Mystics parade floats forward

Seventeen years ago, Trent Wright and his sister Casey Wright Horn had a wild idea to bring their love of Mardi Gras to Mountain Brook. Instead of letting the good times roll in February, however, they decided to blend Fat Tuesday with Halloween, tapping into “the best of both worlds,” Horn said.

Over-the-top parade floats, decadent treats and festive costumes now flood the streets of Mountain Brook annually on Oct. 31.

Mystics of Mountain Brook, always held at 4 p.m. on Halloween, has become a beloved and very well-attended community event.

“We’re just trying to bring a little Mardi Gras to Birmingham,” said Horn, whose family hails from Mobile — the birthplace of American Mardi Gras celebrations.

Horn said her family has always done Halloween big, since her mother’s birthday is on Oct. 31.

“My brother Trent and I started it, and it’s still just us today who organize it every year,” she said.

The parade starts at the Emmet O’Neal Public Library, proceeds down Church Street, turns left in front of La Paz and ends shortly after to complete a 1.2-mile loop. Along with goblins, witches and ghouls, the event will feature the Mountain Brook High School marching band, dance team, Dorians and cheerleaders.

In years past, about 20 floats have paraded through Crestline Village, each judged for creativity and festiveness. Whichever float is deemed the best will have its team name engraved on a plaque and displayed inside La Paz. Each Mountain Brook business donates to help host the parade, and some donate gift cards that are used as prizes for winners of the float contest.

“I encourage people to come get a spot early because it gets so busy,” Horn says. “Last year we had about 5,000 people come out.”

Because the celebration begins in the afternoon, the community is able to enjoy the parade and get its dose of trick-or-treating later in the night, allowing everyone to maximize their All Hallow’s Eve experience, Horn said. Last year, the parade introduced a new tradition of naming a king and queen. That tradition will carry over to this year’s celebration, Horn said.

“Even if you don’t have children, it’s fun and entertaining to just come out and watch,” she said. “It’s a family style parade, so children are welcome. But we want the entire community to get involved.”

Streets typically begin to clear and close around 2 p.m., Horn said. If locals are interested in having a float in the parade, they can either contact the city or reach out to event organizers through the Facebook page @MysticsofMountainBrook.

“It’s because of the help of the city and local businesses that we’re able to put this on every year,” Horn said. “It’s gotten to be a huge event that we truly love hosting every year. We love bringing this tradition to Mountain Brook and hope to see a bunch of people come out this year and celebrate.”