ALTON - The 107th Alton Halloween Parade invites community members to enjoy another great year in downtown Alton.
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Starting at 7 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2024, the parade will travel down Broadway through downtown Alton to Piasa Street. Known as one of the oldest Halloween parades in the U.S., the parade’s organizers look forward to sharing it once again with the Riverbend community.
“Since 1916, we’ve had this parade,” said Steve Schwartz, an organizer with the East End Improvement Association. “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 Greg 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.
This year, there are 45 participants in the parade, making it one of the biggest parades in recent history. 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.
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 on RiverBender.com.
For more information about the Alton Halloween Parade, email AltonHalloweenParade@gmail.com.
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