New York City's Halloween Parade

Some people believe Halloween in New York is superfluous-after all, have you ever seen New York?
By the time, you've navigated busy Times Square with its resident Naked Cowboy, covered your ears in self-defense against the self-described space alien who plays, "Torture Sax," and threaded your way through throngs of black clad Goth girls in the West Village and transvestite hookers in the meatpacking district, its hard to know when anyone is actually in costume.

Nonetheless, we have a thriving Halloween scene. For the adults, the traditional Halloween parade in the West Village is as strange as it gets. This year marks the 36th annual parade and the theme, in keeping with the 400th anniversary of Hudson's historic sail up the river that now bears his name is "Terra incognito unknown land and "Hic Dracones Sunt" here be dragons-the traditional mapmaker's simultaneous admission and defense of ignorance.

The parade will take place on Saturday, October 31, 2009 from 7-10 pm, and run up Six Avenue (Avenue of the Americas to you tourists ) beginning at Spring Street in Soho and ending on 21st Street in Chelsea .All who are in costumes are welcome to join. For those whose days of dressing up like Rocky Horror's Dr. Frank n. Furter are long past, the parade offers a professionally choreographed spectacle of fabulous beasts, billowing sails of silk, unfurled maps, and ancient navigator's tools reminding us just how scary the voyage to a New World really was, and still is to the newest generations of arrivals. If you're not one stand on the sidelines, feel free to volunteer to carry a puppet-they may be all grown-up, but they can't walk themselves.

In fact, the puppets were there from the 1973 beginning when a Greenwich Village Mapmaker and Puppeteer started a walk for children that ballooned into today's multimedia spectacle and New York tradition. Today's parade draws more than 50,000 costumed participants and spectators estimated at 2 million and has achieved international prominence. Although the parade has been the winner of numerous grants, awards and mayoral proclamations, it has stayed close to its roots in New York's artist community.

It is a spirit of art and culture, but also one with a steel spine. Weeks after the 911 attacks, the parade still went on, with a Phoenix Puppet rising from the ashes to show our defiance to the graduates of narrow-mind theocracy, hatred and savagery that sought to bring us down. In the devastating aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina, the parade issued an open invitation to all dislocated inhabitants of that ravaged city to join with use in a Funeral Procession Tribute. Over 8,000 evacuees showed up for the parade and benefit.

For this year, the organizers promise 53 bands playing an international assortment that reflects the diversity of ages, cultures and tastes the Big Apple is known for (Big Apple having been coined by musicians.) Dancers, artists and the famed giant puppets will all walk side by side with the amateurs as they line up at the start line at 6th Avenue South of Spring Street and North of Canal between 6:30 and 8:30 pm. NY 1 will provide live coverage for everyone who prefers to cuddle up on the couch will a glass of Merlot and a friend.

Transportation is a snap with over a dozen trains providing quick, cheap access, but you can forget about taking a car. Also, skip any ideas you may have of walking downtown on 6th Avenue while the parade is moving uptown, the police will turn you away or jug you if you insist. This is a mob scene, expect crowds, you ain't in Kansas anymore Dorothy.

Here are some additional things taking place in and around New York City in the Fall:
www.associatedcontent.com/article/2121767/oktoberfest_is_just_around_the_corner.html
www.associatedcontent.com/article/2093359/fun_fall_festivals_in_the_new_york.html
www.associatedcontent.com/article/2050157/2_great_orchards_near_new_york_city.html

Sources
www.halloween-nyc.com/