Halloween revels across the South End

The South End went all out to celebrate last Saturday's haunted holiday, with two- and four-legged residents of all ages, shapes and sizes promenading in fantastical disguises and partying in their own blocks and in public gathering places with candy and cobwebs everywhere. Here is just a sampling of the neighborhood's Halloween hijinks.

Blackstone Square again set the stage for Washington Gateway Main Street's (WGMS) Halloween Festival, which treated approximately 600 two-legged guests as well as dozens of four-legged friends to amusements including face painting and pumpkin decorating; a doggie costume contest; a tour of the South End Burying Ground, unlocked especially for the occasion; scary stories read by Anne Smart, head librarian of the South End Branch Library; refreshments for sale at food trucks and Stella's beer garden and music by Sam Franklin's Lonesome Guitar Trio and DJ Sam Milanazzo. WGMS executive director Jenny Effron reported that the doggie costume contest had an all-time high of 30 entrants, and some of this year's themes, both topical and fanciful, exhibited remarkable imagination and effort. In addition to dragons, a cowboy, a Jack O'Lantern, Dracula, a "rufferee", a hot dog, a bee and a Red Sox fan, some entrants dressed in humorous concept costumes such as a small dog with a sign that said "German Shepherd"; and a Chihuahua dressed as a piņata; a dog dressed as Wonder Woman accompanied by a human Batgirl. Claiming first prize were Lexi the Chihuahua mix dressed in a lobster costume festooned with dried seaweed and shells, lemon and tartar sauce and a hand-towelette and her owner Rhys, who wore a giant, homemade lobster trap on her back. Second prize went to Mugsy the pug as Hillary Clinton and Fatty the mini-Yorkie as Donald Trump, with their respective owners, friends Linda Lamm and Janet Barros carrying signs promoting their candidates. Lexi and Rhys received an edible Key to the City made by Bark Place and second-place winners, Mugsy and Fatty were awarded treats courtesy of 2 Dogs Treats, Bark Place and Polka Dog. Effron emceed the contest, with Christian Sann, owner of 2 Dogs Treats, Kathi Molloy, owner of Bark Place and Mark Ott, president of the Friends of Blackstone and Franklin Squares serving as judges. After the costume contest, a group of about 15 departed for the South End Burying Ground led by this writer, who gave a brief history of the 19th century cemetery and shared some macabre incidents from South End history while the tour group and passersby eagerly explored the burial ground, which is maintained by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and normally kept locked. Smart's Halloween story reading was a first this year, and Effron observed, "It was great and next year we hope to do it again!"

At the Ringgold Square Halloween party, hundreds of guests packed the family-oriented park and playground, munching pizza and veggies donated by local businesses and chatting up neighbors and friends. A number of families dressed in theme costumes, notably a mom who came as Cruella DeVil with one of her children in a Dalmatian outfit; parents dressed as Princess Leia and Darth Vader with a baby R2D2, a mama and baby bear and a family of superheroes. A little girl dressed as a birthday cake and another dressed as a robot had particularly unexpected and well-crafted costumes. Ringgold friends group board members sold paving stones to benefit the park's upkeep. Adjacent to the park, Ringgold and Waltham Streets were blocked off to aid trick or treaters, and many of the houses were spookily adorned with cobwebs, giant spiders, disembodied hands and ghouls galore as residents, some in costume, sat on the front steps to give out candy.

United South End Settlements (USES) held a benefit Haunted House and dinner at the Children's Art Center, 36 and 48 Rutland Street to raise funds for Camp Hale's fall and winter programming. Camp Hale after-school time director Jerrell Cox warned visitors at the entrance of a deadly outbreak in the house and urged caution to avoid exposure while Camp Hale staff, participants and alumni inside the house portrayed scary characters. In a follow-up interview, USES marketing and events manager Evan Gray said, "I thought [the benefit] was a huge success and everyone seemed to agree. We got a bigger turnout than expected. It was nice because people came as families and they knew each other and they hung out in the courtyard and talked to each other. Over a hundred people went through the Haunted House." After-school program site coordinator Kasey Blume estimated attendance at approximately 200 and proceeds from the evening at about 900 dollars. Blume observed that while some came for the Haunted House, others came mainly for candy or dinner, which consisted of chicken, macaroni and cheese, salad and spicy "blood" punch. "Our staff had a great time as well. It was a lot of fun for us to scare the kids in our neighborhood. This even was part of a bigger plan to start our off-season programming and community engagement. The family support and overall community turnout was amazing, and all involved were happy with the end result," Blume observed. Camp Hale's off-season programming includes winter hikes and cross-country skiing, and Cox is planning to take a group of teens out west this winter for college visits and recreation.

There were smaller block parties across the neighborhood as well. Rutland, Haven and Cumston Streets were cordoned off for Halloween block parties, with neighbors dressing up to distribute candy. On Haven Street, Randi Grohe Lathrop as a well-disguised witch and contractor Dan LaBarre as a wolfman greeted children and adults with bowls of candy after dark. The parents of some young trick or treaters got into the spirit of the holiday as well with makeup and costumes.