PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Area children made their way to the Wintergreen Arts Center on Saturday, Oct. 21, to celebrate Halloween early with spooky crafts and scary treats.
Betsy and Craig Allen of Crabtree Farms donated small pumpkins for decorating at the center’s annual Spooktacular.
Dozens of costume clad youngsters signed up for the day’s two sessions of decorating pumpkins, making witch brooms and painting sugar skulls on wooden spoons.
“They get to decorate a dapper pumpkin or a steampunk pumpkin,” said Danielle Clark, a Wintergreen board member in charge of the Spooktacular.
The dapper pumpkins donned bow ties while their steampunk counterparts were studded with nails, nuts and bolts.
“We have screwdrivers and hammers for them so they can really work at it,” Clark said.
Alongside with their artwork, children enjoyed appropriately themed grub, dining on spiderweb pizza, eyeball elixir (punch with fake eyeballs), and witches fingers.
Announcing her presence with the occasional “meow” Skyla Helstrom, 5, of Presque Isle, dressed as a black kitty, chose to sew her own candy bag for trick or treating. She loves Halloween because it’s a chance to dress up and she planned to fill her candy bag with chocolate, she said.
Helping Helstrom stitch her candy bag was National Honor Society student Kiara Lyford, 17, of Presque Isle, who spent Saturday volunteering at the art center for the first time.
The annual event wouldn’t be complete without the traditional costume parade along Main Street, where about a dozen local businesses offered treats to the children.
