Parkdale Pumpkin Parade draws crowd

PARKDALE — Kids and families braved cold temperatures and rain showers to take part in the annual Parkdale Pumpkin Parade on Oct. 25. While attendance was down from previous years due to the weather, enthusiasm for the popular community event remained strong. Decorated floats and fire engines made their way up from Allen Road to Clear Creek Road along Baseline Drive, delighting spectators along the route.

The parade — held every year on the Saturday before Halloween, rain or shine — has deep roots in the community. While locals fondly recall the event from their childhoods, with estimates of its origins ranging anywhere from “2012” to more than 39 years ago, records show it officially began in 1987. The only interruption came in 2020, when the event was canceled due to COVID-19.

Spectators — many dressed in costumes and carrying umbrellas — lined the streets to enjoy the procession. Local businesses offered hot spiced cider, and candy was tossed from passing floats to the delight of kids and families.

Floats in this year’s parade included entries from Three Peaks Farm, Parkdale Community Church, the Hood River County Library District’s Bookmobile, 4-H Club Animal Pack, the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM), Northwest Hydro-Mulchers, Inc., Mt. Hood Meadows, and members of the Parkdale Rural Fire Department and Hood River County Sheriff’s Department.