HAGERSTOWN – Everyone in and around Washington County knows that there is a Halloween tradition that has been taking place for over 100 years, minus a few years for unique circumstances. That event is the Alsatia Club Parade, or as it is more commonly known, “The Mummer’s Parade.”
This special event has not only brought the county communities together to celebrate the spookiest holiday of them all, but also to showcase the talents of our school’s artistic organizations. As part of the parade, visitors and family members could see their local marching bands, majorettes, color guards, drill teams, dance troupes and 4H Clubs. These talented groups join in the fun with floats, local first responders and lots of fun and spooky costumes.
The sponsors of the event, the Alsatia Club, Inc. was founded in 1911, by a group of young men who wanted to create and set up recreational opportunities for local youths. William C. Aughinbaugh, who owned a pharmacy at 54 W. Washington St. in Hagerstown, which was a popular hangout for local teens, offered the vacant second floor to the small group to set up a club space. This would blossom into what has now become the Alsatia Club.
As the club grew in size and number, they moved their headquarters in the winter of 1915 from the pharmacy to the second floor of the Colonial Theater on South Potomac Street. They would remain there for another eight years before growing so large that they purchased their own property at 141 W. Washington St., just a few blocks away from where they originated.
The club would grow over the years and spawn a basketball team, bowling league, sponsor a little league baseball team, and their new clubhouse would play host to events such as bingo nights, Easter egg hunts for local kids and would host meals for special occasions. In modern years their devotion to community has not waned. Each year a member dresses up as Santa Claus and participates in the Parent Child Center Telethon.
In 1921, the Alsatia Club created a local parade out of community fear of vandalism during the Halloween holiday. Basically, they wanted to give local youth a fun distraction to keep them out of trouble. The parade was such a hit with locals that it became an annual event that has lasted over a century.
From the years of 1941-1945, the parade was canceled due to the United States’ involvement in World War II. Like most cities around the country, wartime efforts to help support troops became the top priority for most communities and the fear of attack made gathering in large crowds unappealing. Plus, it didn’t seem right to be at home celebrating while the nation’s fearless men and women were oversees fighting to preserve freedom against tyranny. Then in 2020 and 2021, the parade was again canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mummer’s Parade has become Hagerstown’s largest annual event bringing in thousands of visitors to see and participate. Local organizations such as the City of Hagerstown, the Board of Education, the Board of Washington County Commissioners and many local businesses have come together over the years to help fund and organize the event.
The founding fathers of the Alsatia Club have gone, but their legacy and traditions continue to thrive. The Mummer’s Parade is still the showpiece of Hagerstown’s community events, and the growth of the city and the next generation of club members assures that the good times and spooky vibes will continue for many years to come.
Information and tickets about this year’s Parade can be found at the Maryland Theatre Website: 98th Annual Mummer’s Parade | The Maryland Theatre – Hagerstown Md.
The parade this year will be on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m..
