Anoka Wedding

Anoka is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 18,076 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Anoka County6. Anoka is also the self-proclaimed "Halloween Capital of the World", due to the fact that it hosted the first Halloween parade in 1920. In 1937, city officials persuaded Congress to officially grant the title. It continues to celebrate the holiday each year with several parades.

The site which is now Anoka was first settled by immigrants in 1844. By the mid-1850s, a town had grown, including a school, store, and flour mill. The city was formally incorporated in 1878. The name Anoka was derived from two Indian words. The native Dakota used A-NO-KA-TAN-HAN, meaning "on both sides", or "from both sides", referring to its location on the banks of the Rum River. The native Ojibwa used ON-O-KAY, meaning "working waters".