How did the Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade come to be?

Long before “trick-or-treating” became the main focus of the holiday in America, Halloween was typically a time for mischief and pranks by neighborhood youngsters. In the tranquil little farming community of Anaheim, soaped windows, uprooted fences, and damaged property were turning “All Hallow’s Eve” into a major headache for residents and businesses. To steer the energies of Anaheim’s kiddies toward more “wholesome fun,” a Halloween Festival and Carnival with games and costume contests was devised by the local merchants association in 1923.

The Festival was a hit and the following year a nighttime Halloween Parade was added to the activities. Over twenty thousand residents and neighbors from nearby towns crowded onto the sidewalks on both sides of the street on October 31, 1924 to watch the 45-minute procession led by baseball superstars Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson who served as the first Grand Marshals.

The Festival & Parade would quickly become one of the biggest Halloween celebrations in the nation, attracting over 75,000 people, and even being broadcast on live television for a few years in the 1970s. The Walt Disney Studios became involved two years before the opening of Disneyland and have participated each year since. Over time, however, Anaheim shifted from being a rural town inhabited by orange groves into a popular tourist destination and one of the largest cities in Orange County. Subsequently, interest began to lag in the annual Halloween events and very nearly disappeared completely.

In 2012, the Anaheim Halloween Parade and the Fall Festival were revived, thanks to the dedication and hard work of volunteers, local businesses, and community members. Keeping true to the event’s vibrant history, several floats from decades past, such as the 1953 “Flying Sasser” and the 1951 “Rocket Witch” were brought back to life, giving the Parade a unique throwback aesthetic.

As excitement continues to grow around keeping this unique tradition going — bolstered by the help of donations and fundraising throughout the year — the Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade have a bright future.