Photo: Suzanne and John’s Mom.
Houses in Rhode Island compete for the honors as scariest.
Are you ready for Halloween? Knowing how much Halloween means to children, I wonder if it can still be fun in a retirement community. It’s probably not enough to put on a witch’s hat and call a Reuben a “tongue & cheek sandwich.”
But adults are mostly old children, after all, so here are a few that jump into Halloween with both feet.
There are paddle-boarding witches in Oregon. Portland Living on the Cheap, here, writes about “a convoy of witches on stand-up paddle boards gliding along the Willamette River against the backdrop of Portland’s skyline. …
“If you love paddle boarding and want to join in on the bewitching fun,” adds On the Cheap, “dust off your witch or warlock costume and fly to Willamette Park. Participating is free. … Organizers do ask that all participants are experienced paddled boarders, wear a [personal flotation device] and leash, and have a whistle and waterway permit.”
Not to be outdone, New York City has a Halloween dog parade for all ages. Elaine Velie at Hyperallergic, here, says, “Each year, thousands of New York City dog lovers gather at Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan’s East Village for the Halloween Dog Parade. Proud paw-rents and non-pet owners alike line up to admire the creativity of their fellow New Yorkers and see some of the cutest pups in all five boroughs.
“The 33rd edition of the beloved event was briefly postponed earlier this year after planning it proved a bureaucratic nightmare of never-ending permits and exorbitant fees.
“Thankfully, the parade was saved after City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera brought the issue to the mayor’s office, which reduced the permit fees, and dog food company Get Joy agreed to sponsor it. The festival returned to ‘by far the biggest’ crowd in history, according to Tompkins Square Dog Run ‘head pooper scooper’ Joseph Borduin, who fields press emails.
“This was the first time the parade took place on the street, and around 600 pawed participants strolled down Avenue B for a few blocks before turning into the park.” Check out some delightful pictures at Hyperallergic. No firewall.
Also at Hyperallergic, here, there’s a story from England, where a giant pumpkin mosaic has set a world record. That is to say, it’s a mosaic made with pumpkins (and other gourds), not a mosaic of a pumpkin.
Maya Pontone reports, “A new Guinness World Record for the largest mosaic made of gourds was set last Wednesday, October 18, by a family-run farm in the British city of Southhampton. In a massive horticultural display honoring Tim Burton’s 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas, the record-squashing artwork features over 10,000 multicolored pumpkins and gourds laid across more than 2,000 square feet.”
I’d love to hear about pumpkin and Halloween nuttiness involving adults that you know, or know about.
First photo below: Suzanne and John’s Mom.
Second photo: Elaine Velie, Hyperallergic.
Third photo: Guinness World Records.
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