Goodies and goblins event returns to Hope Town Square Friday

Hope’s spookiest family-friendly event of the year is set to return with treats and tales of all things ghoulish as ghosts and goblins of all ages gather on the Hope town Square for Goodies, Ghosts and Goblins at 5 p.m. Friday.

“My hope is that the event will come back as a popular one in the way that other events around town have,” says Dave Miller, event organizer and branch supervisor at the Hope Branch Library. “That is my expectation, truly. Based on Heritage Days and other events, I think people are eager to get out and resume some sense of normalcy. I would very much anticipate this event will be right in line with that.”

All the ghastly fun begins at 5 p.m. when Miller and event volunteers gather all the kids for a costume parade through the town Square that will end at a Trunk-or-Treat on the north side of the Square, Miller says.

Traditionally, Miller has donned the attire of circus ringmaster for the evening, however, this year he may be leaning toward retiring his top hat for something with a more feral nature, he hints.

“Having missed it for a year, I think continuing it and having that continuity of events on the Square and coming back to that tradition is the big thing I’m looking forward to,” Miller says.

Miller admits preparing for the town’s favorite Halloween treat has been a bit of a challenge this year given everyone is still coming back into the swing of things. And for some elements of the evening, it means a slight change to traditional programming.

For instance, hayrides this year have been parked in lieu of a more fixed set-up, Miller says.

“We will have a stationary story-telling set-up on the Square with hay bales,” he says. “The story tellers themselves will cycle through because it takes a lot of volunteers who are tough to find right now. And, people do crowd together close on the wagons and there is always a line and I don’t want people feeling uncomfortable not being able to socially distance.”

Just because the wagons are parked doesn’t mean there won’t still be some frightful tales from the town of Hope’s history to be told, Miller adds.

A story Miller offers as a glimpse is the tale of a witch who was run out of Hope, but not before placing a curse on the town’s children that they would become devils.

“That is the reason why the old Hope school’s mascot was the red devils,” Miller says. “And that is how they circumvented the curse that was put on the town.”

Brenda McKinney, a full-time assistant librarian at the Hope Branch Library, says she is anxious for the event’s return and, like Miller, she anticipates a great crowd.

“It is a great opportunity for all the kids to come out, get together and have fun,” she says. “It is one of the bigger get togethers of the season. I think it is going to be just as big or bigger, the kids are really looking forward to Halloween this year.”

Other events and spooky stations set up around the Square Friday will include a campfire, hosted by Kappa Kappa, where visitors can make s’mores, a pumpkin painting station with free pumpkins supplied by Bush’s Market, as well as an assortment of Halloween-themed games for all ages, such as a witch’s hat toss, offered by Main Street of HOPE.

“One of the games we are doing I’m calling pumpkin chuckin’,” says Jenni Richards, Main Street of Hope board member. “I’ve got some pumpkin trick-or-treat buckets and we have some pumpkins and gourds. And it is going to be like the Bozo game of tossing the items into the buckets.”

Another game tests hand-eye coordination in a skeletal sort of way, Richards says. Participants are tasked with using a skeleton hand to toss eyeball ping pong balls into skeleton goblets.

Richards says this will be her first year attending and she is anxious to dress up and see what spooky surprises and treats the evening holds.

“I honestly don’t know what to expect,” she says. “I am looking forward to a bunch of kids coming out and hopefully seeing what we can do to improve and have different games next year.”

Miller adds the event’s popular fortune teller will return this year, as well as tasty treats offered by WILLow LeaVes of Hope, including hot chocolate and caramel corn.

“My hope is that the event will come back as a popular one in the way that other events around town have and I guess that is my expectation, truly,”

Miller says. “I think lots of the typical standard attractions we have at the event will be there.”

Those who have attended in the past will notice the addition of something new, Miller teases.

“One of the things I’m doing that I’ve not done in year’s past is I am having a backdrop painted for photos,” Miller says. “We will have a backdrop so families can take pictures together with a Goodies, Goblins and Ghost Stories backdrop.”

Previous years have drawn crowds of upwards of 500 and Miller hopes this year rivals that number, if not exceeds it.

“I want everyone to be able to show up in costume,” Miller says. “And everyone is encouraged to come in costume and enjoy an evening on the Square full of Halloween fun.”

Individuals who would like to volunteer for the event or take part in the Trunk-or-Treat are encouraged to call Miller at 812-546-5310.