HAGERSTOWN — An estimated crowd of 80,000 swelled the sidewalks of Potomac Street in Hagerstown on Saturday night for the 85th Alsatia Mummers Parade.

Rain dampened the turnout for the annual celebration, which typically draws about 100,000, Hagerstown Police Department Capt. Mark Holtzman said.

There were 202 floats, bands and other units, including a dozen mummers, that paraded down the 1.9-mile route over more than three hours, said James McCleaf II, chairman of the parade.

The number of mummers, people parading individually in costume or wearing masks, increased from last year, McCleaf said.

Ashley Ferguson, Smithsburg High School’s homecoming queen, was chosen as the Alsatia Queen at a ceremony Saturday afternoon at the club’s West Washington Street headquarters, McCleaf said.

Concerned about vandalism around Halloween, members of the Alsatia Club in Hagerstown first organized the parade in 1921 to better occupy the pranksters. It worked and the parade has matured and grown to become what now is billed as the largest nighttime celebration of its kind on the East Coast.

Along the parade route, Lori Oxendine, 32, of Halfway, said she was feeling guilty about not dressing up and parading as a mummer, a costumed or masked character, which traces its beginnings to old England.

“I remember when I was little, there were a lot more mummers,” said Oxendine, who sheltered herself from intermittent rain drops by standing beneath the entrance of a downtown building.

What keeps her from being a mummer in the parade?

“It’s just more fun to watch,” Oxendine said.

Joined by companion Kevin Johnson, Oxendine said this year’s parade was her first in a while because she’s always had to work.

“It’s just tradition,” Oxendine said. “It’s like Hagerstown’s little Mardi Gras.”

After the last parade unit passed the judging station about 9:30 p.m. Johnson and Oxendine planned to go home to watch scary movies and eat popcorn.

Dressed as “a nice witch” in a orange star-dotted black dress, Susan Gustafson smiled when she said she doubted she could walk the entire parade route with other mummers.

“I should probably do that sometime ... I don’t know,” said Gustafson, a parade regular since moving back from California.

Aaron Stotelmyer and Dana Stout, both 17, said they have been regular parade watchers since they were young children.

“It’s the only big thing in Hagerstown that everybody comes to,” Stotelmyer said. “It’s the same thing every year, (but) it’s kind of like a ritual — you have to come.”

This year actually was a bit different, at least for Stotelmyer, who brought chairs to sit in at the downtown square.

“I usually walk (the parade route), but I got lazy,” said Stotelmyer while the young couple munched on pink and purple cotton candy.

Stout said the parade offered a rare opportunity, declaring there is “never anything to do in Hagerstown.”

Stotelmyer and Stout were among many people interviewed Saturday who didn’t know what a mummer was.

Oxendine said she learned from reading the newspaper that the tradition stemmed from England.

Dressed as a fairy in a modified wedding dress with wings attached, Vicki Martin of Fairplay dusted passers-by with good wishes.

“It brings out the kid in me,” Martin said.

This year’s parade dignitaries included state Sen. Donald F. Munson, the parade’s grand marshal; Jaime Mason, Washington County Teacher of the Year, and Blaine Young, a radio personality in Frederick, Md., the honorary grand marshals; and an appearance by Miss Maryland Brooke Poklemba.

Holtzman said about 80 officers with the department, along with 10 from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and fire police personnel were deployed for the parade.

“We could not do it without the fire police,” said Holtzman, who was in command for his first mummers parade. “We clean the whole house for this one.”

“The parade went about as flawless as you can make a Mummers Parade,” McCleaf said. “Everybody made it through safely.”

Jenna Warren, 58

Winchester, Va.

Jenna Warren said she remembers when she was a student at North Hagerstown High School and marched in the Alsatia Mummers Parade with various clubs.

“I love to come and see the different bands, and to see how the parade has changed over the years,” she said.

Warren said she drove to Hagerstown with her daughter, Rondelle Jackson, 38, and a family friend, Eddie Bell. The three visited family while in town.

“I’m originally from here, but I came from Winchester, Va., for the parade,” she said. “It’s a tradition. I try to come every year.”

Brehon Sweeny, 35

Smithsburg

The painted pumpkin heads of Brehon Sweeny and his friend, Lucas Johnson, stood out in the crowd at the parade. But even more striking were the materials they chose for their guises. In lieu of traditional costume makeup or face paint, the friends chose acrylics.

“It comes off,” Sweeny said. “You just need to scrub really hard.”

Atop their heads, each of the men sported a short stubby stick representing the pumpkin stem. Holding the sticks in place was fingernail glue.

“This is just something I did the last couple of years,” Sweeny said. “Me and my girlfriend wanted a cheap costume, and this is what we came up with.”

Sweeny said he likes going to the Mummers Parade.

“I grew up with it,” he said. “It gets people out.”

“It’s great to see all the smiling faces,” said Johnson, 22, of Smithsburg.

Alan Ward, 57

Providence, R.I.

Alan Ward said he has been to the parade for the past six years. While he said he enjoys it, his role requires work along with the pleasure.

Ward owns A&S Novelty, a vending company. He said he and his crew were wrapping up a five-day road trip.

Advertising his own goods, Ward wore a pink fuzzy cowgirl hat, adorned with a separate set of horns.

“We do fairly good business here, depending on the weather,” Ward said. “And the people down here are really nice. That’s one thing I look forward to.”

He said his hottest sales items at the parade are hats and light-ups.

“People like glow sticks and all that stuff,” he said.

Mahendra Kabbur, 48, Gowri Kabbur, 16, and Anitha Kabbur, 45

Frederick, Md.

The Kabbur family just moved to Frederick 2 1/2 months ago. Their address for three years prior to that was in Misawa, Japan.

Anitha Kabbur said the military family enjoyed the parades there. When they heard Hagerstown had the biggest Halloween parade on the East Coast, they decided to check it out. Kabbur said in addition to the acts in the parade, she enjoyed seeing the architecture in Hagerstown.

“The old buildings are really nice,” she said. “It’s nice to see the historical buildings.”

Mahendra Kabbur said he was drawing comparisons between the parade and others they had attended in Japan.

“In Japan, they were very similar festivals. Lots of vendors, outside, with all different food,” he said. “It’s a good time.”

Anita Heefner, 46, and Steve Heefner, 56

Halfway

Anita Heefner said she mixes shopping with parade watching. For the past six years, she said she’s been getting a seat in front of The Boutique clothing store.

“I just bought this nice sweater in that lovely boutique store,” she said, showing off a multitone cardigan.

The couple donned silly hats. Hers was a witch hat with orange, outstretched braids, and his was a loud-colored top hat.

“We’re in the spirit,” Steve Heefner said. “I was born and raised in Hagerstown and (Anita) is from Boonsboro. We grew up with this and we wouldn’t miss it.”

The Heefners said they went to the parade with their daughter and their “50 best friends.”

Megan McKinley, 18

Shade Gap, Pa.

Megan McKinley’s mother told her that she had been to the Mummers Parade years ago.

“She told me it was a great time,” McKinley said. “I think she went, like, back in the ’80s.”

McKinley looked up the parade online and convinced her family to get in costume and take the roughly hour-long trip to Hagerstown.

McKinley drew attention in her Michael Jackson get-up. Several people made comments to her on the street, calling her “Michael” as they passed by.

The family said they thought more people would be in costume at the parade, but they enjoyed it nonetheless.

“I’m really glad we came,” said Megan’s sister, Sarah McKinley, 17. “It’s awesome.”

— Alicia Notarianni