Wrangell goes bump in the Halloween night

There was plenty to do for Halloween in Wrangell last Friday, as the borough's businesses opened their doors to a colorful assortment of trick-or-treaters in the afternoon. Organized by the Chamber of Commerce, many establishments provided candy and other free amusements in the town's business district.

Earlier that morning, children at Evergreen Elementary and their parents were able to enjoy the school's annual "Harvest of the Land and Sea" festival in the gymnasium. The fifth graders helped out with booths, leaving the K-4 kids free to meander about the displays and activities.

"It was a full gym," the school's principal, Deidre Jenson recounted.

In keeping with the spirit of the harvest, the meal incorporated vegetables grown in the school's garden, which students harvested earlier last month.

"This was the first where we incorporated a fishing harvest theme," Jenson said.

This included both live and dead exhibits of squid, shrimp, crab, chickens and a variety of fish, while halibut fishermen came to explain a bit about their livelihoods.

Jenson explained the exhibits help promote the local culture, of which fishing and subsistence gathering play a large part. At next year's event, she hopes to highlight logging, another kind of harvest important to Wrangell.

Later in the evening, Harbor Light Assembly of God held its Harvest Fest at the community center. The annual activity has been a community event for close to two decades.

"It actually started in our church basement," said Kem Haggard, Harbor Light's pastor. Fourteen years ago the festival took on larger proportions, with the church acquiring an inflatable play area and adding additional activities.

This year's fest took a group effort: 46 volunteers signed up to run booths, monitor inflatable playpads and provide food for the 400 to 500 people who attended.

Haggard explained the event is meant to provide kids and parents with a warm, safe place to go for Halloween. "It's always so cold, it's always rainy."

This year had a new addition, the "superhero selfie" booth, where participants could get a picture of themselves in their getups. The photos then go up onto the church's website. This year they also brought back the box-maze, put together by members of Harbor Light's youth group.

"It's a lot of fun," Haggard said. His church pays to put it on each year, but the festival is made possible by the voluntary help of other church and community members. "We want it to be totally free. We're here to give, to serve."

Later still, the Garnet Grit Betties roller derby team staged a haunted house on Cassiar Street Friday and Saturday nights.

"It was such a huge success," said Shawna Buness, the team's coach. "It was a very successful fundraiser."

Close to 200 people edged their way through the dimly lit house of horror. Buness said particularly good reactions were received by the surgery dungeon and baby-eating zombie. The grisly parts were all played by members of the team.

"It was a full team effort," she said, with all 15 skaters and four referees taking part.

Buness thinks the team will put on another next Halloween. "I think people will be expecting that," she said.

The Betties will be hosting its next bout here in Wrangell on Nov. 22, opening doors to the high school gym at 5 p.m. and beginning play at 6. Concessions will be handled by staff of the Stikine Inn.