Our Daily Show! With CJ: Karen Wilson, Mascoutah Chamber, & Isaac Sandidge!
ALTON - The 108th Alton Halloween Parade is sure to be fun, and Parade Marshal Karen Wilson can’t wait to be a part of it.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Wilson recently retired as a State Farm agent in the community, and she volunteers regularly with Pride, Inc., and other organizations around town. She notes that she has been involved in the Halloween parade for years, sometimes as a business owner, other times as a parent or student organization advisor. She is honored to take on this new role.
“I can’t remember not getting excited about the Halloween parade,” she said. “It’s fun just to see the town come together.”
The parade is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Halloween night, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. The route begins downtown at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Broadway and will continue on Broadway to Piasa Street, where it will end at 9th Street.
Wilson said she is “very flattered” by the recognition. She joked that the East End Improvement Association, which organizes the parade, surely chose her as a last resort.
“What I want to know is I want the names of the six other people they asked before they asked me,” she laughed. “This just blew me out of the water.”
In the weeks ahead of the parade, Wilson joked that she will be perfecting her wave. She laughed while saying she will be emulating royalty as she waves to spectators.
“Now that Queen Elizabeth is gone, I can’t call her for tips,” she lamented.
In the past, Wilson participated in the parade as a church youth group advisor and the advisor for the Student Council at East Middle School. Even when she wasn’t in the parade, she has attended every year for as long as she can remember.
This year, she’s mostly looking forward to sharing the experience with her family. Her grandson studies at Illinois College in Jacksonville, and he and a few friends will return to Alton on Halloween night to watch his grandma in the parade.
Wilson also can’t wait to go to her daughter’s neighborhood during Alton’s trick-or-treating times to hand out candy and enjoy a few “adult treats” as the kids play.
Now that Wilson is retired, she hopes to increase her involvement with the organizations that she works with. She thanked her State Farm team for their support over the years and expressed her excitement to do more with Pride, Inc., and the Reimagine Alton team through the Alton School District.
“I’m retired, or just tired. Either one,” she said. “I feel like my head can be in the game a little more instead of trying to spin ten plates at one time. I’m looking forward to that.”
As Wilson prepares for the parade, she reflected on Halloweens past, including a Frankenstein costume she once made for her son and her yearly rewatch of “Ghostbusters.” She is looking forward to another great year celebrating the holiday with the Alton community.
For more information about the 108th Alton Halloween Parade, read this article on RiverBender.com. To learn more about local parades, check out The Ultimate 2025 Halloween Parade Guide.
