Bloomfield Halloween Parade To Be Held As Scheduled

PITTSBURGH, PA (October 3, 2017) The annual Bloomfield Halloween Parade will be held as scheduled later this month, following an emergency fundraising effort by several Bloomfield and Pittsburgh-area partners.

The Bloomfield Citizens Council announced last week that the parade was being cancelled due to high costs. Mayor William Peduto and others – including Little Italy Days and Columbus Day Parade organizers – led a fundraising drive to make sure the family-friendly parade will be held as scheduled the evening of October 26.

"This is a nearly 50-year-old tradition beloved by generations, and there was no way we were going to let it end," Mayor Peduto said.

Bloomfield resident Shannon Lyons led community efforts to revive the parade after the BCC announced it was being canceled. Little Italy Days president Sal Richetti and Columbus Day Parade chairman Guy Costa have collected funds to pay the Halloween Parade's expenses, which include funding for entertainers, insurance and permit fees. (The City of Pittsburgh charges a $500 fee for weeknight parades.)

"Shannon was instrumental in keeping this family-friendly tradition alive, which means so much to the Bloomfield community," Costa said.

Supporters of the fundraising effort included Sen. Jay Costa, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, City Councilwoman Deb Gross and City Councilman Dan Gilman. A major donation was made by Highmark, Allegheny Health Network and West Penn Hospital.

The 32nd annual Pittsburgh Columbus Day Parade will be held in Bloomfield this Saturday, October 7, at 11 a.m. The Liberty Avenue parade begins at Baum Boulevard and ends at the Bloomfield Bridge.