Village Halloween Parade 2021
NEW YORK, NY — NOVEMBER 1, 2021 —Since it couldn't take place like usual in 2020 because of COVID, the Village Halloween Parade's return for 2021 seemed uncertain, even after they were granted a permit when they revealed they had $150,000 to raise by October 5 for the parade to go forward. However, UBS senior vice president Jason Feldman made a generation donation just in time, and the parade returned on Sunday night.
Thousands of costumed enthusiasts marched and lined the streets from Canal to W 15th St along 6th Ave for the 2021 edition of the event, whose theme was "Let's Play! All together now!, in honor of the Children of NYC and the Child in all of us who yearns to take to the streets and play again" after COVID lockdown. Coronavirus-related looks were popular this year, including vaccine cards, syringes, and the virus itself. Lots of people also used Squid Game as costume inspiration, and there was no shortage of creepy clowns, witches, and zombies.
It was heartwarming and uplifting to see the beloved spooktacular march through lower Manhattan being finally on again.
After the fright of almost being canceled for the second year in a row due to COVID-19, the 2021 Village Halloween Parade eventually happened, almost like magic.
Also, this year's edition is expected to be a night of freaky fun, dancing, music, and remarkable wardrobes worn by the masses, and once again, the artistic and producing director of the event was Jeanne Fleming, who entered her 40th year of mastering the spectacle on All Hallows Eve.
Because the parade was confirmed only six weeks before, the last-minute push led to the making of this year’s running very homespun and folk-arty, almost a throwback to the march’s origin in the early 1970s.
The costume theme of 2021 was “Let’s Play,” and organizers encouraged parade goers to think about dressing from game show-related ideas all the way to baseball players and even decks of cards this time around.
Comedian Randy Rainbow served as the 2021 grand marshal after gaining popularity for his parody song “Mr. Biden (Bring My Vaccine)” on YouTube last March.
Rainbow will be among the 53 bands, dancers, artists, and thousands of New Yorkers.
Because of the highly anticipated reunion, the parade will also incorporate a second theme, “All Together Now,” which harped on the sense of community, especially for those kids who had to stay at home last Halloween.
Those local children were given a chance to make puppets on whatever topic they liked to be featured at the front of this year’s parade as a partnership with the Children’s Museum of the Arts.
What a way to celebrate the comeback of the Big Apple on the night of transformation and rebirth par excellence.
Article by Joseph Ralph Fraia for Livein Magazine
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