Party-goers spent some after hours at the library on Oct. 3 for a family costume party and fundraiser.
The entry fee of $10 a person enabled the library to raise funds for itself. Meredith Meyer, its volunteer coordinator, helped plan the event, first organized two years ago.
“We just wanted to give the kids something fun to do while raising a smidge of money,” she said. “Everybody who was there had a blast. Everybody that walked out the door said, ‘Oh my gosh, thank you. We had a great time.’
“It’s always cute to see all the kids in costumes, and sometimes the parents get involved, which is fun, too.”
Children and their parents were encouraged but not required to wear costumes. Some kids showed up in coordinated outfits inspired by Minecraft and the Harry Potter movies. Other adults donned Halloween-themed T-shirts and sweaters, while their children dressed to look like Barbie or Michael Jackson, among others.
Music was provided by a hired DJ, who also controlled colored lights to set the mood for each song and passed out candy to enthusiastic dancers. There were also competitions that gave children the chance to use inflatable musical instruments and microphones to see who could best mimic a real musical performance.
At the end of the night, participants voted on a winner in the kids’ costume contest, with the top three earning the prize of a gift card.
The library will continue its Halloween-themed activities with a costume swap on Wednesday, and trick or treating for children up to age 5.