Spooktacular! (10-31-11)

Today is the day of our annual Hill City Grade School “Spook Parade.”  Students in grades K-4 dress up after last recess and parade first in our gym and then downtown for the local businesses.  This is just one event that makes a Hill City Halloween a truly “spooktacular” spectacle!
 
The festivities began for me last week when our Little Folks Pre-School put on a “Halloween Fashion Show.”  As the father of a preschool student, I watched as the kids were brought up one at a time and had their costumes announced to the class.  The highlight of the show was when Mrs. Payne, our new preschool teacher, used the three Buzz Light Year costumes to teach the concepts of “same” and “different.” Especially when she had the students turn around.  The backs of their costumes could not have been more “different” in color and pattern.  Learning happens sometimes when you least think it will.
 
On Saturday, the Graham County Economic Development Council held their annual “Haunted Film Festival.”  This is an opportunity for local filmmakers (myself included) to create and show before an audience something fun and scary.  My family made a film this year featuring our children and all their friends.  Most were able to come out on Saturday and you should have seen their faces when we won the “People’s Choice” award! The Haunted Film Festival is one of only a handful of such events in the state, and probably across the country.  For me, it just wouldn’t be Halloween without it.
 
The costumes were out again on Sunday at our Methodist Church Halloween Party, hosted by the Methodist youth in grades 6-12.  There were games and treats and a costume contest.  The best part of this event was that it was a great example of kids helping kids.  I think it would be safe to assume that the older kids had just as much fun (if not more fun!) than the little kids.
 
And that leads us to our parade of spooks today.  This is one of Hill City Grade School’s finest traditions.  It is amazing.  We are able to dress and assemble costumes for over one hundred students in less than fifteen minutes.  Then there is always a gym full of parents and relatives to take pictures, and finally, there is a mountain of candy to be distributed downtown. Over two dozen businesses, everyone from the courthouse to the hardware store, EMT’s and office workers, everyone lines the streets and hands out candy.  Furtherore, this very paper assembles each class as it walks by and takes a group shot.
 
I cannot tell you how much it means to have that kind of support for our kids.  And every year it just seems to get bigger and better.  As I was watching Jim Logback take pictures of the various grade levels, Bob Boyd pulled me over.
 
“This is a great place to raise young people,” he said, emotion choking his voice. “This is just a great place to raise kids.”
 
Following our “Spook Parade” today, our Kansas Area Youth from the high school will renew their annual “KAYs Trick or Treat.” Pre-2 students will meet at the grade school and will be escorted around town for an hour collecting treats from various households with particularly generous owners. This is quite a task as the walk lasts an hour and it is no easy task to keep track of so many small and be-costumed students.
 
All over town, people have their yards decorated and their doors open to give freely to those who come knocking on their door.  The selfless generosity make this holiday one of my favorites…it one of those times of year where people gladly give a little something to see a child smile.  
 
Tomorrow, the decorations will come down and the costumes will be put away.  Fall will officially be underway with winter just around the corner.  But I will stay warm in the memories of the warmth of the people of our little town.  The pictures and memories, not to mention all that candy, will sustain use through the coming months.
 
Well…at least until Christmas!
 
Happy Halloween, Hill City.  And as a parent of young children – THANK YOU!