Great day for a Monster Walk
BUTLER TWP — There were ghosts, goblins and dragons, too; as well as witches taking a break from their brew.
Cool temperatures and rain showers couldn't deter more than 100 children from showing up for the annual Monster Mile Family Walk held Saturday at Alameda Park.
The event included a one-mile loop through the park, beginning and ending next to the Masonic Community Shelter, with a number of attractions set up along the way. A petting zoo, face-painting, crafts and, of course, candy stations were all featured.
Butler resident Jennifer Craig and her 9-year-old son, Robert, were two of the participants.“I love this,” said Jennifer, holding an opened umbrella amid the raindrops. “We sign up for this every year, and next year will be the last for us.”It's no surprise what Robert enjoyed the most. Dressed up as SpongeBob SquarePants, he held on tightly to a plastic Halloween bag, filled with his gold for the day.“My favorite part was getting candy,” he said. “I got lots of it!”Tabi Bush, also of Butler, escorted her son, Nikko, and nephew, Spencer Wilhelm, through the park.“This is fun,” Tabi said. “We normally come to the holiday events here.”
Nikko, 6, donned a Hulk costume while Spencer, 2, was dressed as a SWAT team member, but will change it up for Halloween when he will be Spiderman.Alameda also hosts Christmas and Easter-themed events.“We've been to the Easter one,” said Courtney Mohney, of Hilliards, “but this is our first time here for the Monster Walk.”Courtney Mohney and Kaleb Tucker, brought their sons — 3-year-old Finley and 1-year-old Emerson, a firefighter and Dalmatian, respectively.“It's a nice day and there's a lot to do for the kids,” Courtney added.This is the fifth year for the walk, which is for children up to age 10 and held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration was $9 for each child, with the money serving to reimburse the park for holding the event.
“It's a really good way to lead up to the Halloween season,” said Lance Welliver, director for Butler County Parks and Recreation Department. “We try to make it family-friendly and that's why it's held during the day.”
Some of the adults took the opportunity to dress up themselves. Butler resident Devin Doctor and her 4-year-old daughter, Evelyn, were both witches.“You get a costume and you have to wear it more than once, right?” asked Devin, who showed some of the things Evelyn collected along the way.Included were a frisbee she will later decorate and beads to make a necklace.“Evelyn is autistic and this is perfect for her,” Devin said. “You can go at your own pace and it's nice and quiet.”When asked if she and her daughter were good witches or bad ones, Devin replied with a laugh: “We haven't decided yet.”
