New York City's biggest and most renowned Halloween parade returns to Greenwich Village Monday night for the 49th time, and it's once again free to anyone who wants to come and watch from the sidelines or get in the costume fray.
The 2022 bash will feature hundreds of floats and puppets, and for the first time in its history, be led by an all-women brass band from Brooklyn that calls themselves The Brass Queens. The fun starts at 7 p.m. and the route stretches along Sixth Avenue, from Canal Street to 15th Street, according to the organizers.
The Brooklyn United Marching Band has been named this year's Grand Marshalls.
No ticket is required, but purchasing one does come with benefits -- like VIP access and more options to participate in the parade, from watching it to walking in it or helping support the work through donations. Learn more here.
This year’s parade pays tribute to those who fought for the rights we have now, the event organizers announced Tuesday. It'll honor The Raging Grannies, who promote global peace, justice and social and economic equality by raising consciousness through song parodies and satire -- so expect even more energy on the streets of the parade.
"This year’s theme, Freedom, was inspired not by the people of New York, but by their need to experience a place where fun is the main objective; to feel joy and the freedom of being who you are," Artistic and Producing Parade Director Jeanne Fleming said in a statement. "Throughout history, when our country faced times of hardship, people flocked to the parade because extended the freedom to forget about whatever was going wrong and enjoy what was right in front of them, each other."
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