When this year’s Village Halloween Parade theme was announced, it caused quite a stir—or a purr, as it were. The theme, “Meow,” encourages cat ladies to unite for an evening prowl along the streets of the West Village on Halloween night.
Though long-associated with the holiday, cats are being cast into the spotlight even more this year. With J.D. Vance’s sexist comments about “childless cat ladies” as the backdrop, cats are having a moment in New York City as a symbol of snark and even resistance (and cuteness, of course). In celebration of National Cat Day (on October 29), we decided to chronicle these feline festivities in this burgeoning meow-vment.
As for the parade, one event director told NBC 4 that, “We’re not being political.” Instead, she said the theme is presented as a sign of the times. Nevertheless, parade organizers encourage all cat ladies to don their tails and whiskers and join the ball—and thousands of them likely will on Halloween night…