by Shelley Bennett
Halloween on a Friday is like a hot fudge sundae with double the whipped cream and maraschino cherries: there is nothing sweeter.
The kiddos can Trick-or-Treat late into the night without parents worrying about getting home to pack lunches, shower, and get to bed.
And the parents have a whole weekend to recover from the chaos of class parties, costume creating, Uptown Trick-or-Treating, and traipsing around the neighborhoods with the greatest number of houses.
The first Friday Halloween I remember was when I was in kindergarten or first grade. I was dress up as a cheerleader and my parents picked me up early from school. We were going to my uncles’ football games in Corning.
There was no trick-or-treating for me that year, but the gas station attendant gave me a full-size package of m&m’s, so it was worth it.
Another memorable Friday Halloween for me was in 2003. Jacob planned to be Batman and Landon was his side kick Robin. We had ordered the costumes early in the month and had lots of practice with the masks, capes, and accessories.
Unfortunately, one of the boys started the morning by throwing up on me. UGH.
They rallied before nightfall and we still got some cute pictures and saw our favorite people, like Aunt Georgia and Uncle Louie, Aunt Shirley, and Jane and Larry Voss.
This year, the day after Halloween promises to continue the celebratory mood with the first ever Black Cat Ball, a dance and concert benefitting the Lassen Humane Society. It will be held in partnership with the Susanville Performing Arts Center at the Sierra Theatre on Saturday November 1st, 7:00-midnight.
Local band, Timeless will start performing at 8:00 and there will be food and drinks for sale, as well as raffle tickets for two cords of wood, and a silent auction. There is also a costume contest!
The Black Cat Ball is open to all ages and the $20 tickets are available at the door.
Mike and Carolyn Smith have been busy behind the scenes getting the venue ready for this inaugural event. A new sound booth was built and the fog machine, mirror ball, and lighting from the Video Dance party days were hooked up again.
The Smiths replaced the stage lights and cut out with plywood, touched up the paint, and gave everything a good cleaning for Saturday’s big party. Board member Mark Sanders and electrician Mike Nye have also put in many hours of volunteer work to transform the movie theatre into a space that can showcase dancers, bands, comedians, and even the Susanville Symphony.
That’s right, SPAC will be partnering with the Susanville Symphony with a Candlelight Concert on December 23rd, an evening that will surely put even the Grinchiest in the holiday spirit.
Happy Halloween everyone! Get ready for the busiest, and best, time of the year!
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