Photos: Vienna Halloween Parade, 'Celebrating 65 Years of Tradition'

An afternoon rainstorm soaked most of the placeholder blankets spectators had laid across the sidewalks along Maple Avenue, but by the time Vienna's Annual Halloween Parade kicked off where the road intersects with East Street, there wasn't a cloud in the sky -- perfect weather for the performers, spectators and judges who came out for one of the town's most anticipated traditions.

The theme of this year's parade was "Celebrating 65 Years of Tradition: The Vienna Halloween Parade Through the Decades, 1946-2011," a concept imagined by a student at The Green Hedges School.

As part of that theme, the parade gave Grand Marshall honors to four long-time businesses: , , and . All have operated in Vienna for more than 50 years.

Among the highlights for some young spectators that spoke to Patch were the Bolivian dancers who balanced fire on their headdresses; the local performing arts groups; the Redskins, Madison and Marshall marching bands; and area police and fire departments.

Click through our photo gallery to catch a glimpse of the parade.

Check back later for video highlights of the event.