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Arts & Entertainment

Southport's Halloween Parade Delights *Includes Video*

Cindarellas, Witches, Costumed Canines and the Safari Family Are Highlights

Southport's annual Halloween Parade on Sunday was a festival of fairy-tale figures - Cinderellas, Tinkerbells, Goldilockses - and witches in opulent costumes, firefighters, astronauts and policemen.

It was a festival of innocence by the innocents - mostly 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds, accompanied by their parents.

All seemed to love the chance to pretend to be someone or something else in public.

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For example, in real life, Alexandra Schaper, 5 1/2, is a natural blonde with shoulder-length hair.

For Halloween, she was Little Orphan Annie, a spectacle to behold with a curly red wig and red freckles painted across her cheeks.

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She had already been to four Halloween parties before the parade and was becoming quite used to her new persona, her mother said.

The Russell family went all-out for Halloween this year.

Bill and Erin, parents of two sets of twins, all dressed up as African safari animals. They were joined by their South African au paire, Sarah Goodman, who came attired as their safari tour guide.

"We love Africa!" exclaimed Erin, dressed up as a lioness and clutching 1-year-old Henry, a lion cub with an extravagant plush mane.

The senior Russells honeymooned in South Africa and Botswana and were captivated by safaris.

The afternoon parade from downtown Southport to the Pequot Library - co-sponsored by the library and the civic betterment group, Sasquanaug Association - brought out a veritable regalia of costumed canines as well.

Phil Wexler, on behalf of Sasquanaug, handed out a basket full of canine treats so they would not feel overlooked.

A lavish party awaited everyone at the library. There were piping hot pizza pies, games, drawing tables and a stage for the young revelers to show off their costumes and pose for pictures.

With the serious business of the evening still ahead of them, none of the young paraders was heard protesting when it was time to leave the party.

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