John Meshey has been involved in the Columbia community for more than 45 years, so it's fitting that he's the grand marshal of the 2023 Columbia Mardi Gras Halloween Parade. The parade will step off at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26.

John, a 1975 graduate of Columbia High School, recalled that he first became involved in the community when he entered a fundraiser to win a prize through the Jaycees when he was 21 years old. "I won one of the prizes, but instead of giving me the prize, they paid my membership dues," he noted. It was the first of many commitments John has made to Columbia over the decades.

He's been a member of the Columbia Lions Club for 10 years and currently serves as service chair. He's also active with the Sunsnappers, Columbia Park Rangers and the Columbia Civil Service Commission, among other organizations.

The father of two children and three grandchildren said giving back to his community has always been important to him. "Having children participate in different sporting events, I ended up coaching or selling concessions," he said. "I have always wanted to be a part of all the community events happening Columbia. People appreciate it, and it's nice when somebody comes up and says, 'Thank you for doing this.'"

John will be joined in the parade by his wife, Tammy. He noted that he began participating in the parade as a child, recalling how he and some friends dressed up as Laurel and Hardy. His wife also participated in her youth, with her whole family creating a float annually based on the parade's theme.

This year's parade has a theme of "Wide World of Sports" and will feature more than 50 units in five divisions. "We have a lot of local groups participating, like the Scouts and lots of school groups," John said. "We'll have bands and floats."

Judges will circulate throughout the parade, reviewing entries to award cash prizes. "We have them walk through the parade so that way the spectators can see the groups performing anywhere along the parade route, not just at a judges' stand at the end," he explained.

The parade is a true community event, he noted, drawing not only a large number of participants but a large crowd of spectactors as well.

"It's a fun time. There's candy being thrown, and it's just a fun opportunity to get out and enjoy yourself," John said. "We expect a big crowd for this. It's always been a great time."

The parade will begin at Columbia Borough Fire Department, 10th and Manor streets, before proceeding along a 1.5-mile route that includes sections of Manor, South Fourth, Union, South Second, Locust and South Sixth streets. For more information, visit https://columbialions.org/parade or search for "Columbia Mardi Gras Halloween Parade" on Facebook.