Sea Cliff Civic Association hosts annual Halloween parade through the village

Roughly 400 people turned out to march from Pirie Park to Clifton Park in this year’s Sea Cliff Civic Association Halloween parade. Sea Cliff residents of all ages showed up in costumes for the Oct. 31 event.

According to civic association President Ann DiPietro, this was the largest turnout the parade has seen.

“It turned out that it was perfect,” she said. “Some of the kids had trick-or-treated a little ahead of time, but most people used the parade kind of as a kickoff to trick-or-treating.”

The civic association began its annual Halloween parade roughly eight years ago after Sea Cliff School downsized its own parade.

“It lost that sense of the total community being involved,” DiPietro explained.

DiPietro credited board member Christine Abbenda Hughes with the idea for the civic association to “resurrect” a larger event. Abbenda Hughes chairs the parade, putting submitting a request to the village and coordinating with police to block off the street.

Multiple generations participated this year, with children, parents and grandparents all dressing up. DiPietro praised Abbenda Hughes for her work organizing the parade.

“She works so so hard,” DiPietro said, “and it’s such an accomplishment.”

The civic association will hold a Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt later this month.