The Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade will once again be back this year on Saturday, October 28, 2023. The festival and parade will take place at downtown Anaheim and Anaheim City Hall. The fun starts at 11:00 AM with themed food booths and trucks, entertainment, and a haunted house. The parade starts at 7:00 PM with elaborate, nostalgic floats and movie-quality costumes.
Don’t forget to dress in your favorite costume for the festival and parade!
Update: In honor of the Anaheim Fall Festival’s 100th year there will be an free art show featuring original works from some of your favorite Anaheim Fall Festival artists. The art show will be open from August 24th and run thru October 3rd at the Downtown Anaheim Community Center (250 East Center Street, Anaheim, 92805). Admission is free and is open Monday thru Saturday: 8am – 8pm and Sundays: 8am – 5pm.
Anaheim Fall Festival & Halloween Parade
Anaheim Fall Festival Website
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Festival Location: Downtown Anaheim, Center St Promenade
Date: Saturday, October 28, 2023
Festival Time: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Kiddie Costume Contest Registration: 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM
Kiddie Costume Contest Start: 12 PM (noon)
Doggie Costume Contest Registration: 2:00 to 2:45 PM
Doggie Costume Contest Start: 3:00 PM
Parade Start Time: 7:00 PM
Admission is free, there is no cost to attend the festival or parade but food, crafts, and some activities will have a cost. The event organizers try to keep costs at low-or-no cost to keep it as family-friendly as possible.
Halloween Parade
Where: Downtown Anaheim
Parking: Parking is available in the Center Street parking structure. Get there early!
Parade Start: City Hall (200 S Anaheim Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92805)
Parade Route: The parade will start at 7:00 pm at City Hall and proceed west via Center Street and Broadway. It will then turn left on Harbor before turning right on Broadway. The parade ends on Broadway right past S West St.
The floats draw inspiration from the annual theme, historic parade photos from the 50s and 60s, and Halloween.
The parade procession is led by the city mascot, Andy Anaheim banging his drum and then followed by a nostalgic flotilla of floats and movie-quality costumes. About 70,000 people line the parade route each year.
Activities
Each year there is something old and something new. Past autumn carnival activities have featured a pumpkin patch, haunted house, Halloween-themed games, costume contests, live music, marionette shows, and a variety of themed food offerings and delicious treats.
Kiddie Costume Contest
Boys and girls, ages 12 and under, are welcome to join in their best costumes.
All contestants will parade across the stage to showcase their costumes for the judges and the crowd. Winners will receive prizes.
The costume contest is free to enter, must register the day of the contest.
Doggie Costume Contest
The costume contest is free to enter, must register the day of the contest.
Dogs must be on a leash, comfortable with crowds, licensed and vaccinated.
Only dogs may participate. No cats or other types of animals.
Volunteers
Volunteers are needed! All levels of proficiencies from carpenters, fundraisers, float builders and to young kids who can hold a paint brush, are invited to join in. Contact the festival organizers to volunteer.
About Andy Anaheim
Andy Anaheim is the city’s mascot and belongs to the City of Anaheim’s Chamber of Commerce. Dating back to the 1950s, Anaheim officials requested from Walt Disney himself, a City mascot to help endorse Anaheim’s growth from a farming community, to a world-wide vacation destination.
The character was designed by an uncredited Disney artist featuring ant-like antennae, Mickey Mouse-ish nose, perpetual smile and his whole body represents an “A”, for Anaheim. Andy Anaheim was originally used in marketing materials for visitors and was revived recently to represent Anaheim again.
Visit Andy Anaheim’s Facebook page to learn more about him and his history.
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Monique McArthur is a mother of two, writer, and creator of delicious recipes. In her spare time she enjoys exploring all that Orange County has to offer, traveling, shopping, running with her dogs and spending time with family.