On Oct. 27 the marching band will be performing and marching in the Chapel Square Civic Association Annual Halloween parade. You might be thinking why, since the Wakefield Chapel area is not a part of the Annandale Pyramid anymore  — but it is for the simple fact that the tradition of having the AHS Marching Band perform at the Chapel Square Halloween is extremely important for the residents of the neighborhood as well as for AHS’s marching band members.

Some of the students in the Marching Band have grown up going to the parade, and they will all tell you it was something to look forward to as a kid.  This Halloween parade is a time for the kids to get dressed up in their awesome costumes, hang out with friends and be a part of something amazing.

I remember when I was a kid and going to this parade, that when the Marching  Band showed up we were so excited to see them and we looked up at them as if they were celebrities. They were blowing into all of these weird shaped items to make a sound. And this, to me, was incredible.  When the students that grew up going to the Parade actually got to participate in the event, it was an amazing experience.

“It [Chapel Square Parade] means an incredible amount to me. I have been to every single parade since before I was a year old. Living a part of it every year since I’ve been in the band means that I’m not only being in my own childhood dream, but allowing other kids to have that dream too,” senior Paul Helfgott said. You finally got to be a part of something you spent your entire childhood going to see and looking up to.

“It’s an important tradition that really brings the community together and it’s a great time to celebrate the Halloween spirit,” AHS and Marching Band Alumni Colleen Salpini said.

The parade is not just for the enjoyment of the kids attending, the parade is a great fundraiser for the AHS Marching Band. Citizens of Chapel Square come together and pass around donation boxes, to help raise money for the band. This fundraiser is one of many to help make the band program run sufficiently. The Marching Band raises several hundred dollars which can make a huge difference in the yearly budget.

With this boundary change, this tradition will be erased throughout the years, along with major funding for the band program.  This parade is more than just an ordinary community parade, it’s a fun and festive tradition that means a lot to the Wakefield Chapel community and a lot to the kids that spent their entire life attending it.