I have never celebrated Halloween in Australia.
In previous years, there have been times when the kids have pestered me to buy a pumpkin and carve it, dress them up, and let them go trick or treating.
And each time, I've said no, because it's not an Aussie tradition.
But this year, we discovered that the Wynnum-Manly area of Brisbane celebrates Halloween every single year.
Always suckers for a good marketing campaign, the kids saw the ads on television and pestered me to go.
And when the Halloween Carnival Day dawned fine and clear, and with no better plan in place, I agreed to take them. (Note: It wasn't on actual Halloween, but the day before - which was even better as kids got to celebrate twice!)
We got there soon after the celebrations began, which meant many stalls were still setting up and/or were trying to entice customers.
Which meant the kids had a better chance than average of taking home a prize. (And I managed to find a free parking space within walking distance of the event. For The Win!)
Sideshow Alley, Halloween style. I'm not sure about the No Losers promise though ...
Mr 9 was stoked to win a penguin from one of the stalls, outclassing adults in the same category. (The first person to get an Elmo to the top of a pole was the winner. Not even touching what is wrong with all that. Because, well, look! My boy got a penguin!)
My 9 very generously gave Miss 7 his points from the fishing stall, to add to hers. That meant she got a pick from the Big Toys Section. She chose a husky dog.
(And can I say how proud I am on Mr 9 that he did that? They both could have had a reasonably-sized pink or blue dinosaur each, but he wanted his sister to get a good prize too, so did a deal with gum-chewing Carnie. That is a huge achievement for Mr 9, who, as an Aspie, used to struggle with showing his feelings or acknowledging those of others.
An Unlucky Dip. Love it!
When Miss 7 managed to get a husky of her own, Mr 9 was slightly regretting his grand gesture ...
Usually we'd visit the region for sights like these....
Miss 7 was entranced by the creepy hand lollie basket
Then it was Mr 9's turn to get grabbed whilst grabbing a lollie
Did you celebrate Halloween this year? (MTC)
5 comments:
Had a friend who use to ran a stall down there but when the BCC (Brisbane City Concil) went strange with stall fees etc she pulled out.
Glad you kids had fun
(((( Hugs ))))
Actually, it was all pretty expensive, as in having to pay for rides, games etc. Most community days are subsidised, so I didn't like that aspect of it. The lollie grab was the only free thing, and that was just because the people running that particular stall wanted to give kids something for free.
hehe I love those hand grabbing lolly bowls! Even as an adult I can stand there for a good five minutes playing with it. And yes I luurve Halloween with a passion!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, may all your wishes come true!
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