(KNZA)--Plans continue for this year’s centennial celebration of Hiawatha’s annual Halloween Frolic, the nation’s oldest continuous Halloween parade.

Halloween committee chairperson Beth Mikita and co-chair Stacy Babb provide an update to the Hiawatha City Commission Tuesday evening as organization for the October 31st celebration moves forward.

In an effort to encourage members of the community and surrounding area’s to participate in this year’s 100th Halloween Frolic, Mikita says they are offering a float incentive program.

More than 15-hundred dollars in the form of Chamber Bucks will be given to the 1st through 3rd place floats in each of three categories—family, business, and club/organization.

Mikita says there will be a schedule change for this year’s parades—with the afternoon parade taking place at 3:30 and grand evening parade at 7:30.

The theme of this year’s Halloween celebration is “ 100 years of Halloween”, which float entrants are able to interpret in a variety of ways.

The Chamber is currently mailing out paper registration forms, and hopes to have them available at City Hall and other locations around town shortly.

Below are the official rules of participation, as issued by the Halloween Committee: 

This year there are several reasons to enter a float into Hiawatha’s 100th Halloween Frolic. There is a $500 dollar cash prize to be given to the best overall Halloween Float at the grand parade, thanks to the generosity of Jere Bruning. New this year, for the 100th Halloween Frolic only, will be cash awards  in the form of Chamber Bucks for the 1st through 3rd place floats in each category. Categories are family, business, and club/ organization. Over $1,500 dollars will be given out by the Hiawatha Chamber of Commerce and the Halloween committee to those 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place float winners at both the afternoon and grand parade. 

In an effort to encourage members of the community and surrounding area’s to participate in this year’s 100th Halloween Frolic the Halloween Committee would like to offer  some incentive for float entries. If your family, your block, a business, club or organization enters a float in the grand parade, $100.00 will be refunded to you to help offset the cost.

The Halloween Committee defines a float as an elaborately decorated scene mounted on a wheeled chassis. Floats can be self-propelled or towed by another vehicle. It is strongly encouraged that the tow vehicle be decorated to incorporate either the theme of the parade or the float that it is towing.

To be eligible, the float must meet the above described requirements. Be pre-registered by October 24th, 2014. Be present at, and participate in, the Grand Parade. One check will be mailed to the person, business, club or organization that is named on the parade pre- registration the week after Halloween.  Winning a prize amount for placing in the top three of your category does not disqualify you from this refund.  If you wish to forgo the $100.00 refund and instead have it donated to the 101st Halloween parade you can email Beth Mikita at beth.edopp@yahoo.com.

In the spirit of Halloween, the Committee is asking  that all participants be as festive as possible. If you are entering a vehicle or an implement in the parade we ask that you decorate it to incorporate the theme of Halloween. This can be as simple as the driver being in costume or as colorful as you would like to make it. 

For more details, including on-line registration, go here.