Last night, book-bag hauling students were stopped in their tracks to experience an estimated 1,400 children and adults participating in the annual State College Halloween Parade.

Starting at 6 p.m., children and adults from the State College area began to fill North Burrowes Road to march in the parade. The parade route went onto College Avenue, South Allen Street, Foster Avenue and onto Memorial Field where Delta Sigma Phi fraternity judged costumes for prizes.

Bethany Oros, recreation supervisor for Centre Region Parks and Recreation, was a hard person to keep up with last night as she ran back and forth getting the participants in order for the parade. This was not only Oros' first year directing the parade, but her first seeing it as well.

She was thankful for all the people who came out to be a part of the event. "Without them this parade couldn't happen," she said.

Onlookers lined College Avenue and Allen Street to catch a glimpse of this family-oriented event as candy was tossed into the crowd.

Untroubled by the cold weather or a bag full of books, Teresa Michenzi (freshman-chemical engineering) stood on the corner of College Avenue and South Allen Street with friends in awe of all the little children passing on the street. Amazed by the great costumes, she said she was impressed the children went all out. "I want to take them all home," she said.

The majority of the parade was little children marching with their parents. Some kids were in strollers while others were pulled along in wagons. Several parents had costumes to complement their children's, such as a family dressed as '60s hippies.

Apart from the usual Halloween costumes, the parade featured many unique, surprisingly political ideas. A group of about 10 children holding "Vote" signs, a dog wearing a "Lassie for President" sign and even a 7-year-old girl dressed as President Clinton contributed to the theme.

By 7 p.m., the parade was filing into Memorial Field to the tune of The Addams Family theme being played by the State College Area High School Marching Band.

"Always the highlight of our year," says Band Director Richard Victor about the Halloween parade on behalf of the 160 band members dressed in various costumes. He has been band director for 26 years and has come to the parade every year.

Once on Memorial Field the children broke into sections, 12 divisions, to be judged by pledges from the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. Categories included: ghost & goblins, cartoon characters, fairy tale characters, animals on parade and television and movie stars.

Dressed in a Pittsburgh Steelers football uniform, three-and-a-half-year-old Mike Caswell was reluctant to speak. His third time to the parade, the St. Andrew's Pre-Schooler enjoys the silly monsters and hats. When his father mentioned that Mike also likes the band, Mike quickly added "I love football, too."