See the fun that kids had at the
East Portland Community Center’s Halloween Carnival,
and Midland Library’s “Day of the Dead” events ‚Ķ
Enjoying the Halloween Carnival are (left side) Jaime Cole with her parents Dave and Pearl, and (right side) Kamrin Yee with her parents, Karlan and Karen.
Story and lots ‘o’ photos by David F. Ashton
Before the memory of this year’s Halloween festivities get washed away by the oncoming rush toward the Thanksgiving Day holiday, we thought you’d like to see the fun kids had at two different, but similar, celebrations.
East Portland Community Center’s Halloween Carnival
“Welcome to our ninth annual Halloween Carnival,” smiled center director Abbe MacFarlane, as she continued her task of filling orange and black balloons with helium on Oct. 28. “We hold this in cooperation with the Montavilla Community Center and Portland Park Bureau.”
Shelli Stuhr encourages Aryana Henry to play and win a prize from game attendant Helen Wu.
“This carnival gives kids the opportunity to get out and have fun in a safe, clean environment. They wear costumes, have games, face painting, crafts and hear stories,” MacFarlane explained.
Hundreds of kids spend the Saturday before Halloween playing fun games for prizes at the East Portland Community Center.
In the food service area, families were enjoying three-course hot dog dinners. The craft room provided materials for kids to make Halloween decorations. Scary stories were being read in another area. And, the event wouldn’t have been complete without face painting!
John, Jasmin, Olivia and Odessa stop to say hello before they get the face- painting “beauty treatment”.
As we left, the carnival was winding down. We checked at the door; the greeter’s silver hand counter read 1,113 ‚Äì very close to the 1,120 people they had hoped for.
Midland Library’s D??a de los Muertos/Day of the Dead
Look at all the families who are having fun celebrating “Day of the Dead” at Midland Library!
On October 30, Midland Library’s large assembly room was swarming with kids, mostly in costume, as they learned the traditions of D??a de los Muertos ‚Äì translated, Day of the Dead.
“This event draws on the Hispanic tradition, D??a de los Muertos,” explained event coordinator, Brenda Detering de Lopez. “This celebration helps make Halloween also a time we can celebrate those who have gone before us.”
Youth Librarian Barbara Gorter reads a scary story with so much enthusiasm and acting ability, even some of the adults are enraptured by the tale “Under the Bed”.
Detering de Lopez continued, “In church or at home, the focus is on celebrating departed family and loved ones. But here at the library, it’s about using our imaginations and dressing up as some of our heroes or favorite story-book characters.”
Volunteer Adriana Gonzales helps kids at the event to make crafts, like paper flowers.
The event included an exposition of altars, kid’s crafts, story telling, a costume parade and games.
Helping were students from Parkrose and David Douglas High School who showed kids how to use their imaginations while they had a fun and safe time at the library.
Everyone found it difficult to sit still, as Groupo Condor played pre-Columbian music from Peru and Mexico.
© 2006 David F. Ashton ~ East PDX News
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