The Boyertown Area Historical Society announced the winners of the 2024 Boyertown Halloween Parade.
Top winners included Oley Valley Football and Cheerleading Alliance’s Be Our Guest, H & K’s Pirate Ship, Virtual Essence Hair Design’s Scary Salon, Studios On Main’s Willy Wonka, American Metal Finishers’ KarnEVIL, Wendy Pollock and Friends’ Playdate Toybox, Boyertown Area Senior High Marching Unit and Boyertown Legionette Twirlers.
Der Gnom Kerneval, as the event was named when it began in 1912, is one of the oldest Halloween parades in the country.
“Since Boyertown was mostly a German area, they created Der Gnom Kerneval, calling it the Gnom Karneval — a Carnival for Gnomes,” said Adriane Zapien, parade chairperson. “Halloween was looked at very differently back in that time. It was a pagan holiday, and traditionally they did not celebrate evil things. This was a way to introduce a more Americanized version of the holiday.”
Featuring nearly 100 costumed groups and individuals along with about 250 vehicles, this year’s parade was one of the longest in its history, running more than two and a half hours on Saturday, Oct. 19.
Participants were judged in five categories: Best Float, Best Marching Unit, Best Business Represented, Best Group Performance, and Most Creative Costume/Theme.
The top three winners were announced on Monday, Oct. 21.
Best Float
1st place: Oley Valley Football and Cheerleading Alliance – Be Our Guest
2nd place: H & K – Pirate Ship
3rd place: Krise Transportation – Correctional Facility
Best Business Represented
1st place: Virtual Essence Hair Design – Scary Salon
2nd place: Eddinger Propane – Field Corn
3rd place: Berret – Feight Sales Team Keller Williams – Scary House
Marching Unit
1st place: Boyertown Area Senior High Marching Unit
2nd place: Boyertown Legionette Twirlers
3rd place: Boyertown NJROTC
Best Group Performance
1st place: Studios On Main – Willy Wonka
2nd place: Chicks with Firesticks
3rd place: Boyertown Optimist Cheer
Most Creative Costume / Theme
1st place: American Metal Finishers – KarnEVIL
2nd place: Wendy Pollock and Friends – Playdate Toybox
3rd place: F.E.A.R Bikers of Montco
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/BoyertownHalloweenParadeAssoc.
