AROUND THE PARK AGAIN By Sharon Lee Tegler
Waiting for her turn at the microphone near the end of the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce’s SHOPTOBERFEST on Saturday, the organization’s CEO, Liz League, was astonished.
“Gosh, we’re running over, time-wise, and no one wants to leave,” she said.
Indeed, the crowds attending SHOPTOBERFEST, with its festive Trick or Treat theme, were having fun and lingering past the 3 pm closing time. The Park Plaza event drew crowds all day long and the merchants were delighted to see all the parking lots around the square of tents full to the brim.
The business community wholeheartedly supported SHOPTOBERFEST, the ultimate #SHOPLOCAL experience. A total of 47 local merchants, small business owners and organizations took part in the extravaganza., all of whom got into the Halloween spirit of the event. Some business owners wore costumes and all were well-stocked with Halloween treats like miniature candy bars. HoneyBaked Ham’s treats were quite extravagant and included well-wrapped muffins, chocolate pastries and popcorn.
Fully into the spirit of Halloween, Park Tavern and JB’s servers Kylie Whittington and Malia Phipps served finger foods from both restaurants and were particularly popular with attendees.
For children, SHOPTOBERFEST was really fun. There was lots of entertainment including event mascots Unicorn and Peter Pumpkin who interacted with kids of all ages and were prone to break into dance at any moment – especially when SHOPTOBERFEST emcee Larry Sells announced it was time for the “kids’ dance party.
Event mascots Peter Pumpkin and Unicorn were groovin’.
There were games for kids to play like the spinning wheel ones at the Kwon’s Taekwando and Mathnasium tents.
There were puzzles, games and toys for infants to teens to check out at Franklin’s Toys – everything from child-sized coffee and tea sets to “jousting” sets. There were hands-on educational exhibits like the one at the Echoes of Nature tent where kids could touch the non-poisonous snake handled by Lakiya Oyles and admire a ferret, creepy crawlies like tarantulas and praying mantis, and an adorable Eastern Screech Owl.
Bowie-based Echoes of Nature has many exciting Outreach and Enrichment programs perfect for elementary or middle school classes. For information, visit Home | Echoes of Nature .
For adults interested in shopping local, there was plenty to see including the latest line of fall fashions from The Cottage. In addition to fashionable clothing, owner Susan Gauthier and staff brought a selection of china, cloth napkins and tableware suitable for entertaining as well as lotions, potions and accessories that would make great gifts.
Side Street Framers and Gift Gallery brought three tables of artwork and handcrafted jewelry and holiday items. Owner Dawn Wilson commented that Christmas shoppers are already coming into her Park Plaza shop where she has plenty to show them.
“Since most of what we sell is created by local artists and craftsmen, we’re not experiencing any supply chain shortages. The creators of our jewelry, paintings, drawings and holiday items like our Lifetime Candles are just a stone’s throw away,” she said.
More community businesses were represented than we have room to mention. But among them were Ledo Pizza, Griswold Home Care, CertaPro Painters, School of Rock, Keller Williams and M&T Bank. There were representatives from a proposed Severna Park Museum and community organizations ranging from Good Neighbors Group to Span, Inc., and the Severna Park Community Center.
Emcee Larry Sells emphasized over the public address system several times how pleased the chamber was to see such a healthy combination of independent businesses and the charitable organizations they support.
“The non-profits you see here do great work and all these small business owners reciprocate many times over,” he said. “Without the support of the companies that are the underpinning of the community, the non-profit organizations couldn’t exist. We need them all for a vibrant community.”
SPAN, Inc. ‘s Michelle Sabean and Severna Park High students Henry Wright, Gianna Dicks and Cooper Powell. 
Good Neighbors board members Susan Gumula and Joann Price with founder Julie Shay.
SPAN, Inc.’s Director of Development Michele Sabean was joined by Severna Park High School Thespian Society volunteers Henry Wright, Gianna Dicks and Cooper Powell, who have been collecting donations for the organization’s food pantry since school reopened. All three are in the cast of the SPHS Drama’s upcoming show “Freaky Friday”. They were helping Sabean and her son Scott collect non-perishable food pantry items and monetary contributions, promoting SPAN’s Holiday Caring program and also running a Go Fishing game.
Good Neighbors founder and president Julie Shay and board members Susan Gumula and Joann Price were spreading the word about their group’s charitable activities throughout the greater Severna Park area and hoping to attract new members.
Severna Park Community Center members were promoting their Halloween Hootenanny at Boone Station Hall this Friday, October 29. The FREE community event combines trick-or-treating, arts and crafts and games and prizes with a Halloween story time with Melody from Park Books. For information, visit Park Books – Park Books & LitCoLab (parkbooksmd.com)
There was fun to be had wherever you looked. There were books to be browsed at Park Books and Mariah Johnston and Chloe Neff’s dalmatians – Corvus and Lyra -to be admired by dog lovers.
Park Books had something to interest everyone from children’s books to mysteries. 
Dalmatians Corvus and Lyra caught everyone’s eye.
The children’s costume contest was marvelous. Comely witch Maria Zeruto was one of approximately 20 contestants. She’s seen here with her mother Anne Marie, who recorded the event with her camera, and father Ed.
The dog costume contest drew even more contestants who were decked out as everything from honeybees and ladybugs to angels and hot dogs. Strolling back from the judge’s circle, Lydia Rolfe’s dog Major, costumed as a “hot dog”, took second place in the original category.
Entertainment was scheduled throughout the day with martial arts students from Kwon’s Taekwondo among the last to perform. Their complicated movements looked deceptively easy but must have required considerable skill and strength.
…..and recently returned from a Star Wars inspired light saber battle with a few of his students Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu And Tai Chi shifu (teacher) Billy Greer was still in costume. Seen with him by the Jing Ying tent is his wife and partner Nancy who was a judge for the costume contests.
Near closing time, League said the Chamber’s board of directors had been worried about SHOPTOBERFEST’s return after being postponed for a year due to COVID. They needn’t have been concerned.
“I’m on Cloud Nine,” League said. The event was so well attended. Every table was busy all day. The Octoberfest Gods were smiling on us and we made a very good impression.”
