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TARRYTOWN, N.Y. Tarrytown recreation officials say the annual Halloween parade and block party are coming back even better than before a year after the event was snowed out by a freak October blizzard.
The Oct. 27 event will feature the traditional parade and an expanded block party. Officials say the goal this year is to get more community groups to participate in the parade.
Participation of the crowd and spectatorship have been good from the start, Tarrytown Recreation Supervisor Joe Arduino said. So, we're trying to invigorate and get more people into the parade.
The annual parade has been taking place for 11 years, and Arduino said float participation peaked in 2004, when more than 20 groups decorated cars. The Tarrytown Recreation Department has kicked-off a float recruitment drive, posting flyers and talking to local groups to get them to sign up before the parade.
The parade will kick off from Patriot's Park around 6 p.m. this year, a half-hour later than usual because officials want the atmosphere to feel spookier. A bigger block party also will take place at the parade's end on Main Street, where officials have booked a DJ and a live band, Arduino said. The DJ will start around 6:30 p.m. and last until 8:15 p.m. The live band will perform until 10 p.m.
We're hoping the restaurant merchants are going to move their sidewalk cafes out to the street because the street's blocked, Arduino said, noting merchants can pay a fee to have chairs and tables sitting on the street parking spaces.
Officials also hope restaurants will take advantage of the outdoor entertainment by catering special late-night dinners, Arduino said. Although the parade and block party will compete will Sleepy Hollow's festivities, Arduino said it won't be an issue.
We really want to get people involved, he said.
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