Recapping an Active, Festive Halloween on Orcas

by Cara Russell

Cara Russell, Orcas Issues’ Halloween cub reporter.

Halloween 2013 began at 8:30 a.m. for the Theater for English Drama class at OHS. Pirates, Greek gods, Batman and Robin, and a collection of many other colorful characters spent the morning playing theater games and reading Death of a Salesman.

At noon I arrived at Elle Salon, to meet up with Emma, who was the Queen of Hearts. “Off with her hair!” she shrieked. After 40 minutes of curling and backcombing, Emma of Elle Salon made me a Hedy Lamarr, but mostly Lois Lane, look-alike.

By 3:30 p.m., the streets of Eastsound Village were a frenzy of trick-or-treaters. Kids walked the labyrinth at the Emmanuel Episcopal Parish, and every one who walked or ran the entire length of the maze, got to whisper a secret into the hat of the Great Pumpkin.

Up in the meeting room at the Orcas Island Public library, instead of candy, kids trick-or-treated for books. Adults who accompanied the young ones wished they could have picked a book for themselves. The staff had just as much fun as the kids, and loved getting to see all the cute and creative costumes. The books were made possible through a grant from Friends of the Orcas Island Library.

Down at Station 21, volunteer firefighters and OIFR staff set up their haunted house in the apparatus bay that normally holds the equipment. By the end of the haunted house, I turned to my friend and said “well that wasn’t very scar-“ but I was cut short as she shrieked at the sight of three scary creatures–who had appeared to be inanimate, but then came to life and around us.

The Odd Fellows Hall held the first ever Halloween dance for kids from 4-6pm. Kids enjoyed Decaf Chai by Holly, French Fries from Madrona Bar & Grill, face painting, Tattoo’s, glowsticks, and games while ‘Monster Mash’ played in the background. One small witch at the front door was keeping a tally of every goul, goblin, wizard, and princess that attended.

At the Orcas Center, 7:30 p.m. rolled around and a modest crowd enjoyed watching NT Live: Encore streaming of Frankenstein, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek: Into Darkness) and Jonny Lee Miller. This version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was told from the perspective of the creature, Comberbatch.

The Odd Fellows held their popular annual Halloween dance—and this year had the biggest turnout yet. Red Tide and the Sand Fleas played to the packed house. And unique prizes were given out for the best costumes—best structure, statues, pirate, zombie family, etc. the winners were awarded gift certificates donated from Orcas Island business.

For the remainder of the night, the Lower Tavern played host to the spectacle. Lucy sat at the bar and waited for her Ricky, while the red Teletubby carried on a conversation with the Joker. And I, Lois Lane, danced with a KISS rock star.

Orcas was quite the Halloween town yesterday, as everyone was able to fulfill a desire to be anyone or anything they wanted to be. And today was proof, that you are never too grown-up for Halloween.

(See below for just some of the faces seen in Eastsound for this festive holiday.)