It's that time of year again, people! When the most creative people in the world take to the streets of Greenwich Village decked out in their most fabulous (and frightful) Halloween finery.

Huzzah! 

This year's parade theme is MEOW!!!, and the parade organizers cite the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland with this inspirational quote: "Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality."

Nice!

So what can you expect? Around 50,000 witches, monsters, zombies, ghosts and ghouls. Giant puppets weaving throughout the city streets. Floats and music and laughter. Lots and lots of laughter. The Grand Marshall this year is Broadway icon André De Shields (The Wiz, Play On, The Full Monty).

The fun begins on Halloween at 7 p.m. and the parade runs up Sixth Ave. from Canal St. to 15th St. If you'd like to march, costumes are a must. The procession lines up at the corner of Sixth Ave. and Canal and rolls out from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. You can only enter this area from the east and south, that is Sullivan, East Broome and Canal Streets. If you come from the west, enter only from Canal Street. Got it? Good.

Just want to watch? You can view the parade from either side of 5th Ave. between King and West 16th Sts. Try and head to Sixth Ave. early, though. The most congested spots are between Bleecker and 14th streets, so it's probably best to plant yourself either at the beginning of the route or the end.

If you want to skip the line, sit in a special section, join up with a band or march in the Cat Ladies Unite! section, there are various VIP tickets that offer that access.

Image via eddtoro/iStock