One of City of Whiting’s most beloved traditions, the Halloween Costume Parade, returned on Saturday afternoon. Heroes, ghouls, princesses, and all manner of legendary creatures marched down 119th Street on their way to Oil City Stadium.
Like many of the city’s regular events, the parade took a hiatus last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers from the City of Whiting Parks Department were eager to bring the celebration back and let the kids (and their costumes) have their annual moment in the spotlight, and to offer them goodie bags at the end of the parade route.
“We really care about the community and bringing everyone together,” said Adi Cruz, superintendent of City of Whiting Parks and Recreation Department. “We get excited every year to bring the kids out and give back a little bit. I think the kids are especially excited this year after not really having Halloween and trick-or-treating last year.”
Whiting Mayor Steve Spebar joined in on the parade, his first as mayor, and helped pass out goodie bags at Oil City Stadium. Last year, in absence of the parade, he and the city organized a drive-thru trick-or-treating event at Mascot Hall of Fame. Spebar noted how it was certainly a fun event, but it’s not quite the same as the annual march through the city.
“It’s important that we keep up our traditions,” Spebar said. “These different events bring people together, let them interact, and allow them to take pride in and enjoy the community. That’s the most important aspect of this, and today we really want to provide some enjoyment to our kids.”
Many of the parade-goers were long-time Whiting residents, bringing their kids to the same march they took part in years ago. Others, such as Shannah Carty and her niece Elle Morris, were taking part for the first time.
“I love this; we go to Pierogi Fest every year and we’ve done the Christmas parade before, but we’re looking forward to seeing what this parade is all about and I know Elle is excited,” Carty said. “It’s great that stuff like this is back again. Last year was horrible, you couldn’t do anything! This year’s been a lot better.”
The City of Whiting’s calendar is still packed with events for the rest of the year, including the Christmas Parade which is set for December 3.
To keep up with all of the city’s latest happenings, visit www.whitingindiana.com.
