A year after being canceled by COVID, streets of Centralia were lined several people deep along most of the Centralia Halloween Parade Route Saturday night for the one-and-a-half-hour parade.
The Harley Queen Trophy to the top float was presented to the Macz Funeral Homes. Traci Macz says it featured many of the iconic sites of Centralia.
“The theme this year was “Carving Out Memories”. We got really lucky because it fell together for what he had from two years ago and it was ‘Fall in Love with Centralia’. If you look at the water tower, it is the Orphan, hot air balloon, and train. So these are really iconic memories that are made in Centralia.”
Macz says they elected to pull the float in 2019 due to the heavy rains and then had to wait another year when COVID canceled the 2020 parade. She credits multiple families for working on the float and making it a reality.
The Grand Marshal’s Award went to the Centralia Chamber of Commerce entry ‘Haunted Mansion’.
Centralia Chamber of Commerce entry ‘Haunted Mansion’ won the Grand Marshal’s trophy.
In the commercial division, Izzy’s Hideout and their entry ‘Christmas for Kids’ took first and Midwest Farm and Land’s entry of ‘Hunting Land Memories’ took second.
In the family division, the Brumfield family’s entry of ‘Carving Memories’ was first and the Hatcher family’s entry of ‘Misfit Pirates’ was second.
In the civic division, the Centralia Girl Scouts was first and Murray Parents Association second. In the school division, the Alternative Learning Academy was first with their entry of ‘Positive Choices Carve New Memories’ and Centralia High May Fete entry “The Grand Tradition-May Fete-108 Years of Memories’ was second.
In the high school band competition, Sandoval took first as well as best Drum Line and Drum Major. Carlyle High School was second. In the grade school division, Iuka Grade School took first and also won best drumline and auxiliary.
In the marching units, William Harvey Dance Academy took first and Studio 50 was second.
Parade Chair and this year’s Grand Marshal Butch Mathis thanked everyone at the awards ceremony at the conclusion of the parade for making the day and parade a success.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you for your perseverance in making the 94th Anual Centralia Halloween parade a reality. Thank you very much. It was wonderful to see the smiles on the children’s faces again. It was well worth a million dollars to me to see the excitement the children had and all of the activities. We look forward t doing it again next year.”
Mathis said he already had two parade entries in his hand for next year by the end of Saturday night’s parade.
The Macz family and some of those who helped to put together the top prize-winning float of the parade.
Alternative School float ‘Positive Choices Care New Memories’ takes first in the school division.
Float honoring last year’s May Fete Court and the 108 Years of Memories from May Fete took second in the school division.
