By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
GREENWICH VILLAGE — Halloween revelers ignored the cold weather, a shorter route and a scaled down production to celebrate the holiday in their best costumes for the 38th Annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade Sunday.
Thousands of New Yorkers turned out to watch or march in the parade wearing costumes ranging from news-based themes like rescued Chilean miner outfits to classic monsters like vampires, zombies and mummies.
"I rise from the sea to celebrate All Hallows Eve," said George Roman, 31, who dressed for the occasion as a pirate zombie.
Roman staked out his viewing spot on the corner of Sixth Avenue and West Fourth Street three hours before the start of the parade.
"Halloween is my Christmas," said Roman, who has attended the parade every year since he can remember.
Temperatures Sunday night dipped into the low 40s, making things tough on some of the skimpier costumes.
"It's a little chilly," said Colin Hanns, 17, an FIT freshman who made his sailor costume out of vintage fabric. "But it's so worth it."
Wess Abruzzo, 26, who came dressed as a ballerina, said that he was attending this year's parade for the first time. He said just walking through the crowd and seeing everyone's costumes was amazing.
"I'm totally coming back next year," Abruzzo said.
Organizers had to deal with a smaller budget than usual as a result of the bad economy this year but marched on with parade plans in order to give residents a creative outlet, said Jeanne Fleming, director of the parade.
"I'm just so happy to be doing something for the city and the people in this time that is really tough," Fleming said.
