The Town of Cutler Bay’s Halloween “Spooktacular” and Golf Cart Parade brought out more than 4,000 participants on Friday, Oct. 25, dressed in the garb of superheroes, zombies, villains and other. characters.
It was billed as a family-friendly event and featured a trunk-or-treat activity which allowed children to safely collect Halloween candy, face painting, bounce houses, games, a photo booth, food trucks, a haunted house and a Halloween costume contest.
More than 300 decorated golf carts participated in the parade, which also featured Mayor Tim Meerbott, Councilmembers BJ Duncan and Roger Coriat, and United States Congresswoman Donna E. Shalala. The Halloween Golf Cart Parade tradition was started by Cutler Bay residents Kevin Witherspoon and his wife. and provides town residents an opportunity to get creative with their decorations. This year’s entry included a UFO, pirate ship, bathtub (complete with bubbles and a rubber ducky), and a tiki bar.
The parade has grown in popularity and for the past two years the town has provided police officers to escort the parade through the streets to ensure everyone’s safety.
“The town’s annual Halloween event and golf cart parade has become one of the most anticipated events our residents participate in,” Mayor Meerbott said. “Every year, our residents highlight their creativity through their costumes and golf cart decorations—which is very amusing to see. This event also unites our community, as it provides neighbors an opportunity to catch up with one another.”
The annual haunted house attraction was popular and drew more than 2,000 visitors. This year’s themes were “Stranger Things,” “Are You Afraid of the Dark” and “It.” The town’s aquatics coordinator and lifeguards worked hard to design and build the haunted house in the weeks leading up to the event and also acted as “haunters” during the event.
This year’s event sponsors were Barnard Law Offices and Rivera Events as well as many local businesses and organizations that participated in the trunk-or-treat.
