NYC Parks and Councilman Robert Holden held a day full of Halloween festivities for the community at Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village on Saturday, Oct. 29.
Following a costume parade and trunk-or-treat along the block, kids were welcomed with arts and crafts, tie-dye T-shirts, pumpkin picking, games and music in their outstanding costumes.
The trunk-or-treat event was designed to be a safer alternative to the traditional trick-or-treating in which members park and decorate their trunk to pass out candy and treats for the community. Parents had a chance to look at antique cars while youngsters satisfied their sweet tooth.
Ali Smith dressed in matching outfits with her 11-year-old Maltese as a ladybug accompanying a Day of the Dead-inspired 1980 Camaro Z 28. Even with a small trunk, it didn’t stop her from bringing her A-game.
“I just like spooky sugar skull Day of the Dead stuff, so I tried to keep the theme the same,” said Smith, who was there with the East Coast Car Association. “The kids love it. It was like a great hit. A lot of the parents like the car more than the kids. But I think the kids liked how I decorated the trunk.”
Little pirate Tenzin said she came all the way from the ocean and handed more than over 100 pieces of candy. However, she said she limits herself to only eating 10 pieces at a time.
Tenzin told QNS that dressing as a pirate brought back childhood memories.
“When I was little, I picked a pirate, and [now] I want to see how it feels like to be a pirate again,” Tenzin said.
Like most children, Tenzin’s favorite Halloween tradition is to go trick-or-treating.
Middle Village native Maya Herrera and her brother had a blast while munching on gummy bears, her favorite candy.
Herrera watched witch movies all morning and chose to dress as a spider witch.
Arts and craft activities at the event included making bracelets and buttons, as well as decorating face masks and banners. Participants even got to design a T-shirt, which many said will be the new hit fashion at school in the coming days.
Greeted by a gigantic cat, the children got to pick one of over 1,200 pumpkins in the pumpkin patch and design it at a station.
See more photos of the event below.
