PARKERSBURG - Although it was raining, ghosts, goblins and other assorted Halloween characters made it out Saturday to the annual Fairlawn Baptist Church Trunk or Treat.
While Saturday's soggy weather caused the cancellation of some local events, others went on as planned or moved indoors.
Nancy Wright, organizer of the Fairlawn event for the past three years, said despite the rain she and the volunteers were expecting a higher turnout than they saw last for the event in 2011. She was not sure how many years the event has taken place at the church, but it has been a long-standing event.
Article Photos
Camberly Cain takes candy from Ashley Wright, right, at the Fairlawn Baptist Church Trunk or Treat in Parkersburg. (Photo by Jeffrey Saulton)
"Every year it seems to grow regardless of sunshine or rain," she said. "We have 20 cars set up and booths set up. When I ask for help Fairlawn just gives it for this."
Wright said despite the rain and wind, organizers expected to have 1,200 people show up and about an hour into the event late Saturday afternoon, it looked like they were close to the goal.
"Last year we had around 1,000," Wright said. "The way we've run out of candy it looks like we will pass 1,000 and go higher. We are going through things here a whole lot quicker than we did last year."
Wright said the event is a way for the church to give something back to its community.
"We're here and we want the community to know we're here," she said. "That's why we do this. It's a way to show God's love by opening up everything and sharing it with them."
Wright said everything at the event was free of charge to the community. She said all the food and candy was donated by church members and there were some cash donations.
"This shows church is more than about going to church on Sunday morning," she said.
Some other upcoming Halloween activities in the area include:
* Crossroads United Methodist Church, Trunk-N-Treat event, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Tuesday, West Virginia 2 north of Parkersburg.
* Belpre Spooktacular Night, 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, Belpre Historical Society Museum, corner of Ridge and Locust streets.
* Marietta College Legacy Library "Ghost Stories from the Stacks," 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Legacy Library, Marietta College, Marietta.
* The Anchorage Halloween Costume party, 6:30-10 p.m., Wednesday, on Marietta's west side.
* Frontier FFA Spooktacular Haunted Forest, 7 p.m., Saturday, Frontier High School, Ohio 7 between Newport and New Matamoras.
Area trick or treat times include:
TUESDAY
* Belpre: 6-7:30 p.m.
* Barlow/Vincent: 6-7:30 p.m.
* Elizabeth: 6-7 p.m. (Parade begins at 7:15 p.m. at courthouse)
* Parkersburg: 6-7:30 p.m.
* Ravenswood: 6-7:30 p.m.
* Ripley: 6-7:30 p.m.
* Vienna: 6-7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
* Spencer: 6-7 p.m.
