With Halloween waiting right around the corner, the town of Colonie is preparing for its annual Outdoor Halloween Celebration to be held at the Pruyn House for the first time.
For more than 10 years, Colonie has been entertaining local kids with music, dancing, spooky stories and all around Halloween fun. Organized by the town’s Division of Youth Services and with help from 16 student volunteers from Colonie’s Youth Advisory Board, this year will be no different.
The event begins at 10 a.m. and runs until 11:30 a.m. at the Pruyn House, 207 Old Niskayuna Road in Latham. It’s a switch from The Crossings, where the celebration was held last year.
“We have a lot of different events that go on for the kids,” said Laura Archambault of the town’s Division of Youth Services. “Last year, we had the Easter event. We tried having it at the Pruyn House, and it seemed like a good fit with the Easter Egg Hunt. It was a big hit. It was so well received. A lot of families loved the Pruyn House.”
Andy “Music Man” Morse will start off the Halloween celebration with children’s music scheduled from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Following Andy will be Jessica Kaercher from the William K. Sanford Town Library’s Children’s Department, who will lead Spooky Story Time until 11:15 a.m. A children’s costume parade wraps up the day, where the kids can show off their creative costumes.
In addition to the parade, kids can end their day with a snack of cookies donated from the Colonie ShopRite and drinks from the Colonie Price Chopper. Each child will get a take-home craft to add to the Halloween decorations around the house.
“It’s a little pumpkin to be colored,” said Archambault. “It’s kind of like a pumpkin ornament. And the kids really enjoy Andy and the Spooky Story Time.”
Otto the Auto, an animatronic car from the AAA Hudson Valley Auto Club, will also be making an appearance this year. He – along with Traffic Safety Educator and Child Passenger Safety Technician Mike Sweeney – will talk to the children about traffic and pedestrian safety they need to keep in mind while they are out trick-or-treating.
The event is free and open to the public. An official schedule and announcement can be found on the town’s website at www.colonie.org/townevents.htm. For more information about the celebration, contact Archambault at 456-2136 or [email protected].
