On Halloween this year, Daleville celebrated the holiday festivities with a parade that started at 12:00 pm. Our small community was brought together during this joyous parade. This event brought together many people. It allowed for youth to have fun while filling their precious sweet tooth. 

As individuals lined Walnut Street, many distinct groups were preparing to be a part of this event. A lot of people were representing and represented in Daleville on Halloween, this year. The Salem Township Fire Department, the Daleville Police Department, DHS and DES cheerleaders, and many more. The bonding of youth was clear during this event, whether it be within a group participating in the parade or friends collecting candy with each other on the side of the street. These groups’ involvement in this event allowed for the bonding and strengthening of relationships when looking past the promotional level. Adelyn Wilson, a DHS junior cheerleader, exclaimed, “It was a fun way to kick off our season!”

This parade wasn’t the only thing fun happening on Halloween this year in Daleville. At the end of the parade, there was an exciting place for youth to roam. They called this “Daleville Frenzy!” This took place in a grassy area nearby the Daleville Town Hall and the recently made splash pad. There was also a bounce house and a giant blow-up slide. There were  smiles on the faces of children as they played and made new friends, the excitement gleaming from their eyes as they ran through the crowds of people, and the sheer contentment they felt by observing their kids. This was a great way to escape the fear of the global pandemic all around us.

Speaking of this global predicament, there were very little restrictions at this parade in favor of stopping the spread of COVID-19. Many of the participants in the parade wore masks, but within the crowds, there were little to no masks worn by the community attending to observe this event, with the exception of many people in power within our community. This event was outside but observers were very close and in large crowds. Along with the disappointment I have in the Daleville community, I urge individuals to be diligent in practicing actions that aid in the prevention of this horrible virus.