Halloween festivities delight community

The Sisters Halloween trick-or-treat parade is an annual tradition. Last Friday the festivities took place at Fir Street Park due to construction at Village Green. The grassy area between the park and the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce was used as the gathering place for all the little trick-or-treaters, from Ninja Turtles to Cinderella and Spiderman.

The annual Halloween parade is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sistes and the Sisters branch of the Deschutes Public Library.

The parade headed out in four groups starting at 3 p.m. The first two groups were led by Rotarian Peg Bermel and Rotary Club President Kathryn Godsiff. Two more groups were led by Sisters Library Manager Zoe Schumacher and Sisters Community Librarian Paige Bentley Flannery.

"We have someone posted at the Village Green to direct the children over here to Fir Street Park for anyone who missed the memo about the change," Godsiff explained. "We have a lot of volunteers helping with the kids and directing traffic. We will be going east and west, and they will be stopping at some new businesses. The businesses around Sisters are so enthusiastic and just really appreciate this event."

Peg Bermel, retired Sisters Library manager, still enjoys being a part of the annual Halloween Parade that she founded over 30 years ago.

"I'm still a Rotarian and I enjoy volunteering," said Bermel. "I love seeing all the kids in costumes; its fun. The Fir Street Park seems like a nice place to start from."

Sisters resident Marlynn Murphy was at the front of the line with her 8-year-old son Liam, who was in costume as the scary Darth Vadar.

"Liam's costume is probably one of the most popular costumes this year since they are releasing a new Star Wars film in December," Murphy explained to The Nugget.

Sisters sidewalks turn into an obstacle course of visual delights. And participating businesses send staff out to hand out an abundance of treats to a never-ending line of imaginatively costumed kids, eagerly holding open their bags.

Lisa VandenBrink, owner of Dandelion Ranch, a newly opened boutique across from U.S. Bank on Elm Street, was eagerly anticipating her first group of trick-or-treaters.

"This is my first time participating in Halloween festivities as a business here in Sisters, and I'm looking forward to it. We've never experienced any of the events happening around here in Sisters, like last Friday there was a homecoming parade. It's been so much fun!"

The Halloween celebration continued on Saturday evening at the Sisters-Camp Sherman fire hall, with a frightfully fantastic evening of fun, games, refreshments, and the haunted maze, all hosted by firefighters and volunteers who aimed to keep kids safe and off the street, especially on a frightfully blustery night.