ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Halloween is just around the corner, meaning it is nearly time for local annual spooky traditions, including the Pet & Spook Parade.
This year's parade will be Friday, Oct. 31, with lineup starting at 4 p.m. at the intersection of West Trail Street and South Lincoln Ave. and the parade itself starting at 4:15 p.m. The parade will go north on Kansas Ave. and end at Tobias Park. Each child will get a coupon for their goodie bags they will be receiving at the end of the parade, and they have to have that coupon to get their goodie bags.
“People are more than welcome to dress up in costumes and even bring their pets, and with an event like this, the more the merrier. We typically see 200 to 250 participants or more, which we love to see, and there have been a few times when we've even had the middle school bands be part of the fun,” Pet & Spook Parade Chairman Andy Skinner said. “It's always great seeing the humans' and pets' costumes, it's amazing what people come up with, and it's a great way to help children get a bit of a jump start on their trick-or-treating. I've been helping coordinate this since 2018, and the Liberal Noon Kiwanis has been doing this parade for multiple decades, so I've run into people every year who tell me being part of the parade is a particular memory of theirs from when they were young. I find it really cool how this event has gone on as long as it has, and it sees a lot of participation, which is always great. We packed 275 goodie bags last year, and we ended up with only a few leftover bags, which was great. We love doing this parade, there are a lot of veteran Kiwanis Club members who care about this community and have done a great job in the past of supporting different events and local children, so it's a tribute to all of that work. We would love to see the parade keep growing, so if you want to participate, come on out and join the fun!”
Skinner said he hopes to see a big turnout for this year.
“The parade is always a lot of fun, plus there's free candy and the chance for the children to have some fun with their friends. Everyone also gets the chance to show off not only their costumes but also their pets' costumes, and it's hilarious seeing what people come up with,” Skinner said. “We'd also love for any school bands or similar groups to participate, they always make parades better – we've heard from the band directors in the past about how they use the parade as practice time for not only songs but overall marching and movement, and the energy they all bring is just great. If there are any groups like that who want to participate, they would just need to get in touch with me by phone at (620) 624-1612 or by email at
Skinner added he hopes to see some animal companions on the parade route as well.
“We welcome any and all pets in this parade, and the main rule with the pets is to have them leashed and under control. And that's for not only the public's safety but the animals' safety as well,” Skinner said. “Also, please be sure your pet's sociable, don't bring an animal you know will be nasty and snarling at everyone and everything the whole time. And we know the children love seeing all the animals, seeing all the different pets in their costumes just makes everything more fun. As the old saying goes, the more the merrier! The pets make it really, really fun and it helps increase the creativity seen. Everyone's been pretty good with that, we haven't come across any major problems in that regard because people seem to use their common sense and know what they need to do if they're bringing their pets into the public.”
The parade is a great way to kick off the Halloween festivities, Skinner added.
“It's just a really fun event, it's one of those events that's now a fixture of the season. We love seeing everyone at the beginning of the parade because they've got a lot of energy and they're really excited, which is always great to see,” Skinner said. “I've got children of my own, and it's been great seeing them understand Halloween more and lean into the holiday and have fun with their costumes and everything else. I'm really excited to see what kind of numbers we end up with, and these past few years have gotten bigger – COVID-19 obviously slowed us down in 2020, but we've seen growth every year since then and we typically pack anywhere between 250 and 300 candy goodie bags, most of which are gone by the end of the festivities.”
Overall, Skinner said, this year’s parade should again be a fun outing.
“Anyone interested in knowing more about the Liberal Noon Kiwanis can join us at our meetings, which take place at Seward County Community College, we'd love to answer any questions anyone may have,” Skinner said. “With the parade, as the old saying goes, the more the merrier! The pets make it really, really fun and it helps increase the creativity seen, so if you're looking for a good Halloween kickoff, the Pet & Spook Parade is the place to be.”
