Anoka’s 2023 Halloween Parade attracted crowds from all over the Twin Cities on Saturday, the 28th of October. Just like every year, the environment was electric and the smiles were endless. T-10 Construction joined the party at this Grande Day Parade in spirit with a float, energy, and bucketloads of candy.
The Halloween Capital of the World expected over 40,000 attendees in this kid-friendly parade. This means the parade is one of the largest in the state of Minnesota! Attending this parade has been a tradition for many of the T-10 Team’s family and it was even more fun to be a part of it. You can truly feel the spirit of the town as you walk down Main Street.
Record setting pumpkin
This year, Anoka’s own Travis Gienger set the record for the world’s largest pumpkin. He hauled the pumpkin to Half Moon Bay, California and the pumpkin weighed 2,749 pounds. After, Anoka declared Saturday as “Travis Gienger Day,” the pumpkin was shown off in the parade. Read more here.
Where does Anoka's title come from?
Why is Anoka the Halloween Capital of the World you may ask… Well, it all began in the 1920s when the city’s leaders were searching for a solution to the notorious town pranksters. They had hoped they could create an interesting event that would steal the attention of the town’s trouble makers. The first parade was held down Main Street that very same year with huge success. It wasn’t long before the celebration expanded to include many other activities such as dance parties, store front decorating contests, races, and more. The title “Halloween Capital of the World” wasn’t official until 1937, thanks to an act of congress.
