It was like the Spook-a-Rama came alive!
Pint-sized pirates, robots, and candy-crazed zombies invaded the People’s Playground on Oct. 29 for the Coney Island Children’s Halloween Parade. The freak fest marched down the Boardwalk from W. 19th Street to Luna Park at W. 10th Street for a day-long fest featuring face-painting, magic shows, and free amusement park rides. And trick-or-treating tots had a blast, said one parent.
“My kids loved it so much,” said Coney Islander Soledad Soria, who came out with her son and daughter dressed as Sonic the Hedgehog and a pony respectively. “They love getting all dressed up and dancing around. They really enjoyed seeing the other kids’ costumes and went on a ton of rides at Luna Park. It was a great day.”
Families came out from across the borough for the Boardwalk bash — and some planned their costumes weeks in advance.
Sheepshead Bay resident John Calandra worked for two weeks transforming a Radio Flyer wagon into a Mister Softee ice cream truck for his 2-year-old son Luke. The cardboard creation featured a Bluetooth speaker system that blared the frozen treat-purveyor’s jingle on repeat. The costume grew out of Luke’s love for the song, said Calandra.
“My son doesn’t care much for ice cream, but he loves that song, and I said, ‘If my son likes Mister Softee, then gosh darn it, I’m going to make him a Mister Softie truck for Halloween,’ ” said Calandra, who wore a Mister Softee T-shirt to match his son’s costume. “I don’t know if we can top that next year, but we’ll certainly try.”
And the Calandras weren’t the only family who coordinated outfits. Bensonhurster Olivia Domingo and her two kids dressed as Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons from the Home Box Office series “Game of Thrones.” Domingo felt the so-called “Mother of Dragons” costume was apt considering she’d birthed her own beasties.
“We wanted to do something that would include the whole family,” said Domingo. “This is actually my first time celebrating Halloween. I’m from Argentina, and we don’t really celebrate it there, so I wanted to get really creative. And since I have two little dragons, I thought it would be great to go as the Mother of Dragons.”
