Last night Noel and I were lucky enough to be able to go to the Great Halloween Lantern Parade with the usual suspects. This year was the 10th anniversary of the parade, put on every year by the Creative Alliance, our friendly neighborhood arts organization.
Although we’ve lived in Patterson Park for 4 years now, this is the first time we’ve been able to make it to the parade (I know, I’m embarrassed!). What a great year we picked to go! This year the parade was expanded to include a parade festival before the actual event, with food, beverages (we always love a beer garden!), lantern making, and hay rides for the kids. There was a real carnival atmosphere as everyone hung out at the festival and waited for the parade to get going.
And then once it got going, oh what a sight it was. As darkness fell on the park you could feel everyone getting more excited about the parade. And then suddenly a twinkling of lights started coming towards us. There were lanterns in every shape and size, from simple box lanterns made by kids to elaborate paper mache lanterns formed into magical creatures. When combined with stilt walkers and drums the parade became a wonderful piece of performance art, slowly snaking before our eyes.
It was simply beautiful. What better way to celebrate the season and our wonderful neighborhood.
As we walked back towards our house after the end of the parade had passed us by, we could see the parade slowly making it’s way through the rest of the park. Noel and I just turned to each other and smiled, warmed by the great event taking place around us. It was fantastic to have such a visual reminder of why we love living in this place.
If you’ve never been to the parade, I can’t recommend it enough for next year. I know we’ll be going back.
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Beth, your description of the parade is so moving! I’ve never been, but your beautiful words bring the warmth of the parade alive… Thank you for sharing the event with us!
That looks so awesome. I wish I could have been there. What a fun neighborhood. I am glad some of those Baltimore areas are thriving these days.
It was also our first time! What a wonderful way to describe the event. My daughter is 6 y/o and I don’t remember the last time I was able to look at her face and see amusement over and over and over again. We did the hayride and also drank some delicious hot pear lemongrass cider….and marched in the parade with our hand crafted “box” lanterns. We will certainly be there again next year.
Beth, I’m so excited you asked about pecan pie! :-) I think the problem with most pecan pies is the recipe, when tends to be too watery and hence goops all over the place… :-p However, my grandmother’s recipe is a very well behaved pie! :-) If you’d like to give it a try, here’s the link! :-) I always bake it for exactly 45 minutes, and even though it will fall a bit after it comes out of the oven, it’s definitely 100% done after that amount of time, in our oven – I’ve had to cook it for 50 minutes in some other ovens, but I haven’t had to cook it any longer than that anywhere.
Happy pie! :-)
http://foodforlaughter.blogspot.com/2008/08/welcome-home-pecan-pie.html