Village Halloween Parade draws massive crowds Monday night

There were some rain drops here and there at Monday night's huge Halloween parade in the Village, but it didn't stop thousands from coming out.

CBS2's Kevin Rincon has more on all the elaborate costumes as the parade made its way along Sixth Avenue.

Led by the Brass Queens, thousands of New Yorkers came out to showcase their creativity.

"It's amazing. It's like a gathering for all the people of New York and it shows our friendship between us," said Michael Cyran of Staten Island.

From the young to the old, to everyone in between, the parade is the great unifier.

"The diversity of the people here, both in the audience, and actually in the parade. You see every age. It's amazing," said Olivia Herold, a tourist from Paris.

The crowd that came to watch was just as fun to look at as the people marching up Sixth Avenue.

"After the pandemic, you know, I come out with my friends, my little ones. It's awesome," one person said.

"I love Halloween because all the monsters scare people, and I like scaring people, too," a youngster added.

The celebration started 49 years ago. At the time, it was led by puppeteers, a tradition that continues to this day.

Joining in on the fun were bands with performances that cut through various cultures. And then, of course, there were the costumes, which went well beyond what you might find on a store shelf.

"Listen, we're in very bad times right now when you know Clorox is $15.79. I can't clean my bathroom. I don't know what to do," said one man, who wore a costume that highlighted the costs of common items due to inflation.

"I'm thinking about Halloween as soon as it ends. When I'm here, I'm looking for a costume. Next year, if I see you, I'm going to be a saber tooth tiger," said John Jurcisin of Midtown.

There was some scary good fun in Park Slope, Brooklyn on Monday night as hundreds of kids and parents came out in their costumes to bring home buckets of candy.

Whether frightening or funny, the kids were loving it. However, costumed parents showed that they wouldn't be left out either. Before the annual community parade, CBS2's Hannah Kliger encountered a pair of best friend witches, a pickle, a pizza rat, Beetlejuice, and so much more.

"I am a marine biologist because that is what I want to be when I grow up," 9-year-old Nelly Larsen said.

"Four kids, it's a great holiday in Park Slope. It's a great holiday in general and especially fun for the kids," mother Erin Larsen said.

Kids say it's always a good spot to get their favorite candy. Anything chocolate seems to be their favorite this year. As for the parade, locals say it's an annual tradition and usually the highlight of the season.  

Tonight's the night. 

It's one of the best ways to celebrate Halloween in New York City - the annual Village Halloween Parade. 

As CBS2's Zinnia Maldonado reports, the excitement is brewing for Monday night's 49th Annual Village Halloween Parade. 

"I think it's going to be really cool, like, crowded with everybody," one person said. 

"It's fun to watch. It's more fun to be in the parade than looking at it, I find," said another. 

The parade is set to get started at 7 p.m. Spooky creatures, puppets and floats will be traveling along Sixth Avenue from Canal Street to 15th Street. 

This year's theme is freedom - inspired by the people of New York. Organizers say last-minute preparations are currently underway. 

"We are getting all the giant puppets into place, getting the bands together, getting all the groups together," said Matthew Fass, social media director of the parade. "We have 35 musical groups and performing groups coming out, as well as 150 other elements  - small costumes, large floats." 

The parade attracts thousands, including tourists, like a couple from Italy who told Maldonado they're excited to be celebrating Halloween in the Big Apple. 

"It's one of the best parades in New York, and we are very happy to be here for the parade because in Italy, we don't have Halloween," they said. 

The grand marshal will be the Brooklyn United Marching Band and, for the first time ever, the parade is going to be led by all-women - an eight-piece brass band known as The Brass Queens. 

Maldonado caught up with them at their rehearsal studio recently to talk about the anticipated history-making moment. 

"We're just going to have fun. We're going to do our thing. This is something we could do in our sleep. We do it all the time, so we're just going to go have fun and we hope everyone else does too," said Alex Jones of The Brass Queens. 

The parade is free for all to view from the sidelines. Attendees are encouraged to wear their best costumes. You can also purchase VIP tickets, which include the opportunity to walk the parade route. 

For the first time in the parade's 49-year history, it will be led by all women. An eight-piece jazz band from Brooklyn, called the Brass Queens, is set to lead the way along Sixth Avenue.

CBS2's Zinnia Maldonado recently sat in on one of their rehearsals, and then they joined us in the studio to talk about the honor and why they love what they do.

If you're looking for an alternative to attending the Village Halloween Parade - or maybe just another way to celebrate Halloween - check our New York City's "Trick or Streets" program. 

Several New York City streets will be car-free from 4 p.m-8 p.m. 

For more information, CLICK HERE.