LAWRENCE: Young marchers to haunt annual Halloween parade

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   The ghouls and goblins should be out in numbers Oct. 30, as the Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Co. holds its annual Halloween parade for children — as it has for more than 50 years — in the historic village of Lawrenceville.
   The young marchers will begin gathering at the Lawrenceville Elementary School at 6 p.m., and the march will start at 6:30 p.m., said Cindi Buxton, president of the Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Co. The parade is free, and pre-registration is not necessary.
   There is no rain date, Ms. Buxton said. If it rains, the children will gather indoors at the Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Co. at 64 Phillips Ave. at 6:30 p.m. for a costume-judging contest and refreshments — doughnuts, cookies, juice and Halloween candy.
   The parade route starts on Craven Lane, and then turns onto George Street and then onto Phillips Avenue to the fire company headquarters, Ms. Buxton said. A fire truck will lead the marchers from the elementary school to the firehouse.
   Once the marchers arrive at the firehouse, they will gather in the engine room where the fire trucks are usually parked and be divided into age groups for the annual Halloween costume judging competition, she said.
   A stage will be set up so the children’s costumes can be judged in several categories — the silliest costume, the best home-made costume, the scariest costume, or the best pair of costumes such as Batman and Robin, Ms. Buxton said. Prizes are awarded for first, second and third place winners.
   The children will be treated to refreshments, such as doughnuts, cookies, juice and Halloween candy, as soon as they reach the firehouse. The event will end around 8 p.m. or 8:30 p.m.
   ”The Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Co. holds the Halloween parade to generate some community involvement in the fire department, and to show people that it’s a child-friendly atmosphere,” Ms. Buxton said.
   ”People count on the Halloween parade,” she said. “The firehouse is a family-friendly place where they can come and spend a few hours with their children. We have had a very good turnout (over the years).”
   Bringing the children and their families into the firehouse also serves to expose them to the concept of community service, she said. Many people do not realize that the fire companies in Lawrence rely heavily on volunteer firefighters, she added.
   Ms. Buxton said she hopes that the exposure to the Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Co. also will remind people to contribute to the fire department when the annual fund-raising letters go out.
   For more information, check out the Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Co.’s website at www.lawrencevillefire.org or call the firehouse at 609-896-0972.