KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Kayla Desroches/KMXT
Halloween lands on a Monday this year, but that won’t stop the community from marching the streets in their best ghoulish garb for the entire weekend. For some part of the population, the observance of Halloween tradition means a 4 p.m. stroll from door to door and outsized bags of candy. For others, it means donning a creative costume and dropping by the Mecca at the witching hour Saturday for a chance to win big bucks. The weekend is chock full of Halloween events, including the downtown trick-or-treat on Friday, which will be from 3:30 p.m. to 5.
Sutliff True Value Hardware co-owner Barbara Zimmerman is one of the people behind the original form of Downtown Trick-or-Treat: Main Street Kodiak, which did events for every season. She says the trick-or-treating now unfolds organically, but she and other partners guide it along.
“The chamber does send messages out to all their members to remind them that it’s happening, and we contact Key Club to get crossing guards and the city to get cones and the crossing guards to let them know, and then I set up the cones and Lonny down at Sutliff’s gives them all their vests and their stop signs and tells them where to go.”
That same day, the Coast Guard will host the Haunted CommDet. Starting at 6 p.m. and ending at 11 p.m. Friday, people may “enter at their own risk.” The Coast Guard will ease up a little on the scares Saturday to open their doors to kids 10 and under at 1 p.m., but watch out, things get scary again starting at 7 p.m.
For the athletic Halloween celebrant, there’s a Kodiak College zombie run Saturday. The 6th annual 5k run will begin at 9:30 a.m. with registration starting at 8:30 at 117 Benny Benson Drive. The run will give candy eaters a little exercise before they check out another community event: the Elks Halloween Party, which begins at 6 p.m.
The $5 entry fee will go toward the American Cancer Society for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and with their ticket attendees get a buffet of appetizers. Come in your most innovative disguise in order to participate in the costume contest.
