It was a scary Saturday before Halloween as the Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District (PADBID) presented the Monster Mash.
The event began with ghost stories at the Prince Albert Historical Museum, followed by a Zombie Walk up Central Avenue to the Gateway Mall and the former Sears location for a dance.
Rhonda Trusty, co-executive director of PADBID, said the goal was to draw people downtown..
“It’s simply to have people come down and have some fun and have some family fun in our downtown,” Trusty said.
“I am so humbled by the response, the families that came and took part in our ghost stories and our Zombie Walk has been incredible. I can’t thank everybody enough for coming out and having family fun,” she added.
Fred Payton of the Prince Albert Historical Society told ghost stories to attendees prior to the walk. Trusty said it helps to connect the Museum with the rest of downtown.
“It was important for me to try to partner with people,” she explained. “The Historical Society is a wonderful group of people, I also reached out to Adreanna Boucher from Off the Cuff, so we have some of her actors in the storefront windows who took part in trying to scare the kids and just put on a little bit of a mime show while they were in the windows.”
The Zombie Walk was led by Igor and his handler Thomas, who Payton introduced after sharing some Prince Albert downtown ghost stories.
The dance at the conclusion was more of an opportunity for some pre-Halloween fun. The dance had a Halloween photo backdrop and the first 200 children through the door received a treat bag.
There were also more than $1,000 in gift certificates handed out.
Trusty said that she was happy to see so many people who enjoyed or were frightened by the Zombie Walk.
“There might have been (some) a little bit of scared here and there. We are trying to create a little bit of a spooky atmosphere but in a safe space,” Trusty said.
The former Sears location was decorated for the dance, which began after the conclusion of the Zombie Walk.
“The Gateway Mall has been absolutely wonderful to work with, I can’t thank Sharon Faul enough for her working with me in finding and working on the space,” Trusty said.
Trusty also thanked Family Futures and the Prince Albert Grand Council Urban Services for partnering with them for the event.
Michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
