2019 THEME: "A TRIBUTE TO 7 DECADES"

In celebration of the 70th York Halloween Parade, the theme for this year’s event pays tribute to the decades of the parade’s existence from the 1950’s to the 2010’s! Walk the dog in a poodle skirt that’s swell. Get down in the disco with your best bell bottoms. Bring back the beat with that 80’s boom box. The Halloween scene is hoppin’ with 70 years of time-warped tradition and costumes and characters that break it down through the decades!

For this year’s Grand Marshal, the parade is an annual reminder of where a significant chapter in his life began. YWCA Director of Youth Services Mike Smith founded the now revered Temple Guard Drill Team in 1997, and it made its hard-stomping, drum-pounding debut in the 1997 parade.

“Mike’s passion for his city and the young people in it has changed countless lives,” said Adam Nugent, Director of Eventive. “Between the amazing work he has done with the kids in the Temple Guard, the Guard’s annual contributions to the fun of the parade, and Mike’s service at the YWCA, he was an obvious choice to honor as Grand Marshal. We are thrilled he accepted and can’t wait to see him leading the parade. I just hope we can keep up with him when he kicks things off.”

The parade will again begin at The York Fairgrounds at 2 p.m. and travel east on Market Street from Richland Avenue to Broad Street in downtown York. The route will feature a number of vendors as well as a Family Fun Zone on the corner of Market and George Streets from 1-3 p.m. The Family Fun Zone will include games and inflatables for the kids, music, and more!

Press Room

Media

Groups

Meetings

Sports

Weddings

Free Travel Guide

Stay Connected