Council Supports Halloween Parade Name Change

A name change is planned for the popular Saucon Valley Halloween Parade, which .

At Borough Council's July 2 meeting, parade committee chairman Dave Heintzelman asked council to support changing the parade's official name to the "Saucon Valley Spirited Community Parade."

Heintzelman said the name change will help facilitate a partnership with the Four County Firemen's Parade that will be held in Hellertown in October 2013, in celebration of 115th anniversary.

"I think it's going to be neat to get the whole community involved," Heintzelman said. "This place is going to be hopping."

Heintzelman said activities and special events are also being planned in  next year, in .

Those activities will help make the weekend of Oct. 20, 2013 "a full community weekend," and the parade name change will symbolize that as well as provide more flexibility in terms of planning the weekend, he said.

"We're going to tie everything in and have one heck of a party," council vice president John Bate agreed.

Council voted unanimously to support the name change.

As far as this year's Halloween parade is concerned, Heintzelman said there will be no route changes, but efforts are being made to enhance traffic control in the borough.

Last year some motorists moved temporary barricades just before the parade started, which caused "some problems" and "a lot of concern," he told council.

This year the committee is planning to "probably spend a couple dollars" to help publicize the parade route and alternate routes around it in advance, he said.

Heintzelman also announced to council that a fundraiser benefiting the Halloween Parade will be held at Dewey Fire Company Sept. 9.

The fundraiser will be a "Coach and Vera Bradley Basket Bingo," he said.

The committee is hoping to raise several thousand dollars, Heintzelman told council.

"We're really gearing up," he said. "This (year's) parade will be on par with other years."