Photo: Getty Images
BEVERLY, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The annual Fourth of July horribles parade in the Beverly Farms neighborhood of Beverly will not be so horrible when it returns next month.
A tradition dating back centuries, the Beverly Farms horribles parade satirizes current events with comically grotesque floats, costumes, and displays. The parade attracted controversy in recent years with displays considered too hateful or racist, targeting subjects such as the Gloucester High School teen pregnancy pact, monkeypox, Black Lives Matter, and the Zika virus.
This year, Beverly Farms-Prides Crossing Fourth of July Committee has removed the "horribles" name from the parade's title in an effort to widen its appeal. According to parade organizers, some people have had reservations about taking part in the non-horrible sections of the parade due to the use of the word.
As a compromise, the parade will still allow horrible floats and costumes, but organizers are encouraging participants in the parade to be "clever, not crude."
WBZ NewsRadio spoke with some Beverly residents about the name change.
"Everybody’s up in arms about everything," one resident said. "It’s almost like everybody wants to be upset. I don’t think anybody started the horribles parade to be mean to anybody."
"Nobody should be crude to anybody," said one woman.
"I guess it comes down what one deems clever and what one deems crude," opined another resident.
"With how things are politically, I understand why they’re trying to tone it down a little," said Megan, a younger resident. "I do think it’s fun that Beverly has a sense of humor that they can poke fun at themselves. I just hope they don’t lose that sense of fun and identity the parade has."
WBZ's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App | TikTok