Paris Zhang '27
Nov 1, 2024
On Monday, October 28, the town of Mercersburg hosted its annual Halloween Parade, drawing residents and visitors alike to enjoy the show and some warm food.
Despite the chilly weather, crowds filled the bleachers along both sides of Main Street, clearing a path for the decorated cars and floats. “The parade was very lively, and the atmosphere was vibrant,” said William Luo ‘27.
Local businesses bustled with people gathering for sweet treats. Liza Hoa ‘27, said, “The food at One North was great. We got some funnel cake on the side, and it was really good. The lady in front of me was so nice and explained all the different toppings I could order. I demolished it in like three seconds.”
Shine Jo ‘25 agreed, saying, “The funnel cake was so good. Thank god I brought cash.”
One North also offered festive drinks to celebrate the fall. “I got the October special drink. It was a pumpkin spice chai latte, and it was amazing,” said Cocona Yamamoto ‘25.
The parade lasted for roughly one and a half hours and featured different sports teams, cars, marching bands, and more. Eve Gunkelman ‘28 said, “It was so fun! My favorite part was the volleyball team’s performance in the parade.”
Hoa’s favorite part, on the other hand, was the display of sports cars in the parade. “They were really nice. The vintage one was making a lot of noise, which is good for a car,” she said.
Cody Parks, Mercersburg Academy’s Social Media Manager agreed: “My favorite part was seeing the huge jeep with the spider on it.”
Many townspeople also enjoyed the car show at the parade. “The cars were my favorite,” said Mark, an older townsperson, “I loved it. Great parade. My granddaughter is in it. We were at the far end, but this year, it seems like the parade was bigger and there were more participants and floats in it.”
Most Mercersburg students came out to the parade with their friends and BFFs. “I went with Shine Jo because we wanted a break from our college applications,” said Yamamoto. “I went with Tahir, Taimur, Cole, and Iman,” said Lucas Chen ‘27.
Parks, who lives in the town, said, “My wife (Evelyn Bonito) wanted to come see it and we could not get out of our house, because the parade lines up in front of our house. So we were like, ‘Oh, we might as well go.’”
Some people attended the Halloween parade for the first time, while others return to it year after year. “I’ve actually never come to the Halloween parade before today, even though I’ve been around here for three years,” said Parks.
“It’s really nice to come out here every year. But this year, there were a lot more floats compared to last year so it was a little bit longer,” said Crone.
The annual Mercersburg Halloween Parade ended with a transition to a new holiday season. “The Santa float,” said Crone, “was the best part because it just rounds up the parade and welcomes in Christmas.”
Overall, the event was well-received, and attendees enjoyed the seasonal experience.