Submitted by Janet Brown

As a Mid-West transplant to Anaheim in 1969, witnessing the Halloween parade as a 10-year-old was a special treat.

I vividly remember painting the windows of downtown businesses with pumpkins, ghosts and witches. Another special treat was watching horror movies at the Fox Theater. It cost a dime to watch the black and white versions of Frankenstein and Dracula.  Of course, the pancake breakfast was another not-to-miss event that I attended with school friends.

Marching in the Kiddie Parade was another magical moment. I was a banner carrier for Horace Mann Elementary and also marched with Fremont Junior High.

In high school, my girlfriends and I tagged along at the end of the parade dressed as ghouls riding a tandem bike with a passenger on the handlebars, a real Halloween trick!

The best part of the parade for me is the lifelong memories I’ve made with friends I still celebrate the parade with each year. We still dress up, hold lawn parties and sometimes ride in the parade as part of a float or a passenger in a classic car.  Thank you to all the volunteers who helped create these magical memories!