Wow: Park Slope is fun on Halloween. Trick or treating on Seventh Avenue, trick or treating on side streets, haunted houses, puppet shows, you name it: Park Slope is Halloween-Central.

Last night was crazy fun for kids and adults. It was also exhausting and overwhelming for many of the youngsters as it was a long day in costume and the excitement can turn quickly into tears of meltdown and frustration from too much candy, too much walking and too many expectations.

The littlest ones seemed to be running out of steam (or in meltdown mode) just as the parade began at 6:30 on 14th Street and later turned down Third Street. But they persevere and by parade’s end seemed barely able to make it home for bedtime.

At just about the same time, the teenagers were ready for the shaving cream wars in the playground (front and back) of PS 321 and elsewhere.

At the parade, the Paprika Marching Band made joyful, percussive sounds and a floating bedbug sniffing dog, with Gersh Kuntzman’s voice booming out of it, was quite the sight and sound.

Third Street’s sidewalk and street was crammed with costumed revelers marching in the parade or watching from the sidelines.

Barrio, the Third Street Mexican restaurant with the outdoor patio, was packed with costumed eaters watching the parade while consuming margaritas and tacos.

In our front yard, there was a get-together for parents with children under two. Friends stopped by and watched from our building and I enjoyed the babies dressed as pumpkins, as fairies, as lady bugs…

That first Halloween as a parent can be quite a thrill.

As for costumes my favorite was the team of “Food Coop Walkers,” a group wearing day-glow orange Food Coop vests  pushing shopping carts, I saw a Tevye playing a violin, a wonderful jellyfish…

Waiting for No Words Daily Pix to return with his bounty of Halloween images…