Roosevelt Island Family Halloween Parade Route March Will Stay On Main Street This Year - RIOC Staff Revises Plan After Board Member David Kraut Explains It's 40 Year Tradition - Roosevelt Island Is Nothing if Not About Our Kids Says Kraut

As reported last week, rumors that the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) cancelled the traditional Family Halloween Parade were not true.

Image From RIOC

Rather, RIOC moved the Parade's final destination from outdoors at Capobianco Field to indoors at Sportspark, where it had taken place last year due to the rain.

However, RIOC decided to change the route of the 40 year old parade which traditionally had the costumed marchers walking north on Main Street passing crowds watching on the sidewalks in front of the WIRE buildings.

Update - @RIOCny says Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade is not being cancelled. Planning a new route because of new indoor location at Sportspark. More to come soon. https://t.co/SAF8zP0Gwe https://t.co/3P36e9T6pu

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) October 11, 2019

Instead, the new route would be:

... departing from the Lawn south of Rivercross (across from 500 Main St.), and proceeds to Sportspark for entry into the Halloween Extravaganza!...

The new route was not well received by the Roosevelt Island community. As one resident noted:

... is a walk past the train station as representative and inclusive as a stroll down Main Street, waving at bystanders who may frequent the businesses that we rely on

Do you know how many residents of our community live on that western road? None. The building entrances are on the eastern road. Maybe the subway attendant will wave and cheer us on.

At the end of yesterday's (October 15) RIOC Operations Advisory Committee meeting, I brought up the subject of the Halloween Parade and asked why the route had been changed?

RIOC President Susan Rosenthal replied:

... it was a question of PSD and Community Affairs together making that decision subject to Executive approval - seemed to make sense because of the traffic issues... I'm taking full responsibility....

RIOC Board Director David Kraut, attended by phone, interrupted to support the traditional Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade route. According to Mrl Kraut:

This Island had traditionally had two parades a year in which we watched our children grow. The Little League Parade in April and the Halloween Parade in October...

... We love to see our children parade on Halloween. We just do. It's been with us every year for the 40 years I've been on this Rock....

... You can't have a parade down where nobody lives. You need to have a parade where people can see it and if that means marching from Capabianco to Sportspark or something else ... let it be so.

Give the kids a chance to show off their costumes and give them festivities at the end of it.... Roosevelt Island is about nothing if not about our kids.... Considerations of traffic don't mean much to me. You stop the traffic and let the kids march thru....

Ms Rosenthal was convinced by Mr. Kraut and relented:

... I don't feel strongly about this issue and if you do am happy to go back and modify it....

Here's the discussion.



RIOC is expected to announce the specifics of the Halloween Parade route later today.

Here's the 2017 Roosevelt Island Halloween Parade marching on Main Street.



Good job Mr. Kraut in explaining the importance of Halloween to RIOC staff and good job by RIOC in listening to community and revising their plan.

UPDATE 9:10 PM - According to RIOC:

We Heard You!

The parade begins on Saturday, October 26th at 11:00 AM, departing from Capobianco Field (across from 595 Main Street), proceed down Main Street to Sportspark where the Halloween Extravaganza will take place. For more information on the Halloween Extravaganza, click here.

Here’s how the parade will work:

1. 11:00 AM - Parade organizes at Capobianco Field. (Wristbands will be available for all participants will be given out in the park.)

2. 11:30 AM - Parade kick-off led by PSD. Parade will head south on Main Street, passing the business district, proceeding to the Blackwell turnaround. Once at Blackwell, parade will stay south on West Road, passing the subway and on to Sportspark.

3. 12:15 PM - Arrive at and enter Sportspark. Attendees wishing to park strollers will be directed to proceed to a designated area.

4. Wristbands for late-comers will be available at Sportspark.