The 60th annual King Frost Parade showcased five marching bands and nearly 130 floats with themes of autumn, Halloween, winter and Christmas on Saturday, Oct. 26.
“It is meant to welcome the cooler weather and serves as a homecoming for people that may have moved away from the Hamburg area,” parade co-chairs Derek Leibensperger and Colleen Witman said in a statement.
Always the last Saturday in October, the King Frost Parade is a beloved annual event that aims to bring people together.
The parade attracts around 20,000 spectators who line the streets to enjoy the show. Many Hamburg residents dress in costumes and decorate their homes along the parade route.
George Mitten has led the parade as King Frost for 10 years.
“I’ll be the king as long as I am able,” he said. “I am humbled and honored to be king.”
The King Frost Parade in its current form began in 1964, when the Hamburg Jaycees revived a decades old pre-Halloween celebration dating to 1910 and staged the parade annually until 2022.
That group folded in 2023. With community support, the newly formed nonprofit King Frost Parade Inc. stepped in to save the beloved tradition and now organizes the event.
The “60 Years Of King Frost” float by the Wagner-Good VFW Post 216 featured photos from past parades.
The five divisions of schools, community organizations, businesses and other groups showcased walkers and floats with festive themes and creativity, including pirates, zombies, “Every Scout is Awesome” Lego boys, Pennywise of the Skook and The Phillie Phanatic.
Local bands and performing groups contribute to the vibrant atmosphere, creating a community celebration.
The Allentown “Almost” Hobo Band, which has performed in every King Frost Parade, played “In Heaven There Is No Beer” and won first place in the community band category.
There were performances by five high school marching bands: Hamburg-Tulpehocken combined band, Schuylkill Valley, Oley Valley, Northwestern Lehigh and Parkland.
Organizers thanked sponsors Tom Schaeffer’s RV Superstore, The Outten Family of Dealerships, Leibensperger Funeral Homes, Tompkins Bank, Manderbach Ford and many more.
“And a huge thank you to all of our participants for the time and dedication it took to put together so many awesome entries that made the 60th Annual King Frost parade the largest parade we have had in recent memory. Hope to see you all again next year for the 61st Annual King Frost Parade!” organizers posted on King Frost Parade Facebook page.
Five judges awarded prizes to the top winners.
Schuylkill Valley FFA won overall float for their Fall Agriculture float. Go-Getter Movement Studioz won runner up overall float for their Mardi Gras float.
Youth Floats
1st place: Schuylkill Valley Mites Youth Football Team
2nd place: Cub Pack 184 – Every Scout is Awesome
3rd place: Schuylkill Valley Varsity Cheer and Fall Sports – SV Panther Pride
Business Floats
1st place: Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Greenawalts Insurance
2nd place: M3B Trailer Rentals – Fall
3rd place: Cougle’s Recycling – Not a Jeep Thing
Non-profit Floats
1st place: Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing – Zombie on the Appalachian Trail
2nd place: Army Corps of Engineers – Winter Water Safety
3rd place: The Backstreet Boys – Dance Party
Individual Walker
1st place: Jeff Gilfillan II – Pennywise of the Skook
2nd place: Metamilkameda – Holly Jolly Halloween
Walking Groups
1st place: Delaware Valley Contractors – Halloween
2nd place: Delong and Sons HVAC – Let Our Family Take Care of Your Family
3rd place: Raygin Farm – The Rodeo Girls of RGF
Twirling Group
1st place: Chicks with Fire Sticks
2nd place: Boyertown Legionette Twirlers
Bands B1
1st place: Parkland High School Trojan Marching Band
2nd place: Hamburg and Tulpehocken Combined Marching Band
Bands B2
1st place: Schuylkill Valley Marching Band
2nd place: Oley Valley Marching Lynx
3rd place: Northwestern Lehigh Tiger Marching Band
Community Band
1st place: Allentown Hobo “Almost” Band
2nd place: Kutztown Pipe Band
3rd place: Rajah Chanters
For more information about volunteering or donating to the parade, email kingfrostparade@gmail.com.
Source: Berkshire mont
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