By: Mat Cloak
The Parsons Advocate
With Halloween falling on a Tuesday this year, many chose to host events and participate in the spirit of the season over the weekend.
Chris Phares organized the fifth Zombie Walk in Thomas on Friday evening. As Phares put it, the event is “absolutely free,” and a great way for people to express their creativity.
The Purple Fiddle was the zombies’ homebase, or crypt, as it were. From there, the zombies worked their way down the street, popping into businesses and greeting, or ghouling, those in town.
Before the walk, Phares holds a makeup workshop for everyone to get in costume and to learn a few tricks of the makeup trade. Predominately self-taught, Phares mainly uses latex and toilet paper to create his ghastly creations. Some of the younger zombies learned enough from Phares to even do their own makeup.
Shaena Crossland and her family take pride in their zombie zest. “I find it not only a chance to have a little ‘outside the box’ fun, but to also show and educate an amazing side of theatrics that is sometimes misunderstood,” Crossland said.
Of course, those walking and driving the streets of Thomas are struck by the unusual sight of a parade of the undead. “A lot of people think it’s funny, sometimes, you know, we get the middle finger or they just look at us like we’re crazy,” Phares said.
Those who wanted someone to scare them headed to Canaan Valley Resort State Park for their “Nightmare on the Mountain” haunted house event at the Bear Paw Lodge. Anyone could participate free of charge by bringing canned goods that the state park donated to the local food banks.
As the Recreation Supervisor of the park, Missy Davis organized the event, which is in its third year. The event took place on Friday and Saturday evening and saw close to 200 participants go through the haunted house.
Davis had about 15 people to help set the route up. When participants entered the lodge, they went through an inflatable house. From there, a creepy figure guided you through a maze. The last obstacle to safety was a haunted cemetery.
Whether you made it through the haunting or not, a bonfire, marshmallow roast, rock painting, and treats were available to all.
While zombies were crawling the streets and the haunted lodge was full of horrors up on the mountain, in Parsons, the community gathered for a candy walk at Mill Race Park. Donna Stiles, an AmeriCorps volunteer, coordinated the event after the Parsons Parks and Recreation Commission wanted to use a grant from the Tucker County Cultural District Authority to purchase 50 pumpkins for painting.
The idea grew to incorporate a candy walk. From 4 to 6 p.m., approximately 300 gathered to visit the 16 stations along the walk. Local businesses, a church, organizations, and even individual residents set up spots on the walk for families to come trick or treat.
Trick or treaters showed up despite the gloomy weather. “People are already asking for spots on the trail for next year,” Stiles said. She believes this year’s success could lead to an event twice the size next year.
With so many events leading up the actual date of Halloween, those in the spooky spirit were primed to hit the streets of town on Tuesday.
