Oldest Halloween Parade in the U.S. | Hiawatha, Kansas
My hometown has been throwing the same Halloween party since 1914, and I got to grow up right in the middle of it. Hiawatha, Kansas holds the nation's oldest continuous Halloween parade, and every October the whole town commits: pumpkins on every porch, costumes on every sidewalk, and two full nights of trick-or-treating instead of one. It also landed right on my birthday every year, which turned an already wild town tradition into my own personal party.
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Celebrating My Halloween-Birthday in Hiawatha
I’ve always loved Halloween, probably because the holiday and my birthday are practically inseparable. Growing up in the small northeastern Kansas town of Hiawatha, Kansas meant that every year around my birthday, the town would transform into a spectacular celebration of fall, costumes, candy and community.
In Hiawatha we didn’t get one trick-or-treat night; we got two! That meant more roaming the block in costume, more candy in our bags, and yes, more birthday party fun. My twin sister and I would pick one of the nights to host our birthday gathering, where we and our friends would dress up and parade through the neighborhood. Back home, we dumped our candy together, plopped on a scary movie (but usually Hocus Pocus), and let the night roll into laughter and costume shenanigans.
When we got into high school, the excitement didn’t fade. The annual “Freakers Ball” school dance became our Halloween-birthday celebration. Although we were no longer chasing candy, we were still dressing up and added dancing to the mix. I’ll never forget our senior year: the two of us turning 18, costumed up, and the whole school breaking into “Happy Birthday” for us during the dance. The energy was amazing, and the memory one I’ll always treasure.
Kiddie Parade by Day, Grand Parade by Night
And then there's the biggest tradition of them all: the Halloween Frolic. Since 1914, this small town has held the oldest continuous Halloween parade in the nation. The Kiddie Parade kicks things off in the afternoon, with kids in costume, creative floats, and decorated bikes and wagons rolling through downtown while whole families cheer them on. The Grand Parade takes over at night, with costumed floats, marching bands, street performers, and the crowning of a Halloween Queen, open to seniors from the high school and nearby towns. The winner earns a scholarship and rides in the parade in her own car.
How the Halloween Frolic Got Its Start
The tradition started back in 1914, thanks to a local woman named Elizabeth Krebs, who's often called the "Mother of the Halloween Frolic." Kids around town had a habit of taking their Halloween mischief out on her flower garden, and instead of getting angry, she decided to give them somewhere better to put that energy. She organized a costume party and a small parade with homemade floats, music, and prizes.
Her idea worked. The vandalism stopped, and the celebration grew every year until it became a full-blown town tradition. Every Grand Parade still opens with a truck honoring Mrs. Krebs before the rest of the floats roll through. Over a century later, Hiawatha still proudly carries on her legacy every October 31.
More Ways Hiawatha Goes All In for Halloween
Hiawatha's Halloween spirit spills into the whole town. Downtown businesses compete over window displays, neighborhoods run decorated-house contests, and everyone carves pumpkins and plans costumes as the town settles into full autumn mode. The Kiddie Parade steps off at 3 p.m., and the Grand Parade follows at 7 p.m. with a spookier theme.
Trick-or-treating is its own tradition here too. Kids make the rounds calling out some version of "trick or treat, give me something good to eat," and my dad's house is one of the most popular stops on the block, mostly because he hands out cold cans of pop. Or soda, depending on where you're from. It is a real debate in this part of the Midwest, so consider yourself warned before you show up asking for the wrong one.
Over the years Hiawatha's celebrations have grown with the addition of:
Window-decorating contests for downtown businesses (think spooky, seasonal themes)
House-decorating contests gearing up for trick-or-treating
Pumpkin-decorating contests
Costume contests at various levels
A Town Worth Wandering Even Without a Costume
Hiawatha earns its nickname, the City of Beautiful Maples, and October is the month to see why. The trees around town turn every shade of red and gold right as Halloween season kicks off, so even a walk downtown feels like part of the celebration.
If you have an afternoon before the parades start, swing by the Davis Memorial in Mount Hope Cemetery. A wealthy farmer named John Davis built it in memory of his wife Sarah after she passed away in 1930, and local legend says he was so tightfisted that he never gave a dime to the town, choosing instead to pour his entire fortune into eleven Italian marble statues depicting the two of them at different stages of their lives together. Whatever the truth of the legend, the memorial now draws thousands of visitors to Hiawatha every year, which is a strange kind of legacy for a man local lore paints as stingy.
My birthday never felt like ‘just another day’. It felt like our day wrapped up in town-wide excitement, costumed fun, shared energy, and memories with my sister and friends. I think what makes Hiawatha’s celebration so special is that it’s inclusive and multi-generational, from the youngest kids in the afternoon parade to high school seniors crowned for the evening show. So whether I was collecting candy at nine or dancing at eighteen, the spirit was the same.
If you ever find yourself in northeastern Kansas around late October, I’d highly recommend stopping by for the Halloween Frolic in Hiawatha. It’s more than a parade. It’s a community turning fall, kids, costumes and birthday dreams into one big party. For me, it’s the place where Halloween and my birthday became inseparable.
Ciao for now!
Sources & Further Reading
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