Andrews – The Andrews Chamber of Commerce was not going to let a little soggy rain spoil their annual Trunk or Treat party on Oct. 30.
Always prepared and undeterred, the organizers quickly changed venues from car boots on Main Street to a magical fairyland, complete with a disco ball and resident ghosts, inside the Valleytown Cultural Arts building.
Hannah Hardin with the State Employees’ Credit Union dressed as a giant pink pig. “We pass out candy every year,” she said, “and every year we run out.”
Despite their giant container brimming with assorted candy, volunteers with Valleytown Fire & Rescue agreed. Shannon Silvers laughed, saying, “We’ve got another bin just like under the table, and we’ll leave with them both empty.”
Spooky, upbeat music played while colored lights danced off the disco ball in the theatre, which was filled with hundreds of families ushering their children from table to table to gather sweets. Scarecrow Raiden Garrison rooted through his candy pumpkin to hold up his favorite candy.
“Whoppers!” he said, “I love Whoppers.”
Several children, like 5-year-old Lucy Shields, dressed as a cat mummy, loved lollypops and she had an easy dozen in her bucket.
“I like them because they are sticky,” she said while running to the next table piled full of candy to grab another lollypop.
Not every child found what they were looking for. Oscar Prate, dressed as a Demogorgon from the popular Netflix show Stranger Things, said, “I couldn’t find any Heath bars!” But his defeat was not due to a lack of choices.
Two-year-old Dhanvi Patel, dressed as one of The Incredibles, was enjoying her first-time trick-or-treating in Andrews. Her mother, Kajal Patel, said they just moved from Florida.
“I think we will learn to love it here,” she added.
Another transplant family from Robbinsville said her family loved the Andrews spectacular Halloween event. “They hand out more chocolate than from back home,” Stephanie Carter said with a laugh.
On-duty police officers Zachary Shivers and Bronson Kirby oversaw the organized chaos of witches, Spider-men pirates and zombies. “We’re here to keep the kids safe,” Shivers said. Got which Kirby added, “And to guard the candy!”
Shivers’ son, Samuel (5), dressed up in formal blues to match his police father. Others breaking from the scary theme included Rayna Rowland, a rainbow unicorn, who said, “I’m going to eat them all up tonight,” referring to her favorite candy, Reese Cups, while her mother nodded “no” in the background.
Ethan McClean made a noisy an entrance dressed as Scottish drummer, making full use of his prop.
Among the hundreds mining for candy, several families chose ensemble costumes. The King family – including dad Jeff, daughter Ava, and sons Tristan and Oliver – dressed as different colored M&M’s. Another family group stuck out among the party-goers dressed as the entire cast of Harry Potter and included their two family dogs, Chaco and Ollie, wearing hand knit Gryffindor sweaters.
Melinda Woods said she and her sister’s families agreed on the Potter theme, but with so many children between them, the kids “had to duke out the role they wanted through a made-up Quidditch game.” She laughed that “they eventually sorted it all out.”
Twins Titus and Tucker Cornett easily won the challenge for the roles of the Weasley twins. One family, in particular, stuck out in the theatre with an impressive costume design as The Wizard of Oz cast.
Their youngest, Scarlett McClure (2), won the role of Dorothy, but her older sister, Myah (6) was happy to dress up as the Wicked Witch. Her mother, a strikingly shiny Tin Man, explained that Myah was celebrating her birthday that night.
The matriarch of the family, Pam DeBore, added, “We dress up as a family every year. Last year we did the Hocus Pocus characters, and the year before that we were Alice in Wonderland.” She said the family loves Andrews, and the children, “get a very good candy loot” at the event.
An enticing aroma filled the theatre as volunteers Lori Coffey and Mary Ann Anderson sold tickets for a bowlful of homemade jambalaya. All proceeds benefit the center.
Coffey boasted about Anderson’s contributions, saying, “This woman donated all the ingredients, all of her efforts and all of her cooking skills to make this fundraiser possible.” Anderson, rebuffing her friend’s accolades, said, “We just hope to get more people to help the center. We need more community-minded people.”
Anderson’s hopes were realized that night, evidenced by the high turnout of happy, laughing neighbors and friends. Haley Sylvester (6), dressed “just like my mom” as a skeleton, maneuvered the crowds with her bubblegum-loving brother Aaron (7).
Sylvester, sucking on a lollypop, said, “I like it in here. I like all the costumes, but I like the decorations the most of all.” Her mother added, “Except for the lollypops.”