By Steven Hoffman

Staff Writer

By 6 o'clock last Thursday evening, parade floats featuring Disney characters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and ghosts and ghouls, lined up in two long rows on South Street as large crowds gathered along the parade route.

Jim McLeod, the head of the Parade Committee that organized the event for the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce, noted that, with the slight chill in the air, it was a perfect evening for a Halloween Parade.

 

Indeed, an estimated crowd of 3,000 people filled the streets of Oxford by the time the parade started at 7 p.m., making this the largest Halloween parade yet.

McLeod said that organizers were amazed at the tremendous artistic talent that went into all the costumes, floats and performances, and he thanked everyone who made the event a success.

Awards were handed out in various categories.

The Oxford Area High School (OAHS) Class of 2015 earned the Best Overall Float Award with its “Toy Story” float that amazed crowds at both this parade and the high school's Homecoming parade.

The Best Theme Float awards went to OAHS Class of 2018 with “Finding Nemo,” which captured first place, followed by OAHS Class of 2016 with “Up” in second place, and  Xtreme Tumble & Cheer's    "Jungle Theme," which captured third place.

Andrea's Academy of Dance took first place in the Best Performance Group category, followed by KMC Dance Illuminations Performance Company in second place, and Oxford Center for Dance in third place.

In the Best Business Entry category, Philips Florist took first place, Oxford Mini Storage captured second place and Great Clips won third place.

In the Best Individual Marcher or Small Group or Family category, Carl Fretz and Karen Andress captured first place as “Fred and Wilma Flintstone.” The Jackson family earned second place with “Two of a Kind Working on a Full House.” Addyson Federoff and Kent Vendrick earned third place with a “Pirate Ship” theme. Nicholas and Sophia Stanley took fourth place with “Popeye/Tugboat” theme. Luis Garcia was selected for fifth place with a John Deere Tractor entry. Jen Harrison earned a sixth-place finish with “Little Red Riding Hood.” Carlin Cursi earned a seventh-place finish with “Fireman.”

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email [email protected].