Fairies, Princesses, Goblins and Ghosts Enjoy Annual Ghost Stroll
 | Author:
Nancy marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Fairies, Princesses, Goblins and Ghosts Enjoy Annual Ghost Stroll
MT 43 News Staff Reporter
The ghosts and goblins scared away bad weather for Townsend Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Ghost Stroll Tuesday night. The weather was perfect. Crowds of children dragging parents paced Broadway and claimed untold amounts of candy. It was the end of a perfect day for school-age and little kids as they had worn their costumes to school for the noon stroll through the hospital long-term care unit and then pranced up Broadway.
Beginning at 4 p.m. local businesses and nonprofit organizations stepped forward in costumes to entice kids to participate in various games of chance. JB Howick “the mad scientist” offered a clock of doom. Kids could turn the wheel, and wherever the needle landed, certain rewards slid down the chute into waiting candy baskets. The other owner of Townsend Hardware, Monica Howick, posed as “the mummy” with a game that looked like pins in the bottle. Many children found it to be a real challenge. Each received candy anyway.
Kellen and Michelle Hildreth at Deep Creek Pizza served up a “wheel of fortune” where kids could turn the wheel to win a free pizza or a piece of candy. The game was popular enough for kids to line up taking turns at the wheel. Daryl Blumhagen, Townsend Food Bank president, came up with probably the most innovative game of all: Kids had to reach in a plain, blue box to search for a piece of candy. Suddenly a hand would grab the kid’s hand. That turned out to be mostly fun-scary. Many screams and laughter followed. Daryl who sat directly behind the box, pretended to not know where the hand originated.
Other organizations that participated were Billings Clinic Broadwater and Broadwater County Search and Rescue. Danielle Harrell, who was handing out candy, said they gave out two full-sized totes of candy this year and last year. Angie Brakefield, director of the Community Integrated Health Program, promoted the Ambulance complete with a “ body.” It turned out to be the emergency medical technicians’ practice mannequin.
Vic and Pam Sample of Missouri Valley Marketing and Badger Materials' Nate and Nichole Brown gave out candy at the gazebo. There was fishing for candy outside the Mint and a carload of balloons decorated in black and white spots as a Holstein cow with the signage “Happy Halloween”. Asked what they were promoting the two ladies said they were “just friends” having a good time dressing up. Rachael Brug and Hanna Burdick dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, along with Brenda Phillips, gave out candy at Reading Leaves bookstore.
Really scary was a big, tall ghoul from “The Night of the Living Dead” who lumbered down the street and dared little ones to come near him, for a piece of candy. Very small children mostly hid behind their mother’s skirts, too afraid to reach out. Others overcame their fright, snatched the candy and ran!
The stroll has been a regular event in Townsend for around ten years, according to long-time Chamber member Doug Breker. This year’s event was organized by Doug Sitton with help from the city public works department, Broadwater Search and Rescue and Townsend Rotary members.
To view all of the full-size Ghost Stroll Pictures in high definition, visit our website at https://mt43news-business-services.com/mt43newsFPArticlesViewForm/77
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PhotoCredit: Photo Credits: Nancy Marks
Image 1 Caption: Townsend Food Bank President Daryl Blumhagen laughs as “some person’s" hand grabs the candy seeker’s hand in the magic box.
Photo Credits: Nancy Marks
Image 2 Caption: Melissa Smith and her son Lincoln as Sam from the horror film Trick ‘ r Treat.
Photo Credits: Nancy Marks
Image 3 Caption: Townsend Hardware’s mummy checks kids’ dexterity, for a candy. How many clothes pins can you hold in one hand?
Photo Credits: Nancy Marks
Image 4 Caption: “Mad Scientist” at Townsend Hardware sets the timer on the wheel of doom. Kids received candy down the chute depending on where the wheel landed.
Photo Credits: Nancy Marks
Image 5 Caption: Vic and Pam Sample at the Gazebo hand out candy for Missouri Valley Marketing.
Photo Credits: Nancy Marks
