Description
Anaheim Fall Festival - History
In the early 1920s, the local community of Anaheim had a rapidly increasing population. During Halloween, residents were concerned that vandalism was growing at a considerable rate. Eager to find a solution to the problem, residents gathered to create a community event that would provide an outlet for teenagers. In 1924, this commitment resulted in the creation of the Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade. The Halloween Parade quickly became a nationally known event, serving as one of the first parades ever to be televised.
In the 1980s interest in the Halloween Parade began to wane and the tradition stopped. In the 1995 a group of community members, sharing fond memories of the infamous parade, gathered together to recreate this beloved event. The Fall Festival's mission "to continue the tradition of an annual community-wide Fall Festival and Halloween Parade that recognizes the harvest season and brings together people of all ages to educate and celebrate the history and cultural diversity of Anaheim" was put into place and remains to this day. For the Anaheim’s 150 th anniversary, the City of Anaheim stepped in to bring the parade back to the level it once was. Now, the Fall Festival and Halloween Parade is, once again, operated by a committed group of community volunteers. The parade continues to grow while the Fall Festival offers an art contest, children’s costume contest, doggy costume contest, live local entertainment, a pumpkin patch, a reptile show, pot-bellied pigs and nonprofit booths with old fashioned carnival games. In 2011, a haunted house was added to the festivities. 2012 saw the crowning of the inaugural Miss Anaheim Fall Festival and Miss Teen Anaheim Fall Festival.
The Anaheim Fall Festival and Parade is a local treasure. It is a shining example of philanthropy as volunteers plan everything and provide the results free to the public due to the continued support of local businesses and donors. Anyone wishing to volunteer to become part of this tradition can find information on the website: www.anaheimfallfestival.org.
