A MEXICAN-style Day of the Dead parade would see bright colours and street performers descend on Southend seafront, with plans for a carnival in full swing.

A Southend Halloween Parade is being planned for October 30 in a bid to see hundreds of residents join in with festivities and make up for events cancelled during the pandemic.

A route has been planned for the parade, while discussions are also taking place for the return of Southend’s iconic fireworks every Saturday from October 2 and December 4.

Carole Mulroney, councillor for environment, culture, tourism and planning, said: “The parade will feature some very exciting events for the whole family including the world-renowned Spark! street theatre drummers and lighting spectacular and a Mexican-style Day of the Dead parade.

“Our upcoming Southend Arts Festival’s includes online mask making workshops for children specifically for the Halloween parade. Like the Southend Carnival, parade entrants can collect for their chosen charities.

“We are aiming to attract visitors from far and wide to arrive early to enjoy everything Southend has to offer before experiencing an amazing Halloween Parade in the evening culminating with a spectacular firework display.

“Being the first event of its kind in Southend, we expect it to be an amazing and colourful spectacle for all the family and will firmly put Southend on the map as a top destination.”

The carnival procession is set to proceed in a westerly direction from the Gasworks Car Park, before continuing from Eastern Esplanade into Marine Parade and then onto Western Esplanade.

Celebrations will then disperse on Western Esplanade in the vicinity of Oyster Creek Kitchen at 8pm.

Meanwhile, if plans go ahead, ten potential firework displays will be held through the winter season - more than during any other year.

Read more:

Why illuminations event could be back in Southend this year after 14 year absence

Echo:

Paul Thompson, owner of Pebbles One in Marine Parade, said: “The fireworks are so iconic to the area, so I know this year people will be really looking forward to it.

“The parade on top of this should be a fantastic attraction to draw people to the seafront, I’ve got three young daughters and Halloween is always a big event in their calendar.

“So I think the parade will help drum a new lease of life into Southend. Watch this space, but hopefully the end of this year will go out with a bang.”

Jacqui Dallimore, chair of Southend Tourism Partnership, hopes the parade will become a recurring annual event to help extend the tourism season.

It follows the cancellation of the popular Southend Carnival due to the Covid pandemic, with the same carnival logistics and road closures set to apply to the Halloween parade.

From 4pm on the day of the festival, barriers will line the route from the Gasworks Car Park to Western Esplanade close to Oyster Creek, and they will be lifted after the fireworks display.

While Martin Richardson, owner of the Happidrome Arcade on Marine Parade, says businesses like his own “desperately rely” on the annual firework events for trade.

Suzanne Gloyne, Southend BID Manager, said: "We know how much the community values our annual fireworks and were saddened they couldn’t go ahead.

“We’re hopeful our proposal will soon be approved following a Safety Advisory Group meeting, allowing us to move forward with these exciting plans as soon as possible.”