16th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade

FROM THE DEL RAY BUSINESS ASSOC: 

Below are all the details you will need for the 16th Annual Halloween Parade.

Please note a couple of key points that are in the below article:

1)   Deadline to nominate a home is this Sunday 10/21at 5 pm
2)   Costumes can be donated and dropped off at Caboose & A Show of Hands
3)  ***Change in time and location for Best Decorated Stroller Competition ***
4)   Spooky Bean Halloween Haunted Graveyard will once again take place
   
Plans are underway for one of Del Ray’s
favorite traditions, the Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade.  This year it will be held on Sunday, October 28th at 2 pm.  Last year, more than 5,000 participated
in this annual event which included over 2,000 children, special dignitaries
and elected officials; over 50 pets in Halloween costumes; and 25 decorated
strollers. 

The parade begins at 2 p.m. at Mt. Vernon Avenue, south
of E. Bellefonte and continues down to the Mount VernonRecreationalCenter play fields at Mt.Vernon
and Commonwealth Avenues. Children, pets, and strollers in costumes are invited
to march and show off their finest and scariest Halloween garb. 

This year's parade featured awards for Best
Pet Costume, Best Decorated Business, Best Decorated Home, and Best Decorated
Stroller. Judges include elected officials & City Dignitaries.  Deadline to nominate your home or a neighbor’s
home for Best Decorated Home is October 21st at 5 pm and deadline to
nominate Best Decorated Business is October 23rd  - e-mail the addresses todelrayhalloweenparade@yahoo.com and state if it should be judged during the day or night.  Awards will be given out at a brief ceremony
at Mt. Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues
following the parade, along with refreshments (hot dogs donated by 7-Eleven,
cider, and cookies) and goodie bags for the children (including as long as they
last, healthy bags that will not have any candy). Entertainment will be
provided by the popular band Mars Rodeo and again this year thanks to the
Alexandria Jaycees there will be games and activities for the children. They
will take place at the Mt.Vernon fields immediately
following the parade. The Parade and all activities are free! 

***This year, please note that there is a major change for Stroller Entries for both registration location and judging.  Based on feedback from parents, judging for the Stroller Competition
will be done prior to the parade.  Stroller entries must register by 1:30 pm at the corner of Mt. Vernon
Avenue and E. Howell - look for long string of orange balloons &
signs.  Once registered, strollers will
line up on Howell to be judged prior to participating in the parade.  Please allow extra time to get to the judging
area by 1:30 pm especially if your entry is difficult to maneuver or if you are
a large group. There is no fee to register and there are lots of wonderful
prizes donated from our local businesses.  Categories are:  “Creative”,
“Humorous”, “Best Group or Family”, “Less is More” and “Overall”.

Registration for Pets begins at 1:30 pm on
Mt. Vernon south of E. Howell Ave.  Look
for a long string of black balloons and signage to register your pet.
Categories include: “Creative”, “Team”, “How Could You Do This to Me” &
“Best of Show”.

There is no registration required for
children and families that march in the parade - they should gather at Mt.
Vernon Avenue, south of E. Bellefonte.

For the seventh year, we will collect and
distribute Halloween costumes for children who would otherwise go without. We
will be collecting donated costumes at the Caboose Cafe, 2419 Mt. Vernon Avenue and A Show of
Hands, 2204 Mt. Vernon Avenue, and distributing them on Saturday, October 27th,
from 2-4 p.m. at the Mount VernonRecreationCenter, 2701 Commonwealth Avenue.  We are especially in need of larger size
costumes.

After the parade from 5 pm to
8 pm, for the 6th year, families can enjoy a Spooky Bean
Halloween Haunted Graveyard (free!) that is
being constructed by Bean Creative and will be located next to their lot at Mt. Vernon and E. Del Ray Avenue.  It is definitely
a must do Del Ray tradition.  Special thanks to our neighbor, Bean
Creative. 
 
The parade is sponsored by
the Del Ray Business Association (DRBA). We are always looking for additional
sponsors and welcome financial contributions, goodie bag contributions, and
volunteers. Special thanks to Jen Walker as our primary sponsor & sponsor
of the Best Decorated House & to Bobi Bomar sponsor of the Best Decorated
Stroller & Paul Hair from Your Dog’s Best Friend for his sponsorships of
the Best Pet Costume. Finally, if you would like to help stuff 2,000 goodie
bags, come on Saturday, October 27th  at 2 p.m. at the Mount VernonRecreationCenter. We also need lots
of volunteers on the day of the parade. If you are able to volunteer on either day,
please e-mail delrayhalloweenparade@yahoo.com .

We look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday
at 2:00 pm either in the parade or along the route cheering us on!! For more
information or to volunteer, contact:  Gayle Reuter at delrayhalloweenparade@yahoo.comor check out our website at www.visitdelray.com