Palmer trick or treat

Last Friday was a downtown Palmer Pumpkin Parade. Or a Palmer Palooza. Or a Trick or Treat Street. Or a walking Carnival and a costume festival. Whatever you want to call it, it was all the good things rolled into one. There were children, dogs, babies, tweens, teens, moms, dads and grandparents outside laughing and strolling up and down Palmer’s main streets. Ninety percent were in costumes. We watchers were entertained and delighted by the joyous spirit of the participants and the glorious fall evening. Shopkeepers, organizations, city hall, police, fire department, and many neighbors all celebrated with abundant candy offerings and spooky decorations.

Pedestrian Town—Watching the families walk up and down Palmer’s main streets was a reminder of earlier times when most of us did seasonal healthy trick or treating. You actually had to walk and drag your bag of candy around. You weren’t transported by car and deposited at the next house. You had to walk! And in-between homes you talked with your friends and your family. And you greeted your neighbors while they admired your ghost costume (which was really just an old bed sheet with two holes for eyes) but it fit well over your snowsuit. That type of costume is primitive now, but it worked. This years costumes were definitely a step up!

Terrific Costume Inventory—Chronicling the costumes is a serious chore but also a fun one. The Palmer quasi-scientific survey reveals the following results: five Marios; four Ninjas; a score of skeletons, including one full skeleton family with a bitty baby skeleton; seven various regal sultan looking royalty individuals; many mermaid princesses; quite a few public service costumes including fire chiefs, rescue workers, doctors, and a very tiny policeman; a pod of dolphins; confused super hero's exchanging masks; a full pumpkin family; some robbers, several snow whites, a trio of dinosaurs walking funny, a large herd of cows, including a pregnant heifer and a baby calf, and a full gang of Waldos.

Special Costumes Noted—Always there are some notable costumes in Palmer and this year the list was extensive. There was the human Bob Ross Painting, the Little school buses, the Sports Witch, the Bathrobe Wizard, the Grandmother Dragon, the Baby tiger/fox with the over-active tail, the Butterfly Mother, the full Fruit family, the Little House on the Prairie Elfin family with special ears (and ToTo too), the Forest Mushroom Head family, the Doctor Princess, Batman, Grim Reaper, the adorable tiny Hershey Kisses, Little Bear, Flame-head, Frog-head, and a full lineup of witches, one sporting florescent green hair. And there was the Chicken family, one wearing a tutu. A rowdy group of swaggering Pirates was followed by a Devil, who wore hotdogs on his head as horns.

Were They in Costume?—It was hard to tell if some participants were in costume or if some had just wandered into the Palmer procession. The multiple hood hooligans, football players, camo hunters, winter wear models, glam chicks, Barbie’s, buccaneers, runners, hikers and construction workers all looked kinda normal.

Unidentifiable—Creativity inspired puffy blue and red creatures, chenille orange things, spikey green and pink furry things. It is unclear what they were representing, but it’s clear they were having fun.

Popularity of Anonymity—It’s understandable and even appealing to step out of character and adopt a new persona; and that is what many did quite joyfully. This explains the rising popularity of cosplay in our culture. If one wants to be Winnie the Pooh, do it. If one wants to be an angel, do it. If one wants to be a Palmer potato or a Piece of Pizza, do it. If one one wants to be a Yeti or a beautiful Bat, go for it. No one is hurt and no doubt more than a few will smile.

Palmer Plays Well—It was a day to remember and Palmer played it up well, as usual. Extra crosswalks were wisely designated, the weather cooperated, one street was shut down and hundreds and hundreds of old and young made memories they will always remember. Huge thanks to the Chamber and City for organization of this fun and successful family event. And huge thanks to all the great shopkeepers and players for contributing yet another all-age connection in our town.

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff on the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222.