Costume cornucopia

It was another spooktacular Halloween in and around La Conner.

Historic First Street, now one-way traffic, was closed to all traffic – other than the popular Meow Mix car and law enforcement vehicles – for a full hour Thursday afternoon to allow for La Conner's annual Halloween downtown pedestrian parade.

After striding from Gilkey Square to Maple Hall, costumed paraders of all ages walked back to Morris Street, collecting candy along the way from La Conner merchants and business owners.

"The merchants are generous," said one parade fan, "and help make it a great event."

Ironically, decades ago, there was no downtown trick-or-treating here for fear of vandalism to First Street storefronts. Instead, community prankless Halloween parties – akin to elaborate fall festivals – were held on the school campus.

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has since picked up the Halloween party mantle with a three-hour celebration at the Boys & Girls Club that Thursday evening featured a costume party, bouncy houses, games, pizza and, of course, candy.

Meanwhile, Shelter Bay and The Church on the Hill on Snee-Oosh Road each held a "trunk or treat."

The mood was upbeat at all locales.

The parade, held in chilly but dry conditions, drew a crowd of several hundred. Many, if not most, assumed new identities for the occasion, filling First Street with ghosts, goblins, ghouls, dinosaurs, astronauts, pirates, monsters, superheroes, Vikings, flappers, cowboys, witches, tigers, hillbillies and bananas, to name a few.

There was even a teen costumed as the victim of an alien abduction and a Shih Tzu dog dressed as a lion while gray-bearded dachshunds Rosie and Chico enjoyed a stroller ride up and down the street.

Mayor Marna Hanneman was among those delighted by turnout for the parade.

"We had more kids go down the street than we've had in a long time," she said. "It made my heart sing."

The La Conner Fire Department had blocked off First Street well in advance of the parade. Fire Chief Aaron Reinstra, with 13-week-old grandpuppy Piccolo in tow, was a constant presence. He coached young parade-goers in the fine art of candy gathering, pointing them to sweet treats along the sidewalk, even as Piccolo tugged at his firefighter bunker pants.

"There's a peanut butter cup, my favorite!" Reinstra alerted one candy hunter.

Gable Wilkins of Nasty Jack's Antiques didn't wear a costume and as a past La Conner parade grand marshal was easily recognized by candy seekers.

"Hey, it's you," a costumed youth said to Wilkins. "I've seen you at football games."

Corey Catubo of the La Conner Parent-Teacher-Student Association, who did dress up and act out for the Halloween parade, was still nearly as recognizable as Wilkins – especially with La Conner Schools staff members like teacher-coach Peter Voorhees.

"Peter," Catubo said with a laugh, "I can't believe you recognized me!"

Following the initial wave of parade-goers on First Street, it evolved into something of a street fair. Bobby and Laraine Drye were big hits strolling through the crowd with their well-behaved St. Bernard and Great Dane.

"There were a lot of dogs," one parade spectator said afterward, "and a lot of them had costumes."

While chocolate candy was off limits for the dogs, pretty much everything was fair game for the two-legged parade-goers. Those who came as vampires were probably wanting suckers, someone quipped.

The Swinomish party was likewise well attended, though one skeleton was said to have skipped because he had no-body to go with.

Of course, that was clearly the exception rather than the rule.