AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Jing on the event Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi
Overflowing parking lots were the first indication that Friday evening’s Severna Park Community Center Halloween Trunk or Treat event was a phenomenal success. Latecomers were forced to park blocks away. Looking down from above the center literally took one’s breath away.
Crowds of adults and costume clad children poured into the entrance opposite Woods Church, flowed down past a pair of food trucks to the courtyard on one side of the community center, then literally surged down a makeshift midway between the Trunk or Treat displays on the far side.
Food trucks where snacks and beverages were available were a popular draw with children and adults alike.
However, visitors also made a beeline for the courtyard between the community center and Boone Station Hall where free popcorn topped with candy was being given out and where a performance was staged by dancers from the Dance Center at Severna Park Community Center.
At the far side of the courtyard, community center doors opened to indoor festivities including viewing exotic animals from Eco Adventures and visiting a makeshift photo studio where a photographer was taking family pictures. There were also tables for children’s art projects.
Back outdoors, trick or treaters converged on all of those imaginative Trunk or Treat creations where candy was being given out.
Kids seemed especially fascinated by each one, especially the popular Camp S’More Scares trunk created by Girl Scout Troop 1105. The line there was long, but the wait was worth it.
At the Jing Ying Institute of Tai Chi & Kung Fu table next to the Girl Scouts, owner Nancy Greer took note of the approaching crowds and began limiting her candy supply to one piece per child in hopes of lasting through the evening.
Not to worry though. Severna Park Community Center executive director Sarah Elder may have literally been “lost in the crowd” but she later told us that, foreseeing the possibility of the Trunk or Treat exhibitors running out of candy, the board of directors bought lots of extra candy which they distributed to those who needed it.
There was quite a range of trunk designs this year from Severna Park businesses, organizations and churches. We’re unable to show them all but we were especially charmed by the Theater in the Park trunk. As you can see from the photo below, the clever design highlights an upcoming production of the musical “Annie”.
Best of all, a cast of characters from the show appeared including the pup Sandy snuggled in the arms of Annie portrayed by Theater in the Park artistic director Kylie Sjolie. With them are Broadway Babies workshop director Andie Lawrie, the theater company’s owner Jennifer Lee Kraus, and director of operations Atticus Boidy.
Sjolie noted that the show “Annie” (based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie) will not be premiering until January but everyone is already so excited about it.
“Rehearsals for the show are already underway and are held every Saturday at the Severna Park Community Center from 9 am till noon,” she added.
Crowds continued to file onward past the Outer Space oriented trunk seen below toward the Children’s Ministry display at end of the row, then turned and wandered back up the opposite side of the midway.
Attendees were still pouring into the Trunk or Treat event even as we were leaving. Elder said she was as surprised as anyone by the immense size of the crowd.
“It was the biggest ever since the community center began holding the event,” she noted. “We don’t have an actual count but believe there were over 1,000 attendees. We ran through 600 giveaways in the first half hour and nearly ran out of popcorn. Nonetheless, we loved seeing so many families join our Halloween festivities. It’s been our way of giving back to the community and all those who support us.”
Elder added that the next big event for the community center is the annual Cocoa & Cookies with Santa holiday extravaganza.
Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber SHOPTOBERFEST a Shop Local success
Saturday’s beautiful weather brought shoppers out in droves for the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s SHOPTOBERFEST Shop Local event.
Photos by Sharon Lee Tegler
Entering the event from the south, the makeshift city of tents and tables of 62 local vendors stretched as far as the eye could see allowing Chamber CEO Liz League to breathe a sigh of relief.
“For some reason, a number of our vendors waited until almost the last minute to register driving me to distraction,” League said. “But they all came through. We had a good crowd and this was one of our busiest shop local events ever.”
The very first vendor we visited was Side Street Framers & Gift Gallery, one of Park Plaza’s anchor businesses, with three long tables of artwork, gift items and jewelry. Co-owner Dawn Wilson and daughter Jessica Chroniger were busy serving customers along with a couple of their artists and artisans. Wilson was one of the first local business owners involved in starting the Severna Park & Arnold Chamber’s Shop Local movement.
Costumed children were everywhere and seemed drawn, along with their parents, to vendors catering to pets like Superior Doggy Daycare.
Candy was running a bit low and would need to be replenished at the Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services booth where Danielle Morgan Brown held down the fort with staffer Micayla Alexander while her sister and co-owner Winsome Brown ran an errand elsewhere on the grounds. Danielle brought daughter Callie and son Noah along to enjoy the SHOPTOBERFEST Halloween festivities.
Making an appearance at a Shop Local event for the first time, Nancy Vazquez’ Sweet Escape Bookshop welcomed shoppers aboard throughout the SHOPTOBERFEST event. Visitors greatly admired the interior’s clever design and the great selection of books.
Chesapeake Harmony Chorus’ Marge McGugan, Peggy Coulter, Diane Schwartz and Ariana Ramirez were having a ball – especially Marge who was fully into the spirit of Halloween. The women were eager to recruit SHOPTOBERFEST attendees who like to sing to join them. Rehearsals have already begun for the group’s upcoming “Reel Harmony for the Holidays on Stage and Screen” Christmas show at Historic Baldwin Halll on Sunday, December 6th.
SHOPTOBERFEST’s youngest attendees absolutely loved playing with scale model cars and trucks on the Frankin’s Toys’ miniature highway. According to Mark Wise and Evan Gruber who were minding the toy store, little ones would be happy to spend hours playing with cars. Both noted that the Franklin’s Toys Severna Park location is already gearing up for the holiday season.
Games were a part of the SHOPTOBERFEST fun for youngsters at the Jing Ying Institute of Tai Chi & Kung Fu booth with owners Nancy and Billy Greer awarding numerous prizes to winners. The Greers commented that Jing Ying has recently expanded classes at the Severna Park Community Center and is now offering classes at Magnolia Wellness Center.
Saving the best thing for last, we watched the Costume Contest which was divided into three categories divided by age. In the photograph below, Master of Ceremonies Larry Sells introduces the children in the 11 years and up category before inviting them to “take a walk” to the musical soundtrack of “Monster Mash”. The contest competitors included a variety of characters but, in the end, the winner for Scariest was Dead Grandma, for the most original William Shakespeare, and for the cutest the Whistling Warrior.
We met owners from many more local businesses, ranging from GymGuyz to Fieldstone Animal Inn and wish we could show them all. Needless to say, the Chamber’s Shop Local events are always packed with fun and shopping opportunities.
The chamber’s next event celebrating the holiday season is the 16th Annual Taste & Sip Extravaganza being held on December 8th at Chartwell Golf & Country Club. To see more, visit Home – Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce or Facebook.
The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying holds 3 morning tai chi classes at the Severna Park Community Center, as well as a mid-day homeschool kung fu class. Evening & Saturday morning tai chi & kung fu classes are located at the Magnolia Collective, behind the Donut Shack. Go to www.JingYing.org for a list of their classes and locations. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!
and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high-quality consistent care.
