(Photo: Courtesy of New York's Village Halloween Parade)

The Theme: Expect a lot of fire imagery as "The Village Hearth" nods to Celtic traditions such as the giant bonfire which pagan villagers used to build to mark the last night of autumn. This time around, in respect of the fire marshals, the communal conflagration will be replaced by a fifteen-foot tall cauldron surrounded by dancing squash-blossom puppets—all engineered by the parade’s chief designer Alex Kahn.

Grand Marshals: Gene Simmons impersonators, eat your heart out. The legendary rockers of KISS, who are busily promoting their new DVD, KISSology Volume One: 1974–1977, will celebrate 33 years of togetherness atop their very own float. Though the band won't be performing, the aging showmen will be in full makeup and costume with MTV cameras in tow recording their shenanigans for national broadcast and historic preservation.

Debut Float: The Year of the Dog is acknowledged with a float peopled entirely by man's best friends. Jeanne Fleming, the parade's artistic and producing director, was happy to include the "nonhuman kingdom," but organizers recommend that revelers leave their own costumed canines at home.

The Costumes and the Contest: Last year's festivities featured kissing popes, a giant bowling pin, a posse of Treasure Trolls, lost FEMA agents, and a duo dressed up as a bottle of soy sauce and a sushi roll. Whether they know it or not, all participants are scoped out by undercover parade agents who vote for who should win JetBlue tickets, restaurant gift certificates, tickets to Broadway shows, and a $500 gift certificate to the Fright Catalogue. At the official after-party, held at Webster Hall, one lucky person will receive a grand prize of $5,000. (Last year's winner was a feathered man on rollerblades who dubbed himself "The Bird Flu.")

The Crowd: About 2 million spectators (one fourth of the city’s total population), 4 million television viewers (tuning in to NY1), and 50,000 participants are expected. Organizers say the parade is the world's largest public Halloween celebration. Because of that, arriving early is essential for onlookers, especially at popular lookout points such as the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 4th Street. Pedestrians will be allowed to cross Sixth Avenue at both Houston and 14th Streets. For less congestion and better views, you'll want to head north. Contact the Department of Transportation at 212-442-1700 for more info on street closings.

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Published on October 4, 2006 as a web exclusive.

*10.31.06 Thank you to our dear friend Maria Milito at NYC's Q 104.3 for mentioning Bella's float live on the air: "Congratulations to Beth Joy & Bella Starlet Dog on their first ever dog float in the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade right next to KISS!"

* 10.25.06 Thank you Lincoln Anderson at The Villager newspaper for posting our float information in Scoopy's Notebook and also in Chelsea Now:

Volume Number 1 Issue Number 4 | October 20 - 26, 2006 The Buzz Kiss to rock parade: The Buzz hears that Kiss — Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, but no other former members of the ’70s superband — will be the grand marshals of this year’s Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. Kiss will be in full makeup (which is good, because everybody seems to like them better that way). Actually, it would be impossible for the former Kiss members to join them, at least in makeup, since after a falling out with their former band mates, Stanley and Simmons now own the exclusive rights to wear the Kiss makeup in public. Also, their lead float will include “six women,” specifically requested by Simmons, according to Jeanne Fleming, the parade’s director. “You’re scooping Page Six on this,” Fleming told us. … And in a first for the parade, the second float will have dogs and their owners, both dressed in costume. Several “high-profile dog-rescue groups” will walk along with them. The float is looking for people with dogs in costumes to join them in order to bring more awareness to dog adoption. To join, meet at 6 p.m. at Spring St. and Sixth Ave. and find Float 2, Bella Starlet’s Dog Float, right in front of the Kiss float. Volume 76, Number 23 | October 25 - 31, 2006 Scoopy’s Notebook Kiss to rock parade: In a Scoopy world exclusive, we hear that Kiss — Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, but no other former members of the ’70s superband — will be the grand marshals of this year’s Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. Kiss will be in full makeup (which is good, because everybody seems to like them better that way). Actually, it would be impossible for the former Kiss members to join them, at least in makeup, since after a falling out with their former band mates, Stanley and Simmons now own the exclusive rights to wear the Kiss makeup in public. Also, their lead float will include “six women,” specifically requested by Simmons, according to Jeanne Fleming, the parade’s director. “You’re scooping Page Six on this,” Fleming told us on Tuesday. … And in a first for the parade, the second float will have dogs and their owners, both dressed in costume. Several “high-profile dog-rescue groups” will walk along with them. The float is looking for people with dogs in costumes to join them in order to bring more awareness to dog adoption. To join, meet at 6 p.m. at Spring St. and Sixth Ave. and find Float 2, Bella Starlet’s Dog Float, right in front of the Kiss float.

NYC ♥s a Dog Parade