This year was my first time watching the famed Greenwich Village Halloween Parade in lower New York City. The 35th annual festival was an inspirational display of creativity, seasonal cheer and fun, and a positive way for New Yorkers to come together.
I saw a lot of fantastic costumes, many of them homemade costumes, from a walking AT-AT from Star Wars, to a giant Where the Wild Things Are head, from a whole troop of smurfs to superheroes on strike for better healthcare and limits to liability.
I also saw a couple dressed up as a chicken and an egg, with signs debating which came first. There was Bling Kong, dressed as a menacing gorilla with enough chains to make Mr. T jealous. There was an army of creeps dancing to Thriller. And of course, there were freaks, geeks, geishas, witches, zombies and ghouls coming out of the rafters (not to mention New York Jedis).
I even saw a guy dressed as the red “A” point in Google Maps (URTH Guy salutes you, sir). I also saw a creepy clown dressed as a NAMBLA rep, with a small blow up doll provocatively placed.
But this being the year of Obama and Heath Ledger’s Joker, these two individuals received the most representation, often in creative and detail-rich ways. Some of the jokers I saw looked nearly as deranged as Ledger’s brilliant character, while others not so much. My favorite Obama was played by a pint-sized kid in a dark suit, surrounded by an entourage of well-acted secret service men, who announced his coming.
But the reason for this post is because the populous parade also featured a number of green messages. I wanted to document these further, but my photography teacher was right: not having a press pass made it difficult. No thanks to the man/woman in front of me with the enormous witch hat, the pushy French family visiting from Paris or the two girls with the flashing devil horns, which kept throwing off my light meter.
Even so, I saw a group of young people dressed as the different recycling receptacles in the city, complete with items that appeared to be spilling out over the top. I saw a guy in a homemade wind turbine getup, a Mother Earth or two and possibly a Green Man. I saw Sewage W. Bush, a nice touch, the “Segway Pirate” and foot soldiers for the Nader campaign, who were handing out literature and carrying a massive campaign that warned that corporations should fear their candidate. I also saw the Totally Pawsome 80s float advocating responsible pet ownership.
Good times at what’s often called the world’s largest Halloween celebration.
Remember too that it’s not too late to upload photos of your homemade costumes (or recycled or green-themed costumes) and vote on your favorites!
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