By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
The streets of Sea Isle City turned awfully scary when darkness descended Friday night.
All sorts of frightening creatures – ghosts, ghouls, goblins and the like – took over the town and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Except laugh.
To the delight of hundreds of spectators lining the sidewalks, Sea Isle’s Halloween Parade rolled down Landis Avenue in all of its spook-tacular splendor.
The Halloween celebration has been a tradition in Sea Isle for more than 30 years and is one of the centerpieces of the town’s family-friendly fall entertainment lineup.
Immediately after the parade wrapped up, the celebration continued with a family-style Halloween dance party at the Excursion Park Band Shell.
“Everyone has come out to have a great time,” Mayor Leonard Desiderio exclaimed as he tossed handfuls of candy to the children while he stood on top of a fire engine in the parade.
Colorful floats featuring smoke, spooky music and other special effects were among the highlights. The evil Winifred Sanderson and other characters from the witch movie “Hocus Pocus” belted out songs to entertain the crowds. On the back of the float, a ghoul lying at his grave held up a sign that said, “Twas Just 1 Kiss.”
A pirate ship float featuring ghosts, skeletons and creepy pumpkin heads as its terrifying crew appeared in a haze of smoke – magically sailing down the street like it was plying the oceans centuries ago.
The Original Hobo Band from Pitman, N.J., and the Pennsport String Band of Philadelphia Mummers fame serenaded the crowds with lively music to keep everyone dancing in the streets.
Sea Isle fire trucks and other emergency vehicles flashed their lights and blared their horns and sirens to add to the raucous excitement.
Providing some extra horsepower for the parade were new and vintage Chevrolet Corvettes, revving their loud engines to delight the spectators as the cars crawled along Landis Avenue.
Many of the spectators added to the holiday atmosphere by wearing an array of superhero, monster and witch costumes.
“Hey, Michael Myers,” one kid called out across the street to none other than the knife-wielding killer of the “Halloween” horror movie franchise.
Staying within character, Chris Mulligan, who was dressed as Michael Myers, stood on the sidewalk in complete silence. In the “Halloween” slasher movies, the nightmarish Michael Myers never utters a word.
“He does this every year. He stays in character. He loves to scare people and turn heads,” Kristin Mulligan said of her husband.
“I’m not a Michael Myers fan. I’m the wife who think it’s ridiculous,” Kristin added with a laugh.
The Mulligans, of Ocean View, were joined at the parade by five of their six children. They included Logan, 11, Brayden, 9, Colin, 7, Nolan, 6, and Rylee, 4. Only their 18-year-old daughter, Jordyn, was missing.
Parade spectator John Davis, of Woodbine, couldn’t resist making a joke when he heard that this Michael Myers has six children.
“I didn’t know Michael Myers had kids; six no less,” Davis said, chuckling.
Fans of the “Halloween” movies know that the latest sequel, “Halloween Ends,” has been released just in time for the holiday.
Asked what he thought of the movie, Chris Mulligan’s Michael Myers didn’t say anything, but gave it a thumbs-down sign to show his disapproval.
Among the spectators, the Morrison family of Sea Isle enjoys the Halloween parade every year. Tim Morrison, who was with his daughters, Victoria, 9, and Abigail, 6, said the parade is always fun.
“We love seeing the community come out,” he said.
Victoria was dressed as a “dark forest enchantress,” while Abigail was wearing a “dark angel” costume.
“I like to see the floats. I like to wear my costume,” Victoria said of her favorite parts of the parade.
Abigail, though, enjoys another aspect of the parade.
“I like to see the candy,” she said.
The kids love the parade’s tradition of having marchers toss wrapped candy into the crowds. Throughout the night, some of the children were chanting, “Candy, Candy” to have some treats thrown their way.
