Ghoulish Legions Swarm Main Street

By Kendra Bobowick

More than 2,000 goblins haunted Main Street this year, leaving residents to recover from the onslaught of revelers dressed as butterflies, spider webs, and traditional devils and vampires.

John Reed was answering his doorbell from as early as 4:15 pm through to 9 pm, counting as many as 2,053 visitors from Halloween night. The warm weather may have brought more ghosts out this year, he suspected.

“It’s unusual to have a few years in a row with 60-degree weather,” Mr Reed said. The All Hollow’s Eve tour of Main Street lived up to its reputation for drawing huge crowds, he believed.

Police Union President Andy Stinson had filled a shopping cart to overflowing in preparation for the trick-or-treaters who trampled the sidewalks in search of candy.

“That wasn’t enough,” he said. Despite the roughly $500-plus they spent on candy, police officers twice had to run out for more Tuesday night to replenish their sugary stash.

“It’s amazing how many kids come,” Officer Stinson said. The Newtown police give out candy each year. Neighboring the police station was a home with a row of Jack-O-Lanterns with carved, frightening faces lit from within and lining a stonewall to entice children hoping to fill their sacks with treats. Next-door on the lawn were Frankenstein and a troupe of mummies and zombies barring the way to the homeowner’s front door.

Traveling uphill toward the flagpole, groups of monsters and witches passed front yards adorned with caged skeletons. One poor soul at 18 Main Street had lost his bet with the devil and sat imprisoned in a cage. The Page family, including the dogs, had arranged carved pumpkins along their front steps leading to a porch hung with autumn leaves and corn stalks to enhance the Halloween mood. Across the Street toward the Newtown Meeting House were additional decorations meant to tease a chill out of passersby. In front of Edmond Town Hall stood Dr Baum and Dr Gellert’s Marketing Director Karen Murphy and Assistant Marketing Director Evan Gregoire, who handed out toothbrushes despite the amount of candy swirling through the crowd.

“We gave out 6,000 last year,” Ms Murphy said.