You mean Las Vegas doesn’t have a Halloween Parade?

By Joe Schoenmann

Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010 | 2:01 a.m.

Something that’s never happened in Las Vegas will happen on Halloween.

Organizers are getting pieces in place for something that, if the experience of other cities is any example, could become a megaevent here.

Are you talking about the Las Vegas Halloween Parade?

Yep. Halloween has become a monster industry, no pun intended, in the United States. Sales of costumes, pumpkins, ghoulish figurines and other Halloween items reached record sales of about $6 billion in 2009. Part of the craze has been the incorporation of parades into the traditional milieu of Halloween activities such as trick-or-treating and costume parties. Parades are held across the country. New York’s (Greenwich) Village Halloween Parade will occur for the 37th time this year. Parades march on in Portsmouth, N.H.; West Hollywood, Calif.; Temple, Pa.; Vienna, Va.; Chicago (North Halsted Street Halloween Parade); and many more places.

What is prompting the formation of a parade in Las Vegas?

Not what. Who. The idea came from Cory Mervis, who also helps organize Burning Man, the Labor Day weeklong desert event in Northern Nevada that attracts tens of thousands of visitors from around the world. Mervis moved to Las Vegas five months ago. She’s a doer. “I like being an instigator,” said Mervis, who is seeking additional sponsors to offset costs of permits and pay for Metro Police to work the event.

“I’m doing it because I think this is at least a five- to 10-year project. I’m not going anywhere. I know it can be a really good thing. I remember when it started in New York with just a few hundred people. Then it became so big, it attracts millions of people from all over the world who are 10-deep on either side of the parade.”

It’s so popular in New York, she added, that the five boroughs see crime decrease on Halloween “because most people go down to the parade.”

But does she really expect anyone to show up for this? After all, we’re in the middle of the worst economic maelstrom this city’s ever seen.

“I said to someone the other day: ‘Yes, we’re in the greatest financial hardship, but you don’t need a lot of money to get creative. This is for Las Vegas to shine, and they can really shine just by making things in their own backyard,” Mervis said.

To that end, interested paraders are invited to free giant-puppet workshops from 5-8 p.m. each Wednesday until Oct. 27 at Greener Vegas, 3350 W. Ali Baba Lane. A puppet maker will help people create giant puppets from cardboard and other reusable material. The next workshop is Wednesday.

But parades in Las Vegas are usually such boring affairs — politicians waving and firetrucks. Can we expect the same?

First of all, Mervis welcomes politicians, “as long as they wear a funny hat or say funny things.”

“Except for Mayor (Oscar) Goodman,” she added. “He can just show up as the mayor. He’s terrific.”

But no, this is Halloween. And in Las Vegas, which is chock-full of creative people, it’s hard to imagine it will be boring.

Speaking of the city, has the red tape of the bureaucracy been a problem?

Mervis actually gushes about working with the city.

“The office of cultural affairs has been a godsend,” she said. “When I moved to town and wanted to find out how to get things done, they pointed me to cultural affairs. They had everything ready, all the paperwork I needed to fill out. It’s all been very easy.”

But why Las Vegas? Mervis and her husband moved here from New York during this recession. Does that make sense?

“I searched all over the country for a place to live that was 24/7, ethnically diverse, with national forests and parks around it and close to art and culture. First Friday (the downtown monthly art walk) was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I see so much opportunity here. Some people see closed storefronts, I see storefronts for artists. We really feel at home here.”

Are the casinos getting involved? After all, we have about 60 Cirque shows on the Strip.

“We’d love to have them, but I think the lead time might be too short this year,” Mervis said. “This year is really to prove the concept.”

What’s the parade route?

Starting at 6 p.m., walkers, floats, bands and “art cars” — creatively altered cars — will begin lining up at Hoover Avenue and Fourth Street, just north of Charleston Boulevard and one block west of Las Vegas Boulevard. At 7 p.m., the parade will begin, going north on Fourth and stopping at Fremont Street.

Where can I sign up or volunteer or get more information?

Check out the website thelasvegashalloweenparade.com.