Parade of Spirits

The Krampus, in certain Alpine cultures, is the "anti-Santa" that punishes misbehaving children, carrying them off in the basket on his back for transport to Hell.

A local artist wanted to have a Krampuslauf, a parade of Krampuses, in a nearby park. Her neighbors thought she was crazy. Somehow she connected with the Liberty Lands volunteers, who embraced the idea.

The first parade was held on 12/11/11 and was a couple of dozen people marched around the block. I missed the second, but attended the third on 12/14/2013 during a blizzard. The parade continues to grow, and in 2015 between 300 and 500 people attended.

The event has become about much more than Krampus, and the name changed to Parade of Spirits in 2016.

Learn more: krampuslaufphiladelphia.com or www.facebook.com/paradeofsp...