Ragamuffins, reptiles run amok during Rockville Centre's annual parade and party

Dozens of children took to the streets in costume at Rockville Centre’s annual Ragamuffin Parade last Sunday in anticipation for Halloween.

Ragamuffin parades stem from Ragamuffin Day, formed around 1870, which took place on Thanksgiving. Children, normally dressed as homeless people or beggars — known as ragamuffins — would go door-to-door asking for candy or money. The day was a predecessor to Halloween, which gained popularity in the 1940s.

The parade started at Parking Field No. 12 at Sunrise Highway and Long Beach Road and ended at the John A. Anderson Recreation Center, where an after-party took place. Following the parade, some participated in “Trunk or Treat” in the parking lot.

Inside the center, Eric the Reptile Guy impressed the youngsters with an array of fun creatures, including a chameleon, a tarantula and a Burmese python.