"Organized Chaos!" Inside the Huge (and Expensive) Undertaking of Portsmouth's Halloween Parade (30-Year Anniversary!)

One of the best Halloween parades in the country?

According to USA Today, that's exactly what the Portsmouth Halloween Parade is.

Each year, Seacoast Halloween fanatics descend upon downtown Portsmouth for the parade, donning detailed costumes and a community spirit that few towns in the nation can match.

With tens of thousands attendees present, the organization of the parade is a massive undertaking. And for a grassroots organization, the beloved annual tradition requires extensive amounts of support from the city of Portsmouth. Plus ... a lot of cash, too.

On today's episode, host Troy Farkas welcomes two parade organizers, Jonathan Day and Amanda Giles, to discuss why this parade is one of the Seacoast's top annual attractions. Plus, they talk about the 30-year history of the parade, why they refuse to take corporate sponsorship, the choosing of the Grand Marshal, the creative year-long efforts that go into raising funds for this event, how the community rallies together to make this event happen, and so much more.

CHAPTERS:

• Seacoast Stories LIVE on 12/5 (00:00)
• The history of the parade (02:00)
• Forgoing corporate sponsorship (12:45)
• Why the parade is so beloved (16:00)
• The small (but mighty) team behind the parade (30:44)
• BTS planning of the event (36:00)
• Plans for the 30th parade (50:52)
• How do you want to be remembered? (53:53)

EVENTS:

• ⁠Seacoast Stories Dinner Club⁠ is headed to Hampton, N.H., on Wednesday, November 12. Meet your new best friends by ⁠taking this personality quiz⁠ and securing your spot today.
• Seacoast Stories LIVE! On Friday, December 5, the Seacoast's biggest podcast takes the 3S Artspace stage for an evening of community, connection, and conversation. Secure your tickets here.

SPONSORS:

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