Crisp leaves cover the ground, wind blows, a chill in the air- it finally feels like fall. It is the first time in about half a decade that it truly feels like fall in this part of Northern California in October. It was nice to not be socked in with smoke, still too hot for the season, and stuck inside. Yet even more exciting is the sound of the MonsterMash that floats on the breeze, Halloween decorations all around, and the sight of children enjoying this time of year. After several somewhat disappointing Halloweens, we finally had one that is definitely worth writing about! The PMC was so incredibly proud to be a part of two great Halloween events.
On Saturday, October 30, 2021 on a misty, gray afternoon, we took part in the Hallo-luma City of Petaluma drive through Halloween event. This event was started last year in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. The City still wanted to feel the Halloween spirit and many local businesses and organizations stepped up to help, including the Petaluma Mothers’ Club. This year when we were asked to take part again, we brought our A game! It was wonderful to see many PMC families, both current and “aged-out,” drive through and enjoy the fog, bubbles, and witch themed decor of our PMC booth, with cheering mama (and some baby) faces smiling out. We even gave information about the club to some young families, who would be fantastic additions to our club community. In addition to our booth, families got to check out cute pups representing Canine Companions, huge puppet dinosaurs coming to their car windows, classic cars parked along the fairgrounds, Clo the mascot for the local company Clover, Petaluma High Football players and cheerleaders, and much more. The car trip ended with a real, sweet baby cow at the exit and a treat bag give away. It was the perfect kick off to the Halloween weekend. It felt as though the chill and mist in the air couldn’t keep the joy down.
The show piece of the weekend for the club was our own event, the Halloween Costume Parade and Fall Fun Family Social, held on Sunday, October 31, 2021 at Leghorns Park. We had a fantastic turn out with over a hundred families and their adorable little ones dressed up and looking amazing.There were witches, insects, unicorns, superheroes, princesses, dragons, animals of all varieties… and the list of cuteness goes on and one. Some highlights of the event, other than all the festive decorations all around, included a pumpkin decorating craft station, multiple monster themed sensory tables, a photo station, silly story time, and the parade itself, where families walked a balloon-clad concourse to get candy, toys, and treats handed out by our very own PMC “mama-teers”. Two local food vendors, Crepes du Jour and` Scone Rollin’, provided delicious food to fill our bellies as we partook in the revelry. More than anything it was a great day to be together. Everyone seemed happy and filled with appreciation to be out and enjoying the season as it ought to be. While we are not completely out of the woods of this pandemic, it was nice to have a small taste of normalcy, surrounded by adorable little monsters with grins a mile wide!
