More than 1,200 Halloweeners parade through Warwick

WARWICK — On Tuesday evening, Oct. 31, the weather had changed to more seasonable and chilly temperatures but that didn’t prevent another record-breaking crowd from participating in the annual Halloween Parade.
The popular event is sponsored by the Warwick Lions Club and Village of Warwick Recreation Department.
Once again this year's large crowd of what may have been more than 1,200 ghosts, goblins, witches and an assortment of movie, cartoon and even more creative characters, resembled the crowds at Applefest, Warwick's largest celebration.
At 4:30 p.m. the marchers assembled on Church Street and then headed down Main Street to Railroad Avenue for a costume contest and Halloween treats.
The judges this year were Town of Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton, Mayor Michael Newhard and Pam Starer, president of the Warwick Lions.
In previous years the annual Halloween Parade had been sponsored on alternate years by Warwick's American Legion Post 214 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4662.
Four years ago, however, the Village of Warwick and Warwick Lions Club, became sponsors of the event and the Costume Contest.
This year’s Costume Contest included categories such as most historic, most original, scariest and cutest. Age groups ranged from under five years old to, adult and family ensemble.
New for this Sesquicentennial Year, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Village of Warwick, was the Scare the Mayor Halloween contest judged by Mayor Newhard and Kid Mayor Daniel Madero who visited the “scary” homes of the participants.
The first place winner was the home of Don Presutti on Kennelworth Lane.
- Roger Gavan