The beloved spooktacular march through lower Manhattan is finally on again.
After the fright of almost being canceled for the second year in a row due to COVID-19, the 2021 Village Halloween Parade is set to dazzle the Big Apple Sunday at 7 p.m.
Expected to be a night of freaky fun, dancing, music and remarkable wardrobes worn by the masses, artistic and producing director Jeanne Fleming said this year’s 48th Halloween parade in NYC is especially sentimental.
“We were the first event to return after 9/11 in 2001 and this year, in a way, reminds me of that,” Fleming, who enters into her 40th year of mastering the spectacle on All Hallows Eve, told The Post.
“It’s that feeling of ‘we can be together again.’”
She also said the parade almost didn’t have the financial assets to operate this year until a generous donation from UBS senior vice president Jason Feldman saved the day in September.
“It just came out of nowhere and was incredible. So, we’ve been scrambling to do a year’s worth of work in six weeks now.”
The last-minute push has a silver lining of making this year’s running “very homespun and folk arty,” like that of the march’s origin in the early 1970s, Fleming said.
The costume theme is “Let’s Play” and organizers encourage paradegoers to think about dressing from game show-related ideas all the way to baseball players and even decks of cards this time around.
“A lot of people will keep their costumes secret until they arrive. One of the fun things is not knowing,” Fleming said.
Comedian Randy Rainbow will also serve as the 2021 grand marshal after gaining popularity for his parody song “Mr. Biden (Bring My Vaccine)” on YouTube last March.
Rainbow will be among 53 bands, dancers, artists and what’s anticipated to be thousands of New Yorkers.
“I’m very curious about the turnout this year. I have a feeling it will be larger than ever,” Fleming said.
Because of that highly anticipated reunion, the parade will be incorporating a second theme as well, “All Together Now,” which harps on the sense of community, especially for New York City who had to stay at home last Halloween.
Those local children were given the chance to make puppets on whatever topic they like to be featured at the front of this year’s parade as a partnership with the Children’s Museum of the Arts, which sits near the parade route on Charlton Street in Hudson Square.
Listening to the roar of the crowd and those happy kids is what Fleming is looking forward to the most, she said.
“Hearing that cheering and seeing so many happy people, that’s what I can’t wait for.”
As for the when and where, the parade’s route will run along Sixth Avenue from Spring Street to 16th Street. The parade lineup begins on the avenue at 6:30 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. between Spring and Broome streets.
Marchers can only approach Sixth Avenue from the east or south as Spring Street will be closed for the festivities.
Along with marching and watching from the sidewalk for free, there are VIP ticket packages that allow people to skip lines, ride on floats and walk alongside Randy Rainbow in addition to other perks.
Participants must wear masks, and those watching streetside are encouraged to wear decorated masks as well. The parade will be televised on NY1 at 8 p.m.
