O'Fallon Progress

Villains, heroes, princesses and witches descend on downtown O’Fallon for parade

By Robyn L. Kirsch
The Seipp Family float took first place in the Grand Prize category of the costume contest on Saturday, Oct. 28 during the 2017 Annual O’Fallon Rotary Club Children’s Halloween Parade and Downtown Pumpkin Patch event. Back row from left, contest judge Shelly Severns, Miss O’Fallon Ava Hipskind and contest judge Ed True. , holds From left, Ella Hohnsben aka Raggedy Ann, Drew Buchler aka Jessie cowgirl, Landon Dippel, aka army soldier, Mason Santiago aka Buzz Lightyear, and Gage Spengler aka clown.
The Seipp Family float took first place in the Grand Prize category of the costume contest on Saturday, Oct. 28 during the 2017 Annual O’Fallon Rotary Club Children’s Halloween Parade and Downtown Pumpkin Patch event. Back row from left, contest judge Shelly Severns, Miss O’Fallon Ava Hipskind and contest judge Ed True. , holds From left, Ella Hohnsben aka Raggedy Ann, Drew Buchler aka Jessie cowgirl, Landon Dippel, aka army soldier, Mason Santiago aka Buzz Lightyear, and Gage Spengler aka clown. Robyn L. Kirsch rkirsch@bnd.com

Despite the mid-40-degree weather Saturday, Oct. 28, hundreds descended upon the downtown O’Fallon for the annual O’Fallon Rotary Club Children’s Halloween Parade and Downtown Pumpkin Patch.

More than 30 downtown merchants opened their doors to trick-or-treaters seeking goodies before the annual parade started at 12:30 p.m. at North Vine and East State streets.

Rotarian Jay Taddei said about 300 people entered one of the eight costume contest categories.

First- through third-place winners in all categories were given medals, and the grand-prize winners were awarded various sponsored gift certificates from local businesses.

O’Fallon Fire Department donated a complimentary birthday party to the grand prize first-place winner. The Seipp family own it “Toy Story”-themed float.

Lukas Pilkey, 6, won second place in the grand prize category for his NASA commander costume and “Apollo 13” rocket, which earned him a certificate for one free Gia’s Pizza a month for a year.

The third- and fourth-place grand prizes went to the Babit (Bat Girl) and Westbrooke (“Despicable Me”) families, respectively. Prizes, compliments of the O’Fallon Rotary Club, $50 at Toys R Us and $50 for American Academy of Sports.

This story was originally published November 1, 2017 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Villains, heroes, princesses and witches descend on downtown O’Fallon for parade."

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