Bloomington Halloween Party at Northwestern was a Hit for All Ages
Posted on Nov. 2, 2009
The city of Bloomington, the Optimists’ club, and Northwestern Health Sciences University teamed up to host The Bloomington Citywide Halloween party on Oct. 31. Hundreds of costumed kids and adults attended the event at Northwestern, packing the cafeteria with everything from princesses and ladybugs to monkeys and transformers. “There were about 800 to 900 people at the party,” said Ryan Chapman, Northwestern’s community relations coordinator.
While children in costumes always elicit a smile and flattering gaze, the costumed adults accompanying them certainly deserved a round of applause. Maggie Johnson, a Bloomington resident and Halloween party regular, dressed as a Smurf by covering herself in blue paint from head to toe and topping it all off with a blonde wig. Johnson’s son, Talon, 3, complemented her attire with his own blue and white superhero outfit. The couple was on their way down trick-or-treat alley when Johnson revealed that dressing up for the Halloween party was a bit of a tradition. “Oh, I have been in this outfit all day,” Johnson confessed.
From blue Smurfs to the entire Homer Simpson clan, families got together to coordinate their outfits. Homer and Marge Simpson tagged along behind Maggie and Bart Simpson down trick-or-treat alley. Smiles were all around as the adults seemed to enjoy their costumes as much as their children enjoyed the candy.
Another costumed family found fun at the Ball Bounce game. Three vampire children waited in line to play while the mother and father vampires dutifully watched from behind. When asked to smile for a photograph they made sure to wait for the whole clan before posing.
Vinnie the Vertebrate, Northwestern’s mascot and the ultimate costumed adult, got his fair share of giggles and high fives from the children. Lacey Gillies, a Halloween party volunteer and chiropractic student at Northwestern, acted as Vinnie’s helpful sidekick by gathering the children for photographs and handing out stickers. “Most of the kids like Vinnie, but some are scared and some cry,” Gillies said. “But overall it is nice to see the kids.” Police mascot, McGruff the Crime Dog, and Sudz, the mascot from Great Clips, were also in attendance.
Tony and Tricia Wangerin traveled from Vadnais Heights, Minn., to attend the Halloween party. Although they were not costumed, they seemed as enthusiastic about the party as the other adults. “I remember coming to the Halloween party when I was a child,” Tony Wangerin said. “I am happy to be able to share this with my children.”
“I have been doing this for 10 years,” said Linda Haller, a volunteer from the Optimists’ club. “This year, we’ve got a great crowd.”
Major co-sponsors of the event included the Bloomington Optimist Club, The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation, and Northwestern. Additional sponsorship was provided by Lindberg Chiropractic, Haller & Associates, Mall of America, Richfield/Bloomington Credit Union, Williams & Associates, Moa Marketing, Delegard Tool Co., Mark Bernhardson, and Randy Royse.
