Fun and Games at Downtown Halloween Parade
Downtown Glen Cove was the hub of activity on Saturday, Nov. 3, as a wide assortment of heroes and villains joined in the festivities for the Glen Cove Downtown Business Improvement District’s yearly Halloween parade, which transformed School and Glen Streets into the trick-or-treat hotspot. Though delayed by a week, many children were eager to continue in the Halloween fun beginning with The Regency Assisted Living’s Spooky Story Hour. At around 1 p.m. the marchers banded together to parade through the streets of Downtown Glen Cove, with Pizza Co. No. 7 and a bat on stilts leading the way. The children then partook in the trick-or-treating ritual by visiting the welcoming merchants.
Children were slipping and sliding, climbing and bouncing all over the two bouncy house castles set up on Bridge Street, while thrilling music was blaring through the DJ’s speakers. The Jack O’ Lantern Hole in One Mini Golf & the Witches Broom Race captured everyone’s attention which resulted in more than 100 prizes won. The children were also provided with an unlimited supply of cotton candy by Glenn and Kathy Paganetti of Primerica to taste throughout the entire Halloween Parade festivities, had a chance to learn some juggling skills and danced through the streets.
This year’s Costume Contest saw a lot of creativity, and after a tough deliberation, the top first place winners included: “LEGO Man” John Mullen Jr., 4; “Robot” Carmine Montesano, 5 and Stephania Martinez, 10, who cleverly dressed as a dinner table. Second place winners included Juliette Castronovo, 4 and “Harry Potter” Nick Andrade, 6. Pirates and vampires took the top prizes for the group costume contest. The Glen Cove BID would like to thank Julie Papas of ClayNation, Matilde Tysz of The Maxx Challenge and Lisa and Julia of PetSmart for their services as judges.
To top it all off there was a Pie Eating Contest with six delicious apple pies that were devoured quickly, but not as quick as first place winner Enzo Munes, who cleaned his plate in 60 seconds with no assistance from his helping hands.
“It always brings such joy to the members of the Glen Cove Downtown B.I.D. to see such happy faces on the children of our community,” said Patricia Holman, executive director of the Glen Cove Downtown B.I.D. “The Glen Cove Downtown BID would like to thank all our sponsors, volunteers, City of Glen Cove’s Department of Public Works and the Glen Cove Fire Department for making our annual Halloween Parade and Festival such a great one. We thank Nick Pedone from Pizza Company 7 for leading the parade and giving all the children fire hats, our great sponsors that continue to reinvest in our community: One & Only Dental, Glen Cove Fitness, ClayNation, Glen Floors, Garcia Muay Thai, Regency Assisted Living at Glen Cove, PetSmart, American Paving and Masonry, The Maxx Challenge, Primerica, Gill Associates Photography, AMC Glen Cove 6, our volunteers that include members from the Girl Scouts, members from Glen Cove High School DECA Club and especially members of the 8th grade class of All Saints Regional, who are always a tremendous help.”
