Family-friendly Halloween events in the metro area

ST. LOUIS – Trick-or-treaters will be out in full force Tuesday evening despite the cold weather.

We want everyone to have a great time this Halloween, but a reminder to drivers: Keep an eye out for children strolling the streets in their costumes. If you’re still looking for something to do, Here’s a look at some of the events you and your family might want to attend:

There will be a musical Halloween costume parade in Francis Park in south St. Louis. People will march from Tamm Avenue to Nottingham. Everyone is welcome, including pets. The parade begins at 5:30 p.m

The Maplewood Fire Department will host its annual drive-in Halloween event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. There will be lots of music, inflatable decorations and of course candy.

The Maryland Heights Fire Department is also hosting a special Halloween event. It is said that “The Talking Pumpkin” will visit Fire Station No. 2 on Dorsett Road between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. If you tell the pumpkin a joke you will get candy. You’ll also have a spooky, haunted ambulance for trick-or-treaters to try out.

The Lenhard Family Light Show is also back. It is located at the Larry G. Crites Memorial Park in Festus. The annual spectacle features over 120,000 computer-controlled lights, all synchronized to music. Three miles of cable and 17 computers power this year’s exhibit. According to the organizers, the show is three times bigger than last year!

The town of Alton is hosting its annual Halloween parade on Tuesday evening. It’s always a huge success, year after year. At 106 years old, it is one of the oldest in the country. The parade begins at 7 p.m. at Broadway and Washington Avenue in downtown Alton. There will be dozens of floats, bands and costumed protesters.

The Edwardsville Halloween Parade is also a big event in the Metro East. The parade begins in the Lincoln Middle School parking lot. Departure is at 6:30 p.m. and winds through the streets of Edwardsville, heading east on St. Louis Street to Vandalia Street, then north on North Main Street and ending at High Street. Parking is available in the “Super Lot” east of Main Street and on side streets along the parade route.

The first-ever Celebrity Kids Fall Festival will then take place at Celebrity’s brand new Banquet Center on Bellefontaine Road from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m