With Halloween’s leftover excitement, it’s time to look at what made Galena’s Halloween parade so special this year! Not only were the floats amazing as always, but so were the costumes! Many kids and adults were dressed up, including many students from Galena High School. The streets full of cultural Halloween movie music blasting were already putting everyone in the Halloween spirit, but so did the local community stores and businesses. Many of them generously donated to the building of the floats or to the Halloween parade in general.
While everyone enjoyed the festivities, the importance of safety was front and center. The police started out with making sure traffic was doing okay, and that nobody was putting others at risk. Their efforts stayed present throughout the entire night as explorers kept children at a safe distance and officers kept floats going. Sergeant Brandel said, “It was a tough and cold night, but the safety of everyone was a priority.”
With the police playing a key role, so did the young explorers! GHS Student, Ava Hahn ‘25 said, “Personally, I had a lot of fun and I really enjoyed getting to meet the Winnebago explorers as well as helping out with the police.” Throughout the night, explorers walked down the parade route making sure everyone was safe. GHS Student, Layla Schemehorn ‘27 said, “It was a key factor to keep children behind the caution tape and to remind parents to look out for their kids.”
As the final floats rolled by, it was clear that this year’s Halloween parade was a fantastic success. The community’s support played a big role in having a successful parade, and so did the police’s contribution. This time of year, everyone’s participation and excitement truly brings different businesses and people together. Looking ahead, it’s exciting to think about what next year’s parade will bring.
