I’m taking the holiday off to play with my new fake teeth, so MBIP contributor, Bob Gordon is stepping up to the plate for a rare, non-weekend MBIP Contributor Post. Take it away, Bob!
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As a kid, seeing the Halloween candy displays in grocery stores about put me sugary fits. Candy corn pumpkins, scary pops, seasonal packaged goods and giant Brach's Halloween set ups were more than I could bear.
It seems just in the past few years homes are getting more decked out with tombstones, inflatables, and lights. Of course, pumpkins and hay bales are still standard decor.
Proliferation of Halloween stores have helped this and also extravagant costumes. You can dress as a mug of beer, naughty nurse, a vending machine or any trendy celebrity rather easily. In fact, the most popular Halloween costume of 2013 was none other than that twerking sensation, Miley Cyrus.
Making your own costume is more fun and challenging. As a fourth grader I was a pirate, using torn up outgrown clothes and a few accessories. Dressing up as a beatnik in fifth grade was fun, my outfit consisted of an oversized sweatshirt, drawn-on beard stubble and homemade bongos. As a sixth grader I bought a ghoulish mask, wearing unmatched clothes and painted scars on my hands and just went as "Thing."
The best store bought costume I had was as a 1965 Kindergartner when I had a Ben Cooper Beatles Ringo costume. Complete with a Beatle wig and Beatles flicker rings from gumball machines, I thought I was the hit of our class until party time came and no one knew who I was! My matronly teacher approached me and asked who or what I was dressed up to be. I proudly told her: "I'm Ringo from the Beatles!" Her face dropped and slowly pulled away from me with a disgusted, "Oh, them" under her breath.
Halloween has always been a favorite season of mine. Outside of the obvious candy grabbing as a kid but also it marks the change of seasons with really festive colors of nature. Thanksgiving is the next holiday with Christmas right around the corner. This time of year is spent getting caught up with friends and just a different atmosphere in this last quarter of the year.
Thus I felt Marty needed a day off from posting so he can enjoy Halloween fun. Being the MBIB unofficial holiday photographer, I shot some area homes with cool Halloween decorations. They’re posted below for your Halloween enjoyment.
This Halloween always remember the wisdom of Linus...
Happy Halloween!
Bonus Corn Stock Theatre Press Release!
Corn Stock Theatre's Winter Playhouse presents The Graduate, November 1, 2, 8 and 9 at 7:30 pm, and a matinee on November 10th at 2:30 pm. All performances are at the Corn Stock Theatre Center in upper Bradley Park in Peoria. Tickets are $10 - Adult, $7 - Student.
A hit in the West End and on Broadway, "The Graduate" brings the inspired novel and movie hit of the Sixties vividly to life on stage.
Benjamin Braddock, recent college graduate and prodigal son, returns home and promptly becomes embroiled in an affair with...the wife of his father's business partner, (the one and only Mrs. Robinson), but soon finds himself falling in love with her daughter, Elaine.
Directed by Chip Joyce.
For more information, call 676-2196 and check out the Corn Stock Theatre website. Reservations are highly recommended.