Community

Riverhead Halloween Fest parade marches on: Photos

The weather gave organizers of the 2018 Halloween Festival a scare, causing the annual parade to be rescheduled to Sunday, instead of Saturday as originally planned.

Saturday’s nor’easter, which flooded parts of downtown Riverhead, also cancelled the coffin races, but didn’t stop hundreds from attending the postponed parade Sunday.

The streets of downtown Riverhead were alive with the undead as costumed ghouls traveled down Main Street. “Beetlejuice” won the $500 grand prize in the costume contest, followed by second place’s Riverhead Faculty and Community Theatre Youth Program’s “Addams Family”and third place’s The Suffolk Theater’s  “Hollywood Horror.”

In the pumpkin carving contest, John Golden won for “Best Traditional Pumpkin” while Natalie Tucci won for “Best Painted Pumpkin.”

See more photos of the 2018 Halloween Festival by photographer Elizabeth Wagner below:

Riverhead’s Aris Block, Rose Green, Addison Heck, and Courtney Brennan with the Riverhead Faculty and Community Theatre Youth Program “Addams Family.”
Aquebogue’s Christopher Linnen, Mark Linnen, Kaden Linnen, and Brian Linnen with “Peconic Pirates.”
Peconic Ballet Theatre practicing “Thriller.”
Children of Roanoke PTO prepare for the parade.
Riverhead’s Matthew Zambriski and Traci Zambriski of “Beetlejuice.”
Diane Tucci and daughter, Natalie Tucci, led the procession with the Riverhead BID.

“Pennywise”
The Suffolk Theater’s “Hollywood Horror” entertains parade-goers.
The Suffolk Theater’s “Hollywood Horror” entertains parade-goers.
“Beetlejuice” throws candy along the parade route.
The Riverhead Faculty and Community Theatre Youth Program’s “Addams Family” performs along the parade route.

The Riverhead Faculty and Community Theatre Youth Program’s “Addams Family” performs a number from the show.

Diane Tucci and Natalie Tucci award “Williams” Best in Show in the Pumpkin Carving Contest.
Tracy Stark-James of Aquebogue (organizer of the 1st place costume, “Beetlejuice”) credits the win to a collaboration of the Petrignani, James, Fife, Ruland, Zambriski, Hulse, and Woodhull families. She challenges local neighborhoods to create their own projects for next year’s parade and share using the tag #loveyourhood.