Halloween Parade Ending?

[ljbab728]

As per Steve's blog today.

An End to the Annual Downtown Halloween Parade? | News OK

Here's hoping that a benefactor is located to keep this going. It has been a great catalyst to bring people together from all walks of life in OKC.

[soonerguru]

It's a great thing, but it needs a new twist, IMO. It started off with the march of skeletons, and the Lips' endorsement. A couple of years later, this became old hat. Is it not possible to just have a massive Halloween gathering / party without a parade? It would seem that would be easier to pull off and might be even more fun.

[jerrywall]

Interesting.

[RadicalModerate]

Surely, Wayne Coyne has something to say about all this.

[Just the facts]

This is the type of event that can garner world wide recognition. Running of the Bulls, Gasparilla, Bay to Breakers - March of the Skeletons could be right up there with them. This is an event that must go on - even if it is a lone person walking down the street by himself just to keep the tradition alive until a new sponsor can be found. It would make a great story 50/100 years from now how one person kept the annual event alive.

[BBatesokc]

Gotta say - we go every year and this year was by far the biggest let down IMO. For us, the only bright spot was the abundance of food trucks in our general viewing area.
Sad to see it go though. There was a time when it was pretty cool.

[HangryHippo]

Gotta say - we go every year and this year was by far the biggest let down IMO. For us, the only bright spot was the abundance of food trucks in our general viewing area.
Sad to see it go though. There was a time when it was pretty cool.

What was it that let you down? I've never been, but was it organized differently from previous years? Was the parade just not as good?

[Plutonic Panda]

Well they ought to do something to spruce it up and make it better! I agree with JTF that this should keep going and could be recognized on huge scale if done right.

[LakeEffect]

My wife and I soured on the parade two years ago... We aren't into zombies, horror type stuff, so the prevalence of so much zombie crap a couple years ago just put us off. I know many people don't have that same opinion...

I feel like OKC has a large gap in parade skills in general. The first few years, this was actually the best parade around. St. Patty's day is pretty good too, but for such a large city/metro, I expected more interesting parades. My hometown is 30,000, with about 100,000 in the immediate area (townships), and they throw at least seven parades each year that far outdo anything I've seen in OKC (three for its Tulip Festival, one for Memorial Day, one for Labor Day, one for Fire Safety Week, and one for Christmas/Sinterklaas).

[BBatesokc]

What was it that let you down? I've never been, but was it organized differently from previous years? Was the parade just not as good?

I'm not a Wayne Coyne fan - But the parade was better when he was involved.

To me, this year was just extremely blah - didn't seem to last as long, didn't keep my attention, the entrants lacked creativity, etc., etc.

[RadicalModerate]

Maybe they are all getting Zombiefied in real life?

[tomokc]

I haven't been before, but love the pictures. Is there a culmination at the end such as the lighting of a huge bonfire? That could be pretty cool.

[BDK]

I'd bet if they cobbled together a desirable, not-insignificant prize (cash, downtown leasing space, free advertising in the Gazette, etc.) they'd have more enthusiasm from the entrants. For my part, I haven't been in a couple years. I loved it when I did go, though.

[ljbab728]

I attended this event a few years ago when I was in LA and it was incredible. It's not really a parade but has several entertainment stages and covers about a mile of Santa Monica Blvd.



It attracts about 500,000 people.

[trousers]

The first year was great, second year was so-so, after that "meh". I think it definitely helped to have the name recognition of Wayne and the Lips involved. I think that was one thing that really drew attention from outside just OKC.

[shawnw]

I think three years ago I was at this parade and I met a couple that had flown into OKC specifically for the parade, based on reading an article about it in their home town paper... so there's a reputation, in theory nationally, to maintain, regardless of actual quality of late. All the more reason to keep it going...

[Midtowner]

What did this one sponsor actually do which was so indispensible?

[trousers]

I think three years ago I was at this parade and I met a couple that had flown into OKC specifically for the parade, based on reading an article about it in their home town paper... so there's a reputation, in theory nationally, to maintain, regardless of actual quality of late. All the more reason to keep it going...

This was probably the first year, the year that the Lips were involved.

[LakeEffect]

What did this one sponsor actually do which was so indispensible?

The Gazette bankrolled much of the cost, organized the parade volunteers (marshals, etc), did the promotion.

[Steve]

There is another part of this story that will never really get told because no one will tell it on the record.... but I'll leave these following questions for all of you to ponder:
- Did City Hall (you know, the one ruled by engineers), embrace the flaming skeletons, or did the engineers and bureaucrats quietly wage an effort year after year to make it increasingly difficult to do the flaming skeletons?
- Was it really tour conflicts that led to the end of the involvement of the Flaming Lips?
- Was there a conflict behind the scenes over whether the parade was an adult-themed event or a parade for all ages?
- Was there an appreciation of the intense labor this event required of Bill Bleakely and The Gazette staff?

[soonerguru]

My wife and I soured on the parade two years ago... We aren't into zombies, horror type stuff, so the prevalence of so much zombie crap a couple years ago just put us off. I know many people don't have that same opinion...

I feel like OKC has a large gap in parade skills in general. The first few years, this was actually the best parade around. St. Patty's day is pretty good too, but for such a large city/metro, I expected more interesting parades. My hometown is 30,000, with about 100,000 in the immediate area (townships), and they throw at least seven parades each year that far outdo anything I've seen in OKC (three for its Tulip Festival, one for Memorial Day, one for Labor Day, one for Fire Safety Week, and one for Christmas/Sinterklaas).

Gay Pride is actually OKC's best parade at the point.

[jerrywall]

There is another part of this story that will never really get told because no one will tell it on the record.... but I'll leave these following questions for all of you to ponder:
- Did City Hall (you know, the one ruled by engineers), embrace the flaming skeletons, or did the engineers and bureaucrats quietly wage an effort year after year to make it increasingly difficult to do the flaming skeletons?
- Was it really tour conflicts that led to the end of the involvement of the Flaming Lips?
- Was there a conflict behind the scenes over whether the parade was an adult-themed event or a parade for all ages?
- Was there an appreciation of the intense labor this event required of Bill Bleakely and The Gazette staff?

I can't speak for anything behind the scenes, but I do personally know of a couple of fan groups/clubs which pulled out after the first few years, because of their perception of the event becoming more adult-themed. I can also say as someone who entered the parade a couple of times, that the rules the city was imposing on participants kept increasing and getting stricter (know idea if they were justified though).

It's a shame it's going away, and it would be great if it could be saved by someone.