By Lucy Komisar
Nov 25, 2021

It’s back, along with the iconic white spider that hangs from the Jefferson Market (Courthouse) Library at Sixth Avenue and 10^th Street.

And the big cutout figures, held high so even people behind the crowded barriers can see them.

Looking at the creative and artistic Halloween costumes, you see that the best ones are in groups. There are the traditional macabre visions, some stilt walkers and clowns, games: cards and chess.

I always like a bit of history. Here are some warriors outside their Trojan horse. They are waiting to be interviewed by TV. The cameras always hang out at 10th Street, which means there is good lighting. Good for other photographers and viewers. 

Always politics. The environment.

Climate change, with a focus on underwater. Glug glug glug.

There was plenty of covid, on various sides of the debate, not always clear which.

I liked the cross-border culture, this by the Chinese.

And a pack of playing cards.

The stilt walkers

and hoop marchers

and the usual macabre faces. The silvery guy, who was he?

Love this parade, going to it for decades. I’m always surprised. Always admiring.

A few days before, I heard the mail deliverer to my building, a woman in her 30s, telling the doorman about her costume, telling how she was paying more attention to it than she had planned.

And I realized how the Halloween parade is really an artistic celebration of and by people who get no serious recognition for their artistry anyplace else.

Big museums have exhibits about the clothes worn in the past by the very rich. Inventive Halloween costumes should be added to the canons of art.

See comment below. The director of the parade agrees!