Return of Ashland Halloween costume parade shows off this theater town’s creative side

Queens, a Cowardly Lion and zombies gathered in downtown Ashland under sunny skies Monday afternoon for a Halloween parade in which original costumes, elaborate makeup and creativity made it clear: The stars of the show don’t wear a store-bought outfit in this southern Oregon city renowned for theater.

The popular Ashland Chamber’s Children’s Halloween Celebration, which had been on hold for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, filled East Main Street with more than 5,000 people, police estimated.

The Brazilian carnival-style band Samba Like it Hot led children and their families in the parade that began at 3:30 p.m. at the Ashland Public Library. People in the procession sauntered, skipped or shuffled, depending on their character, to the downtown plaza area, near the Oregon Shakespeare Festival campus.

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— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman

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See more on photos of Ashland Children’s Halloween parade

2019 Creepy, creative costumes parade through Ashland’s downtown Halloween party

2018 See Ashland’s 5,000-strong, spooky, funny Halloween parade

2017 Spooky, sexy, funny Halloween costumes in Ashland’s sunny, freewheeling parade