Updated at 9:09 p.m.
MONTPELIER — Princesses and superheroes, pumpkins and unicorns of all ages had a scary good time Sunday afternoon on the State House lawn while attending the Montpelier Fall Festival.
About 800 people braved the rainy, spooky weather to celebrate Halloween with fun costumes, face painting, food stalls, games and music, hosted by Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools Partners in Education and Montpelier Alive.
Included in the festivities were a ball-pit dunk tank that was a big hit with many young attendees and the Trick or Trot one-mile fun run, presented by Hunger Mountain Co-op and hosted by Onion River Outdoors.
Even the food and information stalls were decked out in Halloween garb, with the Vermont Creperie stall manned by elves and the Montpelier Alive booth run by Harry Potter, who happened to look a lot like Dan Groberg, the executive director of Montpelier Alive.
“Considering it’s kind of a cold and rainy day, I’m really thrilled with the turnout,” Groberg said. “We’ve had a lot of people here and a lot of fun.”
The Montpelier Fall Festival seemed right in line with the recommendations of Health Commissioner Mark Levine, who gave his input on how to have a healthy Halloween on Oct. 26 during a Covid-related press conference.
“Whether they be campfires, costume parades, haunted hayrides or pumpkin carving they’re all great with an outdoor option,” Levine said when discussing how to celebrate the holiday safely. “Be sure to wear a mask and not just your costume mask.”
Levine also noted that while both adults and children are at higher risk of getting and spreading the virus in social situations, especially indoor parties, people wouldn’t need to go so far as to disinfect candy. “But do have kids wash their hands before eating any treats,” he said.
Kristy Uirthlin and her two sons, Max and Zach, had been on the road traveling when they heard about the event online.
“I thought it was even better with umbrellas,” said Zach, an elementary schooler who was dressed as a bottle of salsa to go with his brother’s taco costume.
Donning a long black wig and witchy garb was Kate McCauley, of East Montpelier, who brought her kids just as a way to have fun on a rainy Halloween.
“I have two boys and they’ve really been enjoying the dunk tank and making the rounds, and I feel like it’s been a pretty good turnout,” she said. They were especially excited about the costume parade from the State House that led downtown for trick or treating, courtesy of local stores and restaurants, and the “Thriller” flash mob.
The Montpelier Fall Festival began in 2017 as the Kids Cup, with the idea to create a fundraiser that brought the community together while raising funds to support the Union Elementary School Parents Group. Over $30,000 has been raised since 2017.
