HOWL-O-WEEN! TRUNK-OR-TREAT AT BAPTIST CHURCH GREAT START TO SNOWY SHELL-OUT

Photos, story Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — Scary weather almost put a damper on last night’s Howl-o-ween fest.

The best costumes went to the kids who wore snowsuits under their Barbie and Spider Man outfits.

Luckily in Gravenhurst hundreds of them got off to a great start at the now annual dusky 6 p.m. Trunk-or-Treat kick-off at the downtown Baptist Church.

And they didn’t have to perform any tricks.

Families loved the official kick-off to Halloween at the Baptist Church last night in Gravenhurst, a glorious gallop through “Willy Wonka-land.”

Pews made way for ghosts and goblins — and a generous “Super Mario” at the end.

Two dozen tables were laden down with enough candy and sweets to fill every sack in town as church members busily and joyfully fulfilled every dressed-up child and parent’s dream without having to venture out in the dark — if they didn’t want to.

(Though many did use it as a neighbourhood jumping-off point, loading their loot into cars destined to other lucrative locales closer to home.)

Or risk the scary white stuff that dropped just an hour or two later. But not real rain.

For years downtown Baptists here were famous for setting gratuitous Thanksgiving tables downstairs for hundreds of walk-in adults.

Now it’s time for the tiny tots upstairs to take over the nave, presided over last night by a towering blue-suited, masked “Jason.”

It took kids and their families an enjoyable half hour to wend your way through the chocolatey aisles, filling their loot bags with treats and without having to perform any tricks.

From the sheer sound of eerie black-hat witches, crazy cartoon characters and cute and cuddly lambs and dinosaurs zigging and zagging their way to-and-fro between aisles of chocolatey tables it was a delightful way to experience the fun and frivolity of “All Hallow’s Eve” in a half-hour.

It was one-stop shopping for pint-sized, pumpkin-packing trick-or-treaters.

A wonderfully, free, glorious gallop through “Willy Wonka-land.”

All over town it was the same story.

And today it was waking up to scary white snow.

Luckily the sugar ferry saved the day.

There was every kind of costume from cute and cuddly mommy and baby lams to witches, cartoon and movie characters.
Umbrellas and sombreros added to the fun and frivolity as tables ladened with sweet treats were at the waiting for excited kiddos and parents dressed for the most thrilling night of the year.
Dino-mite! Church members got into the spirit (no pun) of the night by dressing up and shelling out to enthralled children.
And if you got to the end without experiencing “Jason,” you got choice big bar treats from a generous “Super Mario” and a takeaway bag.
Outside before and after was a traffic jam as families came and went before the snow fell quickly within about an hour or two.

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