Alexandria’s favorite Halloween tradition — the Del Ray Halloween Parade — is BACK!
The 25th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade will take place on Mount Vernon Avenue on Sunday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m., beginning at E. Bellefonte Avenue. Contests for Best Decorated House, Best Decorated Business, Best Group Costume and Best Pet Costume will take place online.
To limit crowding, we are encouraging FREE advance registration at multiple entrance points. Additional points may be added as these fill up. Click here to register!
Other favorite traditions — including the Halloween Scavenger Hunt on the Avenue, and the Halloween costume drive for children in need, will take place throughout the month of October.
PLEASE NOTE: While the Del Ray Halloween Parade is an outdoor event, we expect a large number of participants. Because children under 12 are not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, masks are required for all participants . Thank you for keeping our youngest neighbors safe! Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be no post-party and no goodie bags at the Mt. Vernon Rec Center fields. We look foward to bringing these traditions back in 2022!
Best Decorated House Contest
The deadline for nominations to be submitted for Best Decorated House is Sunday, October 17 at 12 p.m. Click here to nominate a home (you can nominate a neighbor — or yourself!); please include if it should be judged during the day or night. Thank you to The Jen Walker Team for sponsoring this favorite Del Ray tradition!
Best Decorated Stroller/Group Contest
The Annual Best Decorated Stroller/Group Contest will take place online, with entries due by Sunday, October 31 at 12 p.m. Note: We’d love to still see your entries at the parade! The contest is moving to a virtual format to reduce crowding, and to allow those who may not be comfortable attending in the parade to participate as well. Click here to enter. Thank you to the Homes of Alexandria Team of Compass for sponsoring this contest
Best Pet Costume Contest
The Annual Best Pet Costume Contest will take place online, with entries due by Sunday, October 31 at 12 p.m. Note: We’d love to still see your pets in costume at the parade! The contest is moving to a virtual format to reduce crowding, and to allow those who may not be comfortable attending in the parade to participate as well. Click here to enter. Thank you to The Dog Store and Your Dog’s Best Friends for sponsoring this contest!
Costumes for Children In Need
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your incredible generosity — all costume requests from Community Lodgings and the Dunbar Alexandria-Olympic Boys & Girls Club have been filled! We hope to bring our costume shop for children in need back in 2022 — drop new or gently used costumes off in the collection box at the Pat Miller Neighborhood Square (located at the intersection of Mount Vernon Avenue and Oxford Avenue) starting Nov. 1!
Halloween Scavenger Hunt
Walk the Avenue (in costume or not!) and find Halloween-themed items in Del Ray’s murals and decorated businesses. The hunt begins on October 22; four winners (randomly selected from all entries) will receive a $50 gift card to their favorite Del Ray business. Download your scavenger hunt here, or pick up a copy from the witch at the Pat Miller Neighborhood Square (located at the intersection of Mount Vernon & Oxford Avenues). Thank you to Kinneman Insurance for sponsoring this fun community activity!
Held year on the Sunday before Halloween, the Del Ray Halloween Parade is sponsored by the Del Ray Business Association, which represents the independently-owned shops, retailers, and businesses in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria.