HUGHESVILLE - Apparently Mother Nature could rain on the various Halloween parades in the area - but those seeking candy and fun accepted the weather.
Despite a drizzly day, zombies, animals and other assorted characters lined up around the county for Halloween parades Wednesday evening.
At East Lycoming School District, where the Hughesville Halloween parade began, cars filled the lot, but only the truly brave came out of their shelter before the parade began lining up.
Article Photos
CRAIG S. McKIBBEN JR./Sun-Gazette
Above, dressed as Ghostbusters, from left, Jeffrey Fenstermacher Jr., 6, son of Jeffrey Fenstermacher Sr., right and Christina Fenstermacher, of Muncy, and Devon Feaster, center, of Montgomery, wait for Hughesville’s Halloween Parade to begin at Hughesville High School Wednesday evening as the Marching Spartans line up in the background.
Leading the parade were Juneil Ritter, dressed as a zombie, and her horse, Cody, painted like a skeleton.
It was Cody's second parade and while she described him as anxious, she said it was not hard getting him in character.
"Just give him food and he'll do anything," Ritter said.
She brought Cody into the parade partly because she loves horses and partly because she knows the people that line up to watch the parade don't often see horses.
Mark Peterman, also dressed like a zombie, worked with Joe Tavani, dressed like a hipster, to build a three-story bicycle out of scrap parts.
Peterman's reasoning behind the device sprouted from Halloween "sort of being unusual."
The two are avid bikers, but took a week off to avoid the weather.
Peterman, who rode the bike, had Kaitlin Peterman, dressed as Rosie the Riveter, as his chief safety operator in case he needed helping getting off it.
She chose her costume because she's "really into history."
The Maris and Bitler families worked together all year long to produce a float with some familiar friends from How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Leading the sleigh they built was a dog dressed like Max the dog dressed like a reindeer.
At the front of the sleigh was the Grinch, accompanied by two candy canes, two presents, two pieces of candy, Cindy Lou Who and a Christmas tree filled with children dressed like ornaments and a star.
One of the candy canes, Jennifer Maris, explained the two families do a float every year and work together every Sunday to complete it.
In the past, the two families have also built a Wizard of Oz float and an Under the Sea float.
While they stood in the bad weather waiting for the parade to begin, Maris would not let the rain dampen her enjoyment.
"We're still doing it," Maris said. "We worked too hard."
Stepping back into time, a 1953 car led a float styled to look like the first ever McDonalds, which opened in 1954.
The workers of the NASCAR McDonalds wore old-fashioned uniforms to match the theme.
Sethany Derrick, of Picture Rocks, said they wanted to do it because it would be fun.
And were they having fun waiting for the parade to begin?
"Yes," Derrick said, after a pause, while those around her said they would enjoy themselves more in their cars or if they just started moving.
Other parades scheduled throughout the area Wednesday night included Montgomery, Lock Haven, Blossburg and Wellsboro.
Pennsdale Volunteer Fire Co. and Howard held their parades on Saturday.
City police reported handling some minor complaints during Halloween, "but nothing major," a patrol supervisor told the Sun-Gazette.
