Anaheim Moves Up Halloween

Little ghosts and goblins will be trick-or-treating next Saturday in most of the country, but not in Anaheim. The City Council has decided to have children in the Magic Kingdom’s hometown celebrate Halloween a day early.

City officials say they’ve moved trick or treating to Friday so that youngsters won’t have give up costumed jaunts through their neighborhoods in search of candy and other treats in order to see Anaheim’s 64th annual Halloween Parade on Saturday.

“This is the oldest running night parade in the U.S., and we didn’t want children to have to choose between it and trick or treating,” said Pam Strain, parade coordinator for the city. “This is Anaheim’s biggie for the year; it’s like what the Strawberry Festival is for Garden Grove.”

City Councilman Fred Hunter said the council unanimously voted Oct. 13 to move trick or treating to Friday for the convenience of children.

“We thought they’d want to be out there with the 250,000 other people who’ll be at the parade,” Hunter said. “This conflict comes up every sixth or seventh year, so when this happens, the City Council traditionally has voted to have trick or treating a day early.”

More than 50,000 flyers telling children of the change have been handed out at the city’s elementary and junior high schools, Strain said. To let adults know about the change, flyers have been left at convenience stores and libraries and other public buildings.

“It’s a shame that there’s this conflict, and I’m sure there must be opposition--though nobody’s called me to complain,” Hunter said. “But it’s going to be a good parade and good for the children.”

The Halloween parade begins at 6 p.m. at La Palma Park at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and La Palma Avenue. Disneyland’s Cinderella, as grand marshal, will lead bands, floats and equestrian units east on La Palma Avenue, south on Harbor Boulevard and east on Broadway to Philadelphia Street, where the parade ends in the parking lot of the Civic Center.

The parade will be the highlight of the three-day Halloween Festival that starts Friday and ends Sunday. Harbor Boulevard between Lincoln Avenue and Broadway will be the site of a carnival, beer garden and street fair, where city officials say food and fun will be plentiful.