Beckles Wears 13-Foot Costume at Village Parade
Costume designer Earl Beckles honored parade director Jeanne Fleming with a winged dragon costume at the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Cultural
Earl Beckles marked his 25th year in the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade wearing a costume with a 13-foot wingspan, named "Molan, The Flying Dragon," carrying a banner reading "Friends Live On." His wife, Judy Beckles, wore an 18-foot-wide costume named "Fit for a Queen" in the same tribute to Jeanne Fleming.
Why it matters
The costumes were designed as a tribute to Jeanne Fleming, who has served as artistic and producing director of the parade since 1985. The display highlights the role of Caribbean-style Mas costume artistry within New York City's long-running Halloween tradition.
Earl Beckles's Molan costume spans 13 feet across its wings, while Judy Beckles's Fit for a Queen costume measures 18 feet wide. The Beckles have participated for 25 years in the parade, which Jeanne Fleming has directed since 1985.
The players
Earl Beckles
Earl Beckles is a costume designer and founder of Far Rockaway's only Mas company, known for King costumes that have won prizes at carnivals in New York, Miami and Trinidad and Tobago.
Jeanne Fleming
Jeanne Fleming has served as artistic and producing director of the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade since 1985.
The details
Earl Beckles, a costume designer and founder of Far Rockaway's only Mas company, moved to Far Rockaway in 1986 and runs E&J Barber Shop and Hair Salon there. His King costumes have won prizes at carnivals in New York, Miami and Trinidad and Tobago, and he helped organize the Queens Carnival in Far Rockaway in 2017.
Timeline
2015: Beckles won prizes for his costume and band at the Crown Heights festival.
2017: Beckles helped organize the Queens Carnival in Far Rockaway.
Last week: Beckles marked his 25th year at the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade.
January 2027: Beckles will take part in the Carnival of Trinidad and Tobago.
Cultural Lineage
Mas costume artistry traces back to the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, where hundreds of thousands of revelers gather each year. Beckles's New York work carries that tradition into the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, which he has joined for 25 years.
Residents can see Mas costume artistry up close at the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, which has been running since 1985. Those interested in Caribbean carnival traditions can attend events in Far Rockaway and Brooklyn where Beckles has organized or joined festivals.
The takeaway
Mas costume design connects Caribbean carnival traditions with New York's public celebrations, and the Beckles's tribute shows how that craft can honor a longtime community leader. Readers interested in the art form can follow Far Rockaway's Mas company and the Queens Carnival.
What happens next
Earl Beckles will take part in the Carnival of Trinidad and Tobago in January 2027.
Further reading
Explore more cultural coverage in New York City.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Wave - Rockaway's Newspaper since 1893 | 718-634-4000.
