Anaheim Halloween Parade – Drive Thru Style

, 3 Comments on Anaheim Halloween Parade – Drive Thru Style

I’m lucky enough to live in a town that has a Halloween parade every year. Under normal circumstances, there is a fall festival during the day before the parade starts. The festival is full of games, artists selling their unique works, and live music. Then as the sun sets the parade, with its collection of fun floats, local high school bands, and even a hearse club, makes its way through Anaheim. But, as you can imagine, that is not happening this year. Committed to keeping the tradition alive, the festival moved online, with musical performances streaming, and the website linked to the various artists who normally sell at the festival. The parade turned into a drive thru experience where the floats were stationary with various members of the Anaheim Halloween Parade team dressed up, along with members from Bob Baker’s Marionette Theater, waving as locals drove past, a kind of reverse parade if you will.

Despite just sitting in the car, I used the parade as another excuse to wear a Halloween-ish outfit. After purchasing this amazing bow from Stitchcrvft, I was inspired to put together a Halloween interpretation of Lucy’s iconic outfit of when she met William Holden in I Love Lucy, with that absolutely amazing open skirt over cigarette pants.

Myself wearing a black top that features an open skirt, with black cigarette pants underneath. A white blouse peeks out at the top and a large orange bow with a print of black cats is worn at the neck.

Myself, seated on our orange couch, vintage Halloween decorations hang behind, wearing a black top that features an open skirt, with black cigarette pants underneath. A white blouse peeks out at the top and a large orange bow with a print of black cats is worn at the neck.

Myself wearing a black top that features an open skirt, with black cigarette pants underneath. A white blouse peeks out at the top and a large orange bow with a print of black cats is worn at the neck.

Close-up of my bow, a large "pussy bow" with a print of black cat heads.

Myself wearing a black top that features an open skirt, with black cigarette pants underneath. A white blouse peeks out at the top and a large orange bow with a print of black cats is worn at the neck.

Myself wearing a black top that features an open skirt, with black cigarette pants underneath. A white blouse peeks out at the top and a large orange bow with a print of black cats is worn at the neck.

Myself wearing a black top that features an open skirt, with black cigarette pants underneath. A white blouse peeks out at the top and a large orange bow with a print of black cats is worn at the neck.

Close-up of my gloves, which are black sheer with velvet astrology symbols.

Myself, seated on our orange couch, vintage Halloween decorations hang behind, wearing a black top that features an open skirt, with black cigarette pants underneath. A white blouse peeks out at the top and a large orange bow with a print of black cats is worn at the neck.

Myself wearing a black top that features an open skirt, with black cigarette pants underneath. A white blouse peeks out at the top and a large orange bow with a print of black cats is worn at the neck.

Banner for the Anaheim Halloween Parade.

Float of the Anaheim mascot, Andy Anaheim, dressed as a marching band member banging a large drum. The drum reads "Anaheim Halloween Parade Since 1924."

A puppeteer from Bob Baker Marionette Theatre moves a marionette made of pumpkins.

The Pumpkin Man, a friendly scarecrow like figure with a Jack O'Lantern head, topped with a small blue bowler, wearing a green jacket, blue shirt with large blue bowtie, and yellow, black, and green pants.

While the experience resulted in us waiting over three hours in a line that snaked through Anaheim, I realized we would have waited over three hours just sitting waiting for the parade to secure a good spot! I was also thrilled just to see this tradition, that is reaching a 100 years very soon, continue in a safe way.

Because Anaheim has this long tradition, it also means people here love to decorate their homes for Halloween, and the Anaheim Halloween Parade even provided attendees with a list of homes who have decorated and entered the home decorating contest, and I think Patrick and I may drive around to the various homes on Halloween as a way of getting out and being festive, but also still staying safe.

Does your city have any Halloween traditions? How is COVID impacting your Halloween night festivities?

Outfit
“Salem Waistcoat”: Tatyana Clothing
Blouse: Thrifted
Bow: Stitchcrvft
Cigarette Pants: Vixen
Gloves: Restyle
Vintage Daniel Green Slippers: Red Light, Portland, Oregon

Leave a Comment!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Having trouble commenting? Contact me

3 comments on “Anaheim Halloween Parade – Drive Thru Style”

  1. Oh…this is wonderful to see and thank you so much for sharing your great photos! Tradition is such an important nourishment in difficult times! –Erik in NW Ohio

    Reply

  2. We’ve had the annual Emma Crawford Coffin Memorial race in Manitou Springs, Colorado for over twenty-five years. It involved amazing costumes, a hearse parade and an actual race with coffins and an “Emma” riding inside each coffin. I’m in a local Ford Mustang club and we’ve done the technical inspections for the race over the past few years. It’s a blast!

    Alas, this year the coffin race was cancelled. I think there’s a scavenger hunt, or something.

    Reply