Vienna Halloween Parade Tips

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.

This year the 73rd Annual Vienna Halloween Parade will take place on Wednesday, October 23 at 7 p.m.

The theme this year is “Famous Children’s Books & Fairytales Brought to Life.” The parade is about half a mile long and lasts about 1.5 hours. The parade route runs from the intersection of Branch/Maple and ends at the library at Center/Maple.

If you’ve never been, here are some tips to help you make the most of the experience!

• People set out chairs and blankets early in the day to reserve their spot. If you want a front row view, I suggest you do the same. The town asks that no one does this before noon on the day of the parade and that revelers stay clear of the sidewalk and benches during the day.
• If you have a flat bed truck, you can back into parking spaces at the shopping centers and sit high to get a better view.
• Some of the groups in the parade are very loud. If you have someone who is noise sensitive, consider bringing something to help them enjoy the parade without the noise.
• There are no food vendors except for the nearby restaurants so plan to bring food if you need it or support a local restaurant.
• Kids in costumes can walk in the parade with an adult if they want to. Participants meet at 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot at United Bank (374 Maple Avenue E).
• Depending on what part of town you live in, you should be able to find parking to easily get out. Many people park at Vienna Elementary, the library, the Giant shopping plaza, side streets, Walgreens shopping center, or the Fresh Market parking lot.

Pro Tip: The Weichert Realtors office at 156 Maple Avenue E holds a haunted house every year from 5:45-7 p.m. They have a designated area for small kids, but they also have a scarier “Haunted Room” if you are looking for bigger thrills. They also give out candy.

The parade is one of my favorite Vienna events!

Bring extra blankets in case it’s cold. In years past, people would jump over to the old Starbucks for hot chocolate on cold nights, but now that’s gone so you’ll still have the Vienna Shopping Center for food (Panera has hot chocolate) and Caffe Amouri is open until 9 p.m. too.