Spirits undampened
With rainy Halloween in forecast, parents make backup plans for young trick-or-treaters
From left, Austin Longerbeam, 10, Brandon Kirsch, 10, Maddison Zedek, 8, Lucas Zedek, 10, Anja Hultquist, 8, and, in yellow, Ryley Kirsch, 7, carve their Halloween pumpkins Wednesday in front of the Zedek home in Petaluma.
Photos by KENT PORTER / The Press DemocratPublished: Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 4:12 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 5:52 a.m.
It seemed the fates had conspired to deliver near-perfect conditions for Halloween: a spate of summery October heat and a holiday that fell fortuitously on a Friday.
But that one bright note in an autumn overblown with bad news is threatening to vanish like Pop Rocks on the tongue of a 7-year-old. Mother Nature, acting more like the Wicked Stepmother, may spoil the party by dumping rain on the one night when kids long to be out after dark.
The forecast of a better than 50-50 chance of rain has left resourceful parents pondering backup plans in case the ominous predictions come true.
"They gear up for it all month," said Kelly Mackura, whose 2-year-old son is excited to be dressing up as Lightning McQueen from the movie "Cars."
"He was going to trick-or-treat with his cousin Julia, done up like Lightning's four-wheeled friend Mater. As a parent, I'm bummed I may not be able to see them actually trick-or-treating that night together," she lamented.
But Mackura will be prepared.
"Our Plan B is to watch 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,' " said the Santa Rosa mom. "We recorded it on the DVR Tuesday night. We'll also paint all the pumpkins we've bought over the last three weeks."
She's hoping that the Friday morning Halloween carnival at the First United Methodist Pre-School will prove enough of a distraction that the toddler won't miss trolling the neighborhood for treats if it's too wet at night.
Petaluma mother Jen Crawford has pointedly not told her 4-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son that trick or treat is under threat.
"The type A personality I am, I have a Plan B, and as long as candy is involved, they're OK with that," she said.
In the event of rain, she is prepared to put on an impromptu scavenger hunt in the house. Using computer software called "Riddle Me," she can throw a hunt themed to any holiday. The clue cards can even be done up in pictures for preschoolers.
And it might not even be necessary. The National Weather Service predicts a 60 percent chance of showers in the North Bay on Friday. Most of the rain is expected to fall during the day, with the possibility of a few breaks in the evening. That's what Crawford is hoping for.
"I'm a firm believer that if you prepare for the worst," she said, "the best happens."
Parents could punt, steering their kids toward vinyl costumes. A firefighter with a yellow slicker is a good bet, although the First Responder fad seems to have faded.
Mike Gonzalez, manager of the House of Humor costume shop in Santa Rosa, suggested anything with a cape, like Dracula, Superman or Elvis.
Santa Rosa's teen center Chops, at the corner of Sixth and Adams streets near Railroad Square, is throwing a Halloween carnival from 5 to 9 p.m. for kids of all ages. Program coordinator Nick King said parents who call the center are being advised that Chops will be a dry refuge if it rains. Carnival games, old-fashioned bobbing for apples, face-painting, a cakewalk and a movie room are among the attractions for the $3 price of admission.
Both the Santa Rosa Plaza and Coddingtown Mall, as in year's past, will play host to trick-or-treaters who are invited to go store-to-store rather than door-to-door. Some 1,500 costumed kids every year descend on the Plaza from 4 to 7 p.m., according to marketing director Kim Hall. The guest services booth will hand out tiny werewolves and bats.
Despite the forecast, not all parents are worried about a few raindrops. There are some sacred childhood traditions that must be upheld.
After spending a Halloween in Wyoming that was plagued by snow flurries -- and watching brave little goblins throw off their winter jackets at the door just long enough to show off their costumes -- Santa Rosa dad Tom Berger said he's not going to let a little rain ruin the night for his kids Mischa, 4½, and Galina, 9.
Berger said one of his Santa Rosa neighbors always sets up a base camp with drinks in his garage, strategically placed at the confluence of several courts. He figures they can always grab umbrellas and race down one court and quickly run for cover before setting off in the other direction.
"There's a lot of stuff we do today to protect our kids. They have to wear helmets, and they're not able to play on the street on their own," Berger said. "So there's a certain amount of Halloween that has to be left alone. You can't give up on childhood just because of a few little dangers, or a little bit of rain."
Staff Writer Meg McConahey is at 521-5204 or meg.mcconahey @pressdemocrat.com.
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