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Boo! Revelers celebrate the spookiest of holidays
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-11-01 19:25 NEW YORK -- Thousands of revelers dressed as everything from goblins to pizza slices turned out Friday for Greenwich Village's Halloween parade, reveling in a tradition equal parts spookiness and spoof.
But real-world concerns intruded a bit on the fanciful festivities, billed as the nation's biggest Halloween celebration. The ongoing financial crisis scared at least seven major parade sponsors into pulling their support, and even some spectators scaled back. Michael Whalen wanted to dress as the vampire Lestat. But Whalen instead donned a costume he could create cheaply: "Born in the USA."-era Bruce Springsteen, in white T-shirt and blue jeans, carrying a cardboard guitar. "I have no money to spend a lot on a costume," said Whalen, 33, of Brooklyn. "It feels great to make your own costume. It's about the creativity." Creativity was in plentiful supply at the parade, a 35-year-old custom in a community known for its bohemian history. The parade started in 1973 as a neighborhood event and now features as many as 60,000 costumed participants. Organizers estimate the spectacle draws 2 million people. Spectator Daniela Petrova, 35, came expecting "a freak show," and it didn't appear she would be disappointed. One participant dressed as a "kissing booth" - going rate: 25 cents. Another came as exercise guru Richard Simmons. In a nod to the financial times, at least one participant was dressed as a banker. Organizers said the parade budget was half of last year's. Some major sponsors, which donate $25,000 and up for large floats, said they couldn't afford it. In Detroit, vigilance by fire officials and volunteers appeared to have kept the number of arsons low on the night before Halloween, which had become notorious as "Devil's Night" in years past. |
