Halloween at the Park brings families together for 39th year
Makayla Harris, 10, plays a ring-toss game available at Halloween at the Park at the Washington County Fairgrounds Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Adria Hughes, 3, plays a game while supervised by Marietta Builders Club members Aubrey Dye and Sophia Griffin during Halloween at the Park Saturday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Trevor Boerio, 2, plays a bean bag game with the help of his grandfather Dean Myers during the 39th Annual Halloween at the Park at the Washington County Fairground Saturday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Dozens of families filled the livestock building at the Washington County Fairgrounds Saturday afternoon to enjoy the 39th Annual Halloween at the Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Makayla Harris, 10, plays a ring-toss game available at Halloween at the Park at the Washington County Fairgrounds Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Adria Hughes, 3, plays a game while supervised by Marietta Builders Club members Aubrey Dye and Sophia Griffin during Halloween at the Park Saturday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
From left, Trevor Boerio, 2, plays a bean bag game with the help of his grandfather Dean Myers during the 39th Annual Halloween at the Park at the Washington County Fairground Saturday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
Dozens of families filled the livestock building at the Washington County Fairgrounds Saturday afternoon to enjoy the 39th Annual Halloween at the Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
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MARIETTA -- Free games, candy and food brought families together Saturday as Halloween at the Park marked its 39th year with help from local civic organizations and student volunteers.
For event chairwoman Connie Grimes, the annual celebration is a community effort that gives children a place to enjoy Halloween at no cost to their families.
"I get donations from a lot of the civic organizations because to me this is a civic community activity," she said.
The event began at the levee before growing large enough to move to Muskingum Park, Grimes said. For years, a Lions Club Halloween parade ended at the park, where children could continue celebrating with games and treats.
Although the parade is no longer held, Halloween at the Park has continued. Grimes said the event typically draws 400 to 500 children, though attendance appeared lighter early in Saturday's festivities. The celebration began at noon and was scheduled to last about 90 minutes.
Grimes said organizers originally established the event as an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating, giving families another way to celebrate together.
Several organizations shared the work Saturday. Builders Club students ran the games, Pioneer Ladies Civitan volunteers distributed candy and Marietta Civitan handled the food, Grimes said.
Mark Doebrich, who helps with Builders Club, said about a dozen students volunteered at the game stations. Participants included students from Marietta and a student helping start a Builders Club at Warren Middle School.
Doebrich said the Zonta Club helped with setup, while Kiwanis and Rotary contributed money for candy. Bringing student volunteers into the event has helped keep the games staffed while giving young people a chance to serve their community.
“The kids like working with the kids’ games,” Doebrich said.
The volunteers joined in the Halloween spirit, too, with costumes including a Minion, cats and the Pink Panther.
Samantha Kirkland, a seventh-grader from Warren, returned to volunteer after helping last year. She said she plans to join the new Warren Builders Club when it begins meeting in a few weeks.
Her service Saturday also contributed to a Girl Scout project. Kirkland, who has been involved in Girl Scouts since kindergarten, said the project calls for helping a nonprofit organization for 20 hours. She chose Kiwanis, which sponsors Builders Club.
"I do enjoy the games," she said. "I enjoyed the games last year."
For Stephanie Stout and her family, the celebration has become an annual tradition spanning much of her children's lives. Stout, originally from Williamstown, now lives near Clarksburg. Her mother lives in Marietta, and the family returns for the event each year. Her oldest child is 16.
"My kids love playing the games," Stout said. "They always have."
Stout's connection to the celebration began before she brought her own children. As a teenager, she helped with the event through her mother's workplace.
Now, returning with her family gives another generation a chance to enjoy the activities she once helped provide.
Gwen Sour can be reached at gsour@newsandsentinel.com.