LEAP began assisting with the Scare on the Square in 2005, which may have been Main Street’s first such “stab” at the event. Well, for the 19th time, we “suited up” for this Halloween ritual that brings in thousands of people from the community together for a safe day of fun.
This time, though, we worked in a somewhat different capacity and there were a few new twists (of the knife).
A few weeks ago, Jessica Cuevas, LEAP’s co-Vice President of Operations, was brought in by the City of Huntsville to supervise the event as the Interim Main Street Manager. So, LEAP Ambassadors worked as “special assistants”–“Igors,” so to speak–to help the event run smoothly.
And, after years of taking place directly on the square, the event was shifted one block south so as not to interfere with customer parking for downtown businesses.
But as in past years, the event was a huge draw for local residents and a lot of fun for everyone. Vendors offered many options of food and drink, allowing visitors to “pick their poison.” More than 50 local organizations participated, including two of Professor Yawn’s classes. These students, being future attorneys, were the most frightening characters of all.
The Fire Department was again on hand, doing community service.
While many of the selfie stations were similar to past years, a new attraction was the 21st century photo booth, which takes a video from a 360-degree view. It was, in short, a “scream.”
Of course for most of the kids, the real attractions were the games and the candy. There were ring tosses on witches’ hats…
…pumpkin decorating…
…a Jurassic Trunk…
…ghost bowling…
…a cauldron toss, an eyeball toss…
…basketball shooting, face-painting…
…and many others. Thankfully, the costumes were diverse this year, with fewer Barbies than one might have expected.
For our part, we dressed as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was a bit of a change for us, as we’re not exactly ninja material, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.
The result, according to the City of Huntsville’s Economic Development Coordinator, Tammy Gann, “perhaps the best attended Scare on the Square we’ve had.” It was, at least for us, certainly one of the most satisfying.
Ariza Martinez, the Main Street intern for the fall, had the opportunity to take the lead in organizing a community event of this scale for the very first time.
It was her chance to showcase her creativity and adaptability while making a positive impact on our community.
The City of Huntsville staff–Aron Kulhavy, Tammy Gann, Angela Robinson–were great! Continuing on the superhero theme, which may have been open to interpretation for some, was a “super” sight! Regarded as Huntsville’s unsung heroes, it was a true joy to see them enjoying the day’s festivities.
As for the Ambassadors, we “shelled” out lots of fun and truly enjoyed ourselves in Huntsville’s downtown, well, most of us.
While our ninja skills may have been questionable, our enthusiasm was undeniable.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 