Annual Halloween parade scheduled for Saturday

Monday, October 25, 2010

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is looking to help grow a local long-standing Halloween tradition.

The "Trick or Treat on Main Street" event, scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at the Fort Scott Farmer's Market on Skubitz Plaza and sponsored by the chamber and the Fort Scott PRIDE organization, will include the traditional Halloween parade sponsored by PRIDE and other new activities that organizers have added this year as they seek to create a larger community event.

"We wanted to create more activity and make it a little bit bigger event," chamber Interim Executive Director Lindsay Madison said. "This year, the chamber offered to step in and help."

The event is also taking place in conjunction with the last day of the Fort Scott Farmer's Market's season.

It features the downtown parade -- open to local youth, a costume contest with prizes awarded to winners in various categories and a free "Hallo-Weinie" hot dog lunch for kids dressed in costumes.

The parade starts at 11 a.m. in front of the Fort Scott National Historic Site and will follow a route south on Main Street to First Street, then west to National Avenue, and then north to Old Fort Boulevard and back to Skubitz Plaza.

Parents are welcome to walk with their children in the parade. Fort Scott Middle School and Fort Scott High School PRIDE students will judge the costumes and will also accompany the children in the parade. Ribbons will be awarded to the first-, second- and third-place winners in the following categories: scariest, most beautiful, best cartoon character, best historical character, best animal and best sports character. Each participant will receive a small sack of candy.

Participants in the parade will also be able to trick-or-treat at participating downtown merchants. Youth of all ages are welcome to participate in the parade and costume contest. However, children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information, contact the chamber at (620) 223-3566.