EASTHAMPTON — The annual Rag Shag Parade is set to return to Easthampton’s streets on Oct. 29, bringing with it all sorts of ghouls, goblins and assorted characters.
The event, which begins at 6:30 p.m. at Maple Street School, regularly brings hundreds of costumed children through the Easthampton streets, safely showing off their Halloween costumes and building community in the city.
“I think the best part of the whole experience is the energy of everyone coming out to dress up and celebrate Halloween, and of course candy,” said Sam Pliska, principal clerk for the Parks and Recreation Department that hosts the event. “I hope everyone enjoys the coming together of the community to celebrate this more than 40-year tradition.”
The children will gather at the school, located at 7 Chapel St., then travel down Cottage Street and onto Williston Avenue before ending at the Easthampton High School parking lot. At the parade’s conclusion, each child will be given a bag of candy.
Pliska believes that the parade has been bringing joy to children and the community since 1982.
“I participated as a kid, myself in the mid-80s, so hosting it decades later is amazing,” noted Pliska. “We hand out around 1,100 bags of candy to kids, but it’s hard to say the exact number with parents and guardians.”
Although the Parks and Recreation Department hands out its bags of candy at the end, some stores and businesses along the route have also handed out candy in previous years.
The event itself is a long-standing way for the city’s children to show off their costumes, get together with friends and have a safe way to add some extra fun to their Halloween.
For the safety of everyone involved, Cottage Street and Williston Avenue will be closed during the parade. In the event of inclement weather, the rain date will be Oct. 30. For more information, please contact the Easthampton Parks and Recreation Department.
