Celebration Arrangements Are Complete

The Marietta Daily Times, Wednesday, October 28, 1925:

A Hallowe'en celebration that will probably surpass affairs of its kind here will be held under the auspices of the Marietta Lions Club, Friday night on Second Street. An elaborate program has been arranged. This is the first Hallowe'en celebration to be given by the Lions club, and it will become an annual affair, if proper support is received from the people.

A parade will form on Second Street below Putnam at 7 o'clock. It will include the Marietta school band, the members of the Lions club and persons who will be masked. The line of march will be down Second to Greene, down Greene to Front, up Front to Putnam, up Putnam to Second and down Second past a judge's stand, where selection of the best fancy costume and comic costumes will be made. The judges are George W. Lansley, John H. Rennard, Ray Sprague, and Luther E. Toller. Prizes will be given the best costumed individuals. Fox News will take photographs of the party.

Following the parade, Second Street will be roped off into three sections. The first, from Putnam Street to the alley, will be used for modern dancing, and the Chrysler orchestra will furnish music. The second will be from the alley to the fountain, where Sam Farmer's band will play for the square dances. The third section will be from the fountain to the railroad tracks, where roller skating can be enjoyed. Crippen's orchestra will furnish the music there. Permission has been given by Mayor Sprague for throwing of confetti, which will be sold by college students.

As an added attraction for the big celebration, Tom Lowry, local artist, will give a chalk talk at the judge's stand.

A mystery man, who is to be a Lion from the Parkersburg club, will mingle in the crowd and the first person to ask him the question, "Are You the Mysterious Lion?" will be awarded $5 in gold. A Kennedy radio will be given away during the evening. The local club requests that persons who do not dance remain back of the ropes.

*     *     *

The Marietta Daily Times, Monday, October 30, 1950:

Lions Club Holds 25th Annual Halloween Celebration Tuesday

Ghosts and goblins, black cats and witches, and just plain Halloween-loving kids form six to sixty will take over here Tuesday night as once again Marietta observes the merrymaking preceding All Saints Day.

Parties and "trick or treat" jaunts are scheduled all over the city and county, but the festivities will center around the annual parade of costumed celebrants.

Started 25 years ago by the Marietta Lions Club with the primary purpose of keeping youngsters out of malicious mischief, the parade has been enlarged through the years and this one will be the "best ever," according to Co-Chairman Tom L. Schwendeman. 

Four musical organizations - the Marietta High School Band, the Norwood Drum and Bugle Corps and the high school bands of Salem-Liberty and Waterford - will keep the parade stepping. The Tiger band will lead off behind a police escort and the Lion's cage, and the other three bands will be spotted among the costumed paraders. Several local Boy Scout troops will also participate in the parade.

Scheduled to start moving at 6:45 p.m., the parade will be marshalled at 6:15 at Putnam and Fourth streets. The parade route will be down Putnam Street past the judges' stand at Third and Putnam to Front Street, down Front to Greene Street, and then up Greene to Municipal Stadium. Final judging and awarding of cash prizes in 14 separate divisions will take place at the stadium.

Judges, named by the sponsoring Lions, are Miss Florence Hennis, Miss Barbara A. Breese, the Rev. Frank Nagy, Dr. R. D. Smith, and Maurice Mitchell.

Serving on the parade committee with Co-Chairmen Schwendeman and Brad Vrooman are Norman LaFaber, H. M. Taylor, John Trader, D. M. Winans, Robert Hausser, Neil Christy, Leonard Ogle, Dr. H. Lester Krieg, Ted Angel, Dr. Harold W. Oyster, James Stowe, T. H. Mehlberg, Leigh Smith and Dr. W. L. Sackett.