By Randi Burdette
Halloween is fast approaching and if you’re still at a loss as to what to do, Hamilton has something for you! Downtown is full of Halloween and autumn decorations. Chapter One Bookstore even has a skeleton named Ichabod sitting at the door to welcome you inside (go ahead, ask him about his head). Other businesses are getting in on the Halloween spirit, too. Between the Worlds and Robbins have huge Halloween displays in their front windows. But decorations aren’t the only thing happening downtown.
The Hamilton Downtown Association (HDA) is holding its annual Halloween Parade at 4:30 p.m. on Main Street in Hamilton. “It’s a chance for families to gather and celebrate together. It’s a chance for downtown businesses to participate in a local tradition,” says Mara Lynn Luther, co-owner of Chapter One Bookstore and HDA member. The parade will start at the corner of Main Street and 4th Street in Hamilton and the kids are encouraged to parade down Main Street, following the KLYQ van, to show off their costumes before dispersing to go trick or treating with the businesses. Claire Kemp at Bella Boutique, another HDA member, is excited for the parade as well, claiming it as a chance to show community support. Each business will be handing out about a thousand pieces of candy, says Kemp. Bring your kids down for a fun time to proudly show off their costumes and get some candy while they’re at it. Meet up with everyone at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 31 at Main and 4th Street.
If trick or treating isn’t quite your thing, there are many other things to peak your interest. The Witches Brigade is heading downtown for their third annual “flight.” Last year they had about fifty people, this year they are expecting closer to one hundred people. So grab your bikes and head down to the gazebo in Kawanis Park at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, October 30th and join in the fun.
However, if that still doesn’t seem quite interesting, Calvary Chapel in Hamilton hosts a Harvest Festival. Pastor Dale Lewis believes it has been held for about 15 years but just recently moved to the First Interstate Building at the fairgrounds. “The Harvest Festival is a safe, fun, family-oriented event,” says Lewis, “at no cost to the community.” The party is a free event with games and candy for the kids. Lewis says costumes are encouraged but to keep it family friendly. Other churches from Hamilton also get involved with the party to support the size of the festivities. “It’s called a Harvest Party instead of a Halloween Party because we wanted to celebrate the rural aspect of the time. A lot of small communities would celebrate October 31st as a harvest festival,” claims Pastor Lewis. In the past the party has garnered almost two thousand people over a four-hour period. The church gathers many donations for the party including four large bins of candy and pizza and sodas from local businesses. So bring your kids down October 31st at 5 p.m. to the First Interstate Building for fun, games, and lots and lots of candy!
Of course, if you’re looking for something a little bit more Halloween-ish, the Ravalli County Democrats are hosting a Freaky Friday Monster Mash Halloween Dance. The Dance will be held at the Bedford Building, 223 S. Second Street, with live music with Chris Lane and Joan Zen. There are prizes for best male and female costume and there is a no host bar. Tickets are $20 at the door and the fun begins at 7 p.m. and lasts till midnight!
Last, but certainly not least, the Ravalli County Museum is hosting a Ghost Tour on Saturday night, October 31 starting at 10 p.m. What could be more appropriate for Halloween than a hunt for ghosts? Grab your flashlight and one of the museum’s EVP recorders, EMF detector, and spirit boxes and start roaming the halls of the old courthouse. The tickets are $25 for non members and $20 for members of the museum. The museum does ask that you do not bring children under 14 to the tours as it can be quite frightening.