USA: Rain can't hamper the mood at the annual Halloween Parade in New York City's West Village

Record ID: 449659

  • Title: USA: Rain can't hamper the mood at the annual Halloween Parade in New York City's West Village
  • Date: 2nd November 2009
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) WOMAN DRESSED AS "WIZARD OF OZ" CHARACTER DOROTHY, SAYING: "He's holding the rainbow over my head, somewhere over the rainbow." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ERIC, PARADE PARTICIPANT, SAYING: "Oh I love the rain, can't beat it, I got my perm working, you know? Look at these guys over here. rain can't affect us."
  • Embargoed: 17th November 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA9P5NCYSQRAX22XNIP21253Y3X
  • Story Text: Thousands of ghoulish revelers overtook the streets in lower Manhattan Saturday (October 31) for the annual Village Halloween Parade in New York, where wacky costumes and wild contraptions wowed the crowds during the three hour festival.
    Fifty-three musical groups played in the parade, which at times resembled a Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans as several brass bands played swinging tunes on the route.
    The parade is open to anyone, so long as they don a Halloween costume, and it's always best if it's clever.
    "I came back for one night, just to give peace a chance," said one man dressed as musician John Lennon.
    Most of the people gathered along the route were there to admire the costumes, while a few of them dressed up themselves.
    "I don't know, slutty cop?" said April, when asked to describe her attire.
    "I don't know what I am," admitted a man wearing a shiny mask. "Hopefully scary."
    Some like to observe the politically-themed costumes at the parade, like one woman dressed as former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, and a man disguised as a greedy pig with a not-so-friendly sign criticizing billionaire New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg.
    "Every year, there's wonderful costumes, the people down here are so creative, a lot of political costumes, it's wonderful," described parade watcher Vicky, dressed as the Disney villain Maleficent.
    Although the evening started out warm and balmy, eventually rain came down on the crowd, but there were few complaints voiced. Many people just incorporated it into their Halloween costume.
    "He's holding the rainbow over my head, somewhere over the rainbow," said a woman dressed as Judy Garland's character Dorothy from the film "The Wizard of Oz."
    "Oh I love the rain, can't beat it, I got my perm working, you know?" said parade-walker Eric. "Rain can't affect us."
    This year marks the 36th annual New York's Village Halloween Parade, which was first held in 1974.
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