While it may have made traffic frightfully slow for a bit on Rogers Street around 12:30 p.m. Friday, the Halloween Toddler Trick-or-Treat Parade went off without a hitch
The parade attracted more than 100 attendees in one of its largest turnouts ever, according Jessica Margiotta, who organized this year’s parade with Kelly Gossom.
Nearly 30 local businesses and organizations took part by donating and passing out treats for the costumed toddlers ages 5 and younger. Mayor Greg Verga stopped by at the start of the parade, which gathered in the parking lot of the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce on Harbor Loop.
The parade then headed around Harbor Loop, making a stop at Maritime Gloucester, where Executive Director Michael De Koster handed out fruit snacks with a flyer for the free, costume-encouraged FantaSea event for kids at Maritime Gloucester at 23 Harbor Loop (RSVP at MaritimeGloucester.org) on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The parade route then took the costumed tots and their parents across Rogers Street onto Duncan Street to visit Main Street merchants, among other destinations.
The parade started in 2013. It was founded by Katie Numerosi and the Gloucester Mothers Group on Facebook, Margiotta said.
In 2016, Jamie Margiotta took over for the next seven years before her sister-in-law Jessica Margiotta and Gossom, a Gloucester police officer, took over the tradition last year. They again volunteered their time to organize the parade, with Pam Tobey helping out to keep kids safe along the route. The Gloucester Police Department also volunteered to help the parade cross the busy main streets.
Downtown merchants will host another event on Main Street on Halloween. The stores will be giving out treats and candy from 4-6 p.m. The event provides parents with a safe, controlled sidewalk environment to celebrate the Halloween experience.