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PARKERSBURG -- Despite the rain and smoke hazard concerns, the annual Monster Mash made do with an indoor Halloween celebration.
Originally the event was to cover the 400 block of Market Street but the decision was made to move to two indoor venues in light of a weather forecast of rain and cool temperatures and concerns about smoke coming from the fire at the former Intercontinental Export-Import Plastics warehouse along Old Camden Avenue.
Chelsey Snyder, chairwoman of Downtown PKB's Monster Mash committee, said the Smoot Theatre was the best location given the event included the screening of two movies -- "Toy Story of Terror" at 6 p.m. and "Beetlejuice" at 9.
Snyder said there are usually about 20 vendors at the event but this year it was closer to 15. One, the Warehouse Church, was outside.
Sarah Wilson, children's coordinator, said organizers were originally planning to give candy and other items to about 2,000 children. Final attendance numbers were not immediately available, but the Smoot Theatre, with a capacity of 720 people, was full for the first movie screening. More were there, and those who could not be seated went through the trick-or-treat area first.
The change "cut back some of our decor," Wilson said. "We had a few happy monsters to put around, but there wasn't room here, but we are ready."