Halloween season kicked off in grand style Wednesday night with the 75th annual Andreas Halloween Parade.

There were 26 entries featuring schools, scouts, floats, and marchers on the traditional parade route; starting at the Andreas Sporting Club, down to Route 895.

Then the parade turned around for the second pass, returning to the Andreas Sporting Club.

The parade route was lined with hundreds of spectators, many dressed in Halloween costumes.

Parade participants tossed candy to the children, who eagerly scooped it up into their bags and buckets.

The sponsors of the annual parade were the West Penn Lions Club, VFW Post 5069, and the Andreas Sporting Club.

The VFW Post 5069 Color Guard helped start the parade along with the West Penn Police Department.

Gary Frantz served as the grand marshal, being driven in West Penn Lions Club member Gary Kistler’s 1937 Packard.

Some of the highlights included the Tamaqua Area High School Raider football team, marching band, band front, and cheerleaders.

Tamaqua Cub Pack 777 had an alien theme with a trailer decorated as a UFO over a cornfield, and scouts dressed up in alien costumes. West Penn Cub Pack 756 had a Viking ship and everyone dressed as Vikings.

Girl Scout troop 32848 from New Ringgold had a float with the theme “Under the Sea” with everyone dressed as undersea divers and blowing bubbles.

Carbon County Fair Queen Eva Eroh from Weatherly and Junior Miss Lexie Seiple from Lehighton rode in a horse-drawn carriage provided by Crystal View Carriages.

Several local business took part. Apple Tree Kennels had two girls dressed in Dalmatian costumes. Lorah Property Repair had a float entitled “All About the 80s. Pyro Joe was there with his float, an inflatable firework. Keller Williams Real Estate had a small float, “Haunting for Homes.” And the Hometown Walmart had an SUV with several of their employees dressed in costumes. Members of the West Penn Township Fire Company No. 1, West Penn Police Department, Penn Mahoning Ambulance, Tuscarora Fire Company, East Penn Fire Company, Mahoning Valley Fire Company, New Ringgold Fire Company, and Lehighton Ambulance drove a variety of ambulance and fire vehicles.

In addition to Gary Kistler’s 1937 Packard, other featured cars included Jim Knappenberger’s 1938 Plymouth, the Ghost Busters Car, and a replica of a 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe owned and driven by Scott Enk.

The West Penn Lions Club concluded the parade with a wagon pulled by a 1947 Farmall Cub Tractor owned by Lion Gary Kistler and driven by Lion Stacey Lechleitner.

Parade coordinator Bob Neumoyer thanked the West Penn Fire Dept. and Fire Police, West Penn Police Dept., Dean Arner Auctioneer for use of his parking lots, Tamaqua Rescue for PA system, Brett Morgan for the PA system at the judging stand, Lion Jim Bova for the lights along the parade route, Jeff Bradford and Priority Portable Toilets, and the Andreas Sporting Club where the parade started and finished.

The Andreas Halloween Parade Committee is made up of West Penn Lions Club members Gary Kistler, Bob and Judy Miller, Bob and Becky Neumoyer, Deb Saunders, and co-chairpersons Tina Dougherty and Jackie Selitto.

Parade judges were Tina Dougherty, Becky Neumoyer, and Kathy Kromer.