The Great Halloween Lantern Parade, a cherished tradition held yearly in Patterson Park, is celebrating its 25th anniversary in part with a new 15-foot-tall float.
Maggie the Monstersaurus is a giant paper and reed construction that commemorates Margaret Footner, a co-founder of Creative Alliance, the non-profit organization that hosts the beloved event.
“We’re all here together and we’re all just celebrating each other,” said Rachel Rush, educational director at Creative Alliance and director of the parade. “Each other’s culture, each other’s interests, each other’s artistic talent. To see such a mixture all together, seeing people just cheer each other on, it’s really lovely.”
The event kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 26, with a festival from 4 to 7 p.m. that will feature food trucks, art vendors, information tents, musical and dance performances, and a costume contest.
During the festival, participants are encouraged to create their own lantern with provided resources or use one from previous years. Throughout the course of the fall, Creative Alliance hosts free lantern making workshops for residents who want to prepare a lantern prior to the special day.
New selfie frames highlighting some of the most popular past floats will also be available this year.
The parade sets off at 7 p.m. with participants marching nearly a mile through and around Patterson Park alongside marching bands, dance troupes, musicians, and cultural groups.
“When you come and experience it, it really is a joyful community experience,” Rush said. “After people come, they’re like, ‘I’m not gonna miss it again, I’m gonna make sure I come every single year!’”
The Creative Alliance’s mission is to bring people together and serve our community, and “nothing does that better than the Lantern Parade,” she said.
Katie Long, program director of Friends of Patterson Park, has been involved with the parade for 15 years. She says the event captures people’s imaginations and is a real community lift.
“There’s lantern workshops all over town, there’s people taking stilt walking classes to be able to stilt in the parade,” Long said. “We start planning it the day after the parade ends, so all year we’re kind of recruiting people to be parade marshals, or float carriers, or maybe to walk or march in the parade…it’s very much embedded in the community.”
Edwin Perez, a high school Spanish teacher, explained that the event is crucial to the Baltimore community. He has volunteered with the costume contest and recruitment for the past 10 years.
“There’s this idea of using art to unify, to express yourself in a way that is open to all…it really is a family friendly event, and it allows you to be creative,” Perez said. “The concepts of wearing a mask, or dressing up, or using light as a decorative tool is something that’s universal and found in many cultures.”
Acknowledging that 25 years is a huge milestone, Perez said he is hopeful that the event will continue for many more years to come.
“It’s happening in a community that’s open to all, that really welcomes anybody from all backgrounds and all abilities…the fun factor is also there–it’s a joyful event,” Perez said. “For this one moment in the evening, you can really have fun with neighbors, with strangers, and have a really good atmosphere in one of the best parks in the city.”
To learn more about Creative Alliance and Patterson Park visit, creativealliance.org and bcrp.baltimorecity.gov/parks/patterson-park.
