The Borough of Andreas held its 74th Annual Halloween Parade Wednesday evening, with 24 entries and more than 300 marchers participating.

The parade stretched along Andreas Road from the Andreas Sporting Club, down to Route 895, where the parade made a U-turn and headed back to the Sporting Club.

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

The children wore costumes and had bags ready for the candy to be thrown by the parade participants.

The grand marshal of the parade was to be Patricia Bednarik; who, with her husband, the late Joe Bednarik, organized the Andreas Halloween parade from 1976 to 2003. However, she was unable to attend due to an accident.

In her place was her great-granddaughter, Addyson Muffley, riding in a 1937 Packard owned and driven by West Penn Lion’s Club member Gary Kistler.

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

Members of the West Penn Township Fire Company No. 1, Penn Mahoning Ambulance, Lynnport Fire Company, East Penn Fire Company, Mahoning Fire Company, New Ringgold Fire Company, and New Ringgold Ambulance drove a variety of ambulance and fire vehicles.

Carbon County Fair Queen, Jocelyn Motola of Palmerton, and her court; Fair Queen Runner Up Chastity Kibler, and Junior Miss Daphne Gowin rode in a horse-drawn carriage owned and operated by Kyle S. Hoppes of Crystal View Carriage.

Other notable entries included the Tamaqua Area Raider Marching Band and Band Front, under the direction of Mark Beltz; Girl Scout Troop 32848 from New Ringgold dressed as Minions and Miller Charm Farm “Tastes like Chicken” float.

The West Penn Cub Pack 756, led by Hans Krause, and featured a float with a patriotic theme.

Girl Scouts Service Unit 309 from Carbon County had Girls Scouts marching with the theme, “Girl Scouts have Character!”

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

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

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.