Tribeca Tradition: The Washington Market Park Halloween Fest

The Queer Big Apple Corps Marching Band entertains along Greenwich Street, from North Moore Street to Washington Market Park at Duane Street. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

HALLOWEEN PARADE

Tribeca’s Washington Market Park on Sunday was once again a sea of Halloween revelers following the annual march down Greenwich Street led by the rousing sounds of the Queer Big Apple Corps Marching Band  (formerly the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps). The Washington Market Park Halloween Parade and Party, sponsored by Friends of Washington Market Park, is Tribeca’s longest-running tradition, now entertaining its third generation of local kids.

PUMPKIN CARVING CONTEST

As always, the wildly popular Washington Market Park Pumpkin Carving Contest, held on Saturday, preceded the Park’s Sunday Halloween Parade. This year, 93 pumpkins competed in five categories. The judges, Nico Victorino, Jamal Paterson, Rina Collins, Lindsey Peers and Mark Lee, had the usual tough time choosing winners and runners-ups. (Winners are shown below.)  

The highest honor went to the Perry family, whose construction, “The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow” was personal to Sally Perry, who grew up in Sleepy Hollow. “We loved [the movie] “Sleepy Hollow,” we watched it all the time,” she said after being handed the coveted Golden Pumpkin trophy. “And Halloween is a very big thing in my hometown, so I thought it would be fun to do a little hometown Sleepy Hollow in Tribeca.”