The sound of instruments, Halloween-themed music, cheering and so much more could be heard down Norwalk Avenue as the city of Norwalk’s 39th Annual Halloween Parade brought thousands of people together on October 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Groups from across the community gathered together at the corner of Mapledale and Norwalk Boulevard – right next to Waite Middle School at 14320 Norwalk Blvd.
The parade line then continued down one and a half miles to Hermosillo Park at 11959 162nd St.
“I love to see people socialize, I love to see people come together, I love to see communities congregate – where we can just have peaceful moments, pleasurable moments, memorable moments,” Eric Penn, a self-taught artist from Virginia at the event, said.
Many different groups of people came together at the parade – an Elvis impersonator, mariachi players and folklorico dancers, equestrians, marching bands and cheer teams from schools across the community, military members, lowriders and more.
Schools such as Waite Middle School, John Glenn High School, Ross Middle School, Norwalk High School, Garey High School, Troy High School, Sussman Middle School, Los Alisos Middle School, Downey High School were among the many schools that had been in the parade.
“I like performing as part of a group and I’ve been practicing ever since school started,” Daghan Balli, a 16-year-old from the Troy High School marching band that played the French horn, said.
Jocelyn Spurlin, a parent volunteer whose 13-year-old daughter was a color guard for Ross Middle School, said, “I’m excited, this is her first year doing it with the school and so I’m excited for her performance and I hope she does really well.”
Spurlin added, “I’m just excited, I’ve heard about this parade over the years, and so I’m excited that my daughter’s participating in it and I get a chance to actually see it – so, I’m looking forward to it.”
Various local groups were also in attendance. Lowriders from both the Latinos Car Club and Just Memories Car Club drove down the road while showing off what their cars could do.
Other groups like the Kidz Talent Academy, Miniachis de Norwalk, Ballet Folklorico Eterna Juventud, the Dance Image Studio and others showed off their performances to the onlookers.
The city council was also out in force, heading the parade and being some of the first to begin the trek down Norwalk Boulevard.
“The parade was nice – it was a great way to see the community together. I’ve lived here for over 30 years, so, it’s good to see that it’s still alive and popping,” Chrislym Yim, a resident in the area who attended the parade, said.
Penn, a 59-year-old who grew up in Watts, California, also liked watching the lowriders.
Penn had been working on his art piece “Doomsday Clock” while standing on the side of the road during the parade. The painting features striking imagery that showcased various conflicts throughout human history and advocates for ending conflict between people all around the world.
“All this is beautiful because when I was a child, going through all the trials and tribulations and stress, the parades made me feel hopeful…
“When I was real young, I saw a lot of violence, but it seemed like when the parades took place, all that stopped – people came together, the same people who would be arguing one day, today they’re at the parade enjoying the festivities.”
Anaheim is also gearing up for the 100-year anniversary of its Fall Festival and Halloween Parade on Oct. 26 at the Center Street Promenade starting at 11 a.m.
