Recognizing the 100th Anniversary of the Anaheim Halloween Parade
Floor Speech
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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Anaheim Halloween Parade, a beloved Orange County tradition.
This tradition predates the rise trick-or-treating as a Halloween staple. It was started by the local merchants' association to engage nearby children and families for some wholesome fun. For the very first parade, over 20,000 residents and neighbors from nearby towns lined the streets on October 31st, 1924, to watch the 45-minute nighttime Halloween Parade led by Grand Marshals and baseball superstars Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson.
Anaheim's Halloween Parade would quickly become one of the biggest seasonal celebrations in the Nation, attracting crowds of over 75,000 attendees. In the 1960s and 1970s, the parade was broadcast on live television to be shared around the Nation. As an Anaheim kid, I had the opportunity to participate in the parade with my Benjamin Franklin Elementary classmates. And even as Anaheim grew from a rural town full of orange groves into a popular tourist destination and one of the largest cities in Orange County, the annual Halloween traditions did not disappear.
In 2012--and because of the hard work and dedication of the volunteers, local businesses, and community members--the Anaheim Halloween Parade and Fall Festival were revitalized. To honor the tradition's long history, several beloved floats from previous decades were brought back to life, including the 1953 Flying Sasser and the 1951 Rocket Witch.
Today, the parade still highlights the fall season and Halloween--but it has also grown to reflect our evolving local community. The celebration now also recognizes Dia de los Muertos, an important Chicano celebration that has strong roots in Anaheim's neighborhoods.
I ask my colleagues to join my hometown community in celebrating a century of one of Orange County's most important traditions. The Anaheim Halloween Parade has brought families out to celebrate for the past 100 years--and I am sure that it will continue to bring our community together for 100 more.
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