more information about Halloween across the Riverbend, check out our spooky Halloween page!
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