Goldstein, who wore a brain-shaped Jell-O mold and orange jumpsuit during the float-building party, said he doesn't want to stymie costume-making creativity, but the rule of thumb will be "no fake rubber body parts and no exposed real ones."
"Hopefully we'll find some perfect balance," said Coviello, who fears that marchers may be turned off by the child-friendly theme: "Some people say, 'What? It's for kids now, what about freaking out the squares?' "
School librarian Coviello and photographer/lawyer Goldstein have their share of square-freaking experience. In 1996, Coviello founded the Krewe of Box of Wine, a Carnival marching group that turned heads with bondage costumes and other excesses. That same year, Goldstein founded Krewe du Jieux, a sub-group of Krewe du Vieux.
In summer 2005, Coviello and Goldstein joined forces to create the old-fashioned, non-mechanized neighborhood parade that they hope will become a Halloween tradition. Though they consider costuming and parading a fine art, the 6t'9 Halloween Parade is more of an opportunity for many-layered social activism.
They hope the parade will inspire New Orleans children to costume for Halloween; help re-establish traditional Mardi Gras skull and bone marching clubs -- Al Morris, king of the North Side Skull and Bones Gang is also the 6t'9 parade's King for Life; and erode the city's racial divide by uniting the "artsy alternative funky world and the second-line culture," Coviello said.
At their most cosmic, they even hope the parade could have some influence on religious harmony and world peace -- the parade logo is a jack-o'-lantern carved with Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and pagan symbols.
"How do we all wake up and realize we live on the same ball of dirt?" Goldstein said.
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6t'9 HALLOWEEN PARADE
What: The second annual Carnival-style marching club parade, with candy, beads and music by the Warren Easton High School Marching Band and Soul Rebels Brass Band.
Where: Begins at 1020 St. Claude Ave. near the corner of St. Philip Street and ends at Dauphine and Montegue streets.
When: Saturday, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Membership: New members may sign up until the beginning of the parade. Membership fee $69. Call (504) 669-8022 or (504) 522-6714 or e-mail at sixtoninesapc@aol.com.