Friday was as good as it gets for Hopkinsville’s downtown trick-or-treating.
A crowd estimated at 3,400 probably set a record for attendance, said Pam Rudd, a veteran employee of Hopkinsville Parks and Recreation. When I spoke to her, Rudd had a good view of things from a golf cart at Ninth and Main streets, the center of downtown. She also enjoys a long view of downtown trick-or-treating as a helper at this event since it started in 2009.
It didn’t hurt this year that the event came at the end of the work week, and that the weather was very pleasant.
I always get a kick out of the creative costumes I see as the crowd makes its way up and down South Main Street and one block of Ninth Street.
This year I saw pirates, punk rockers, clowns, ballerinas, princesses, witches, dinosaurs, superheroes galore, a variety of monsters, firefighters, prison inmates, cops, a Woody or two from Toy Story and at least 10 varieties of Michael Myers. I lost count of the number of kids who came as Spiderman.
There were also a variety of characters in wild wigs and futuristic clothing that I just could not identify. I’m sure it’s because I’m out of touch with cartoons that have been produced for the past 20 to 30 years. Seriously, where are Gumby and Pokey?
Many of the adults escorting their little trick-or-treaters were also in costume, including one guy who came as Santa Claus, another as the Grinch and several as gory characters suitable for a horror film.
I saw more of the same Halloween evening, which also seemed to set a record for the number of trick-or-treaters at our doorstep. My husband and I handed over miniature chocolate bars and gummy eyeballs to nearly 200 children. One group arrived on a hay wagon. Others rode on golf carts. A few appeared to be get around on foot. How old school.
I’ll be ready next Halloween for more characters — the ones I recognize and the ones I don’t.
You can see photos I shot of the downtown trick-or-treaters in this Facebook post.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
