Newberg Graphic Online

First Street Halloween tradition continues

Annual rite — Downtown merchants open their doors to revelers for a spooky celebration

• By: David Sale  
• Published: 11/4/2009 11:12:57 AM

Photo By: David SaleIt's all about the candy
Children plied First Street to collect candy from businesses Saturday evening.

   When there’s no more room in Hell, the dead will roam the streets of ... Newberg?
   It wasn’t the classic zombie flick “Night of the Living Dead,” but plenty of ghosts, ghouls and goblins — along with their parents — were to be found Saturday on First Street, as area residents trick-or-treated at local stores.
   A Newberg tradition, the Halloween festivities drew numerous visitors, lining the sidewalks of downtown. Clear skies encouraged the sizeable turnout, said one of this year’s festival organizers, Dave Daniels.
   “It makes it harder if it’s pouring rain,” Daniels said. “It’s a good turnout, a lot of businesses open for the event. There’s more people passing out candy than I ever signed up. It’s something everyone looks forward to.”
   With a flood of trick-or-treaters pouring through the streets, members of Newberg Kiwanis (including Mayor Bob Andrews, in disguise as a University of Oregon fan) were on hand to ensure their safety by acting as crossing guards along Highway 99W.
   Annual attendance estimates around 1,000 participants, and businesses stock up heavily on sweet treats for the crowd.
   “We bought about 30 pounds of candy,” said broker Kris Horn of Coldwell Banker. “It’s pretty amazing.”
   For others, such as County Commissioners Leslie Lewis and Kathy George, the night was a chance to meet and greet.
   “I’m trying to create a presence,” said local businesswoman Lonnie Parrish, who is moving ahead with plans to open an art gallery on First Street. “It’s a good time to bring attention to my storefront.”
   But for most visitors, the event was about one thing and one thing only: candy.
   “She’s just learning, but doing pretty good,” said Lindsey Maurer of her 2-year-old daughter Renee. “We’re still working on getting the candy in the bag — as opposed to in the mouth.”
   “This is a great event,” Lindsey’s sister Holly Maurer added. “We used to trick-or-treat here in the neighborhood when we were little.”
   “It’s a nice, safe place to take the kids,” said Mary Dootson, who visited the event with her husband Bryce and their two children. “They can meet their friends and get plenty of candy.”
   For those who live outside the city, downtown also offers easier pickings than a country lane — as Steve and Renae Heineck testified.
   In addition to escorting their daughters Tera, age 8, and Mikayla, age 11, the couple decided to get in on the act themselves, with Steve dressing as a convict and Renae a (flirty) police officer.
   “We took a photo of me patting him down by the bank,” Renae said with a laugh.
   While the Heinecks were among the few to come up with a group theme, the recent trends in summer movies were reflected among the younger set, with Transformers, superheroes, and quite a few “G.I. Joe”-inspired soldiers and ninjas to be seen, at least among the boys. For girls, standbys such as witches and fairy princesses remained popular this year.
   But young or old, cheerful or scary, First Street remains the place to be seen on Halloween.

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