Join the Lakeshore Annual Halloween Parade and Fall Festival this Saturday, Oct. 30

Pamela Drake Thu, 28 Oct at 6:40am
Join the Lakeshore Annual Halloween Parade and Fall Festival this Saturday, Oct. 30

One of the great things about living in Oakland’s diverse neighborhoods are the traditions that generations have enjoyed such as annual Halloween events.

The Lakeshore Avenue merchants, the Business Improvement District and the Lakeshore Baptist Church - 3534 Lakeshore - invite the community to participate in their annual Halloween Parade and Fall Festival from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30. The parade starts at 11 a.m.

On Lakeshore Avenue, there has always been a parade on or near the Halloween holiday so that the kids can wear their costumes and be recognized by their neighbors during a daytime activity that also promotes area merchants' unique offerings.

Some years participants have marched to the Grand Lake Farmers’ Market and decorated pumpkins; in recent years, organizers have had to forgo parading to the market since there is no longer a police escort and it is a very busy crossing.

The Lakeshore Baptist Church, a real community partner, has taken up the cause and held a festival following the parade in its side yard plus setting up tables to prepare for the parade just prior to it.

The Lakeshore Avenue Business Improvement District will provide treat bags and mini pumpkins to all the costumed children and the church will provide the activities at the festival.

For more information, call Pamela Drake at the Lakeshore Business Improvement District at (510) 451-1257.

About Pamela Drake
Pamela Drake has been an Oakland resident and community activist since 1973. She was one of the first women train operators at BART, the chief of staff to two East Oakland council members, and the Director of the Grand Lake Neighborhood Center where she lobbied for public power and advocated for community involvement in city planning. As a former small businesswoman, she presently works with merchants at the Lakeshore Business Improvement District and taught Government in Adult Education until the State cancelled the funding for this 160-year-old program. She is the single mother of Jennifer and Graham, both of whom graduated from Oakland Schools before attending and graduating from colleges in the Atlanta University System. You can read blog posts from Pamela in the former grandlakeguardian and in OaklandLocal.com
Pamela Drake commented Array ago

I hope everyone will come out rain or shine. The parade will still go trick or treating down the Avenue and the festival will take place inside the Lakeshore BAptist Church in case of rain.