Page 22 - Dec Banner 2017_Neat

Page 22 December 2017
Halloween in the Park Brings Out
Thurmont’s Monsters
James Rada, Jr.
As night fell in Thurmont on
October 28, 2017, the gates to
Community Park creaked open,
and ghouls, ghosts, and monsters
swarmed inside for the annual
Halloween in the Park event.
Ashley Wivell of Fairfield,
Pennsylvania, has come to the
event with her children for four
years. “It’s different,” she said.
“The younger kids were scared at
first, but now they enjoy it.”
The night’s activities included
magic shows, face painting, and a
Halloween egg hunt. A non-scary
children’s area featured games and
activities, such as Ring-a-Monster,
Apple Dip, and Candy Corn Ball
Toss. Plenty of food and drink
was available, all for the cost of
admission ($3.00 and a canned Just two of the dozens of awesome customes seen
food item for the Thurmont Food
Bank).
“We collected a couple
truckloads of food last year and
were able to make a $1,000 donation
to the food bank after expenses,”
said Thurmont Commissioner Wayne
Hooper, who chairs the town’s
special events committee, which has
been putting on Halloween in the
Park for years.
The event started around twenty
years ago, far different from the
elaborate production that it is now. “It
started way back as pumpkin carving
and storytelling,” Hooper said.
It continues to grow every
year. The most popular events are
the Haunted Hayride, Haunted
House, and Little Shop of Horrors.
Attendees are more than willing to
wait in long lines for a chance to be
scared.
“It’s different every year, but
I love how they keep some of the
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The Catoctin Banner Newspaper
Photo by James Rada, Jr.
at Thurmont’s Annual Halloween in the Park on
October 28, 2017.
same stuff,” said ten-year-old Star
Wivell.
All of the events are put together
and run by approximately one
hundred volunteers.
Nikolene Cole and her daughter,
Annika Cordier, were in town
from Mechanicsburg. They were
wondering what they would do
while Annika’s father was getting
a tattoo, when they saw a flyer
advertising Halloween in the Park.
They put together a costume for
Annika with items from the Dollar
Store and headed out for fun.
“It’s a great event for kids,” Cole
said. “We really like the Halloween
Egg Hunt.”
Hundreds of attendees were in
agreement. They came decked out in
costumes to enjoy a fun evening in
Thurmont.
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Emmitsburg Halloween Parade &
Costume Contest
Photos by Deb Abraham Spalding Emmitsburg’s Annual Halloween
Parade and Costume Contest was held
on October 31, 2017. The parade line-
up began at 6:30 p.m., at Federal and
DePaul Streets. Following the parade,
a party was held at Vigilant Hose
Company, featuring a costume contest,
refreshments, prizes, and lots of fun.
Abby, Mike, Lexi, Chloe, and Sara Bryson.
Costume Contest Winners
Cutest: 1 Place—Jessica Tolbert, 2 nd
st
rd
Place—Mia Eyler, 3 Place—Meadow
Ogle; Scariest: 1 Place—Kaitlynn
st
Bentz, 2 Place—Hailey Shelleman, Gene Fauble (back), Mycayla Lankford, Natalie
nd
3 Place—Olivia Gamer; Ugliest: 1 Bentz, and Alexis Cool.
rd
st
Place—Hunter Rivera, 2 Place—Lillian Tipton, 3 Place—Rodney Walters
rd
nd
Dorff; Most Original: 1 Place—Shannen and Jeffrey Poehler, 2 Place—Kai
nd
st
Ridenour, 3 Place—Addison Welsh; Groups: 1 Place—Mike Bryson, 2
nd
st
rd
Place—Colton Rhodes, 3 Place—Christian and Nolan Griffith.
rd