“Not a common Halloween parade “

Q: What is Alexandra Popescu-York doing when is not preparing for New York Fashion week or a new collection for her brand ?
A: I dedicated a lot of time to my family, as I always do. Career and family are both important to me, each in its own way.
It’s interesting how my mind works.
Sometimes as a designer I put my skills to work in my family life as well and vice-versa.
For example I wanted my children to experience the joy of a Halloween parade this year even the official one and trick-or-treating was canceled. Halloween is one of the childrens' favorite holiday because it’s a chance to wear funny costumes and spend good time with family and friends new and old.
I decided to organize our own Halloween parade on Long Island City waterfront promenade starting from crown jewel 4545 Center Blvd passing Pepsi Cola sign, Gandry Plaza State Park, LIC landing, Hunters Point South Park and ending at Newton Creek and back.
The alternative of Halloween related activities that included children in LIC were very limited, dangerous or even nonexistent so I decided to make our own Halloween parade!

This year 2020 brought us (ALL OF US) so many challenges. I, personally feel so blessed that we are well, healthy and happy but we are still shocked that a pandemic could happen in our days and we are shocked to see all the difficulties related and not related with the pandemic but social and political.

Halloween Parade on the waterfront promenade was a success. Is nothing the mom-manager, designer and artist cannot achieve.

Q: Is there anything that you would change or wish to be different regarding the parade that you were just involved in?
A: Yes, of course. It’s always a room for improvement. This year is very hard for all of us. People are afraid to stay next to each-other, everyone is wearing masks for protection not for fun like other years. Some people did not show up from various reasons or they came too early or too late at the starting point or they didn’t follow the exact path. And that causes chaos. I do not like chaos. The problem for me was to make people understand to go to the right path shown on the invitation (yeah, I know...the right path...) and staying in a formed group, keeping the same pace. At the starting point we gathered many people, many families and children. After we spread along the waterfront.
In a way it was ideal to spread along the waterfront because we really were keeping the social distance.
The main reason of this event is for us and everyone to have fun in a safe environment and to spread cheer and joy. And we achieved that.
I have to mention that this event was free for all the participants and as a good host I packed 40 gift bags of (healthy) snack for trick-or-treaters in the parade.