Two cautions: check dates, just in case a Halloween Parade isn't held on October 31; and check that the Halloween Parade isn't too scary (or crazy) for your kids.
New York's Village Halloween Parade
New York City's Greenwich Village has the most famous Halloween Parade: with amazing giant puppets, marchers and marching bands, and a limited number of floats. This Halloween Parade bills itself as the "Most Wildly Creative Public Participatory Event"; our About.com Guide for NYC includes this night-time happening in Halloween "Fun For All Ages"; I was fortunate to see part of this Halloween parade last year and there were numerous kids on the scene, often in costumes (as were many adults as well.)
NYC: Greenwich Village Children's Halloween Parade
For another Halloween parade option in the Village, designed for families with young kids: this Children's Halloween Parade in the afternoon marches around Washington Square Park, and there's candy, face-painting, and live entertainment.More Halloween Parade Recommendations for Kids, in NYC
The MommyPoppins site has a roundup of Halloween Parade suggestions: Park Slope (one of the biggest kids' parades in the US) , Battery Park City, and many more.Toms River, NJ Halloween Parade
This Halloween Parade, sponsored by Toms River Fire Company #1, is in its 72nd year and claims to be the second largest in the world, with some 6,000 participants and 100,000 spectators. "From simple masks to full blown articulated fire-breathing floats."Vienna, Virginia Halloween Parade
A 60+ year community tradition, with 100 entries and 35,000 participants and spectators, and lots of re-broadcasting.Annaheim CA Spooktacular Halloween Parade
A decades-old tradition, with haunted house, games, costume contest, and Halloween Parade with marching bands, equestrian units, vintage cars. (West Hollywood, meanwhile, is known for an adults-only Halloween Parade and Carnival that draws hundreds of thousands of revelers; but West Hollywood does have family-friendly Halloween events as well.)
