Thousands Bask in the Glow of Galena’s Annual Halloween Parade

Saturday evening was another picture-perfect Halloween parade on Main St. in historic Galena, Illinois.

The 43rd annual event is undoubtedly one of the longest-running and most popular Halloween parades in the Tri-States, if not the entire U.S., with thousands of young and old packing onto just a half-mile stretch of Main Street.

By early morning people began laying claim to valuable sidewalk real estate by placing blankets and chairs for the finest viewing. It's a wise move, with an estimated 20,000 or more making the annual parade pilgrimage.

The lively affair was abuzz with ghouls, goblins, and costumed folks enjoying the street-fair atmosphere and packed restaurants and bars throughout the day and into the evening.

But while Halloween is meant to be frightening, the Galena parade remains a family-friendly event. It's a slice of Americana and remains the quaint yet quintessential community event drawing people and families from miles around.

The conversations in the crowd indicate that people traveled from as nearby as Dubuque, Platteville, and from all over Jo Daviess County.

Likewise, they also came from as far as Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Quad Cities, and Chicago.

While Galena does a fantastic job with festivals throughout the year, none may be as famous as the community's signature spooktacular Halloween parade.

With at least a half-dozen area marching bands and numerous floats, the parade is an endless stream of Halloween happiness with music, tossed candy, and good cheer.

The Main Street setting is a postcard-perfect venue for the thousands gathered to cheer on veterans, area businesses, marching bands, and giant yet scaled-down parade balloons.

Of course, the blasting of hot air balloon flames by several entries serves as a welcome shot of warm air. Still, it also offers a spectacular glow to showcase the crowd and the historical Galena setting so many came to enjoy.

Watch: Parade Marching Band - 103WJOD on TikTok

See More Galena Parade Photos