Halloweekend in Hobart’s LakeFront Park was in full effect on Saturday, October 28. Close to 1,000 region locals came out to celebrate Halloween in the park. This event was open to all locals and surrounding community residents for a safe, fun, and inclusive way to celebrate the upcoming holiday.
Local businesses such as Franciscan Hospice of Hobart, Humane Society of Hobart, Hobart Police, and many more came out to represent the community they love and hand out candy and treats to all who came.
Franciscan Hospice Marketing Specialist Tiffany Polus, loves being able to give back to the community that helps them, not only as a mother but as a healthcare worker.
“It means a lot to us to get back to the community because our offices are located across Hobart,” Polus said. It’s important to be a presence in the community, show everybody how grateful we are, for not only the patients that we service but family members and everybody that makes everything possible.”
This event took a lot of community entities to put it together and it shows. The entire park was filled with activities for the children to enjoy, bounce houses, and many more. Local favorites like Koney King and Tom’s Traveling Coffee came out to feed and keep attendees warm with hot beverages at their booths.
At the start of the day, Hobart had their annual Golf Cart Parade with over 30 golf carts decked out in Halloween decor and after they parked, they gave candy out to the trick-or-treaters. The Puppy Parade hosted by the Humane Society of Hobart followed right after the Golf Cart Parade. The last event of the night was the children’s costume contest, but there was plenty for people to do and enjoy.
Humane Society of Hobart President Jane Cornelius makes sure that the Humane Society is a part of as many events as Hobart has because she finds giving back to the community is important.
“Hobart is us. We are Hobart,” Cornelius said. “We love to participate in any of the community events, mingle with our followers, and get to see pet parades, and pets in costumes. It's a good time for all of us.”
Next year is the Humane Society’s 70th anniversary and that’s only possible due to the Hobart community. Cornelius wanted to thank the community and plans to continue to come out to these events and maybe even add a few more to their calendar, as next year means a lot to them.
"We have a great relationship with the parks and they always invite us out," Cornelius said. "So we're pretty excited to be standing strong. The community wanted us to do a turnaround a few years ago and we listened and doing events is our way of giving back."
You can see how strong of a community is not only by how many locals came out to support Halloween in the Park but the locals that always come and support Hobart events.
Hobart Local and Mayoral candidate Teddian Jackson is proud of his community and hopes the growth he has seen through the years continues.
"It's tremendous for the community," said Jackson. "First and foremost for families, as you can see their kids running around all over but for Hobart and our businesses too."
Not only a local and Mayoral candidate, Jackson is also a business owner, and events like Halloween in the Park brought new faces to his restaurant expanding revenue and customers. These events mean a lot to the community, not just those who show up to them. The love and support overflows past events into the community and that's what Hobart is all about.
"Downtown is now full of life. We're seeing more families coming out, doing things of this nature," Jackson said. " They can go to a restaurant and have a nice meal, go to a local coffee shop, or bookstore. So we're seeing a lot more vibrancy all around after our events."
Hobart Halloween in the Park is a long-standing tradition that continues to grow and expand. Hundreds of families have access to a safe, friendly, inclusive, and free event for all. If you want an event where you feel safe and at home, look into Hobart events.
To learn more about Hobart events, you can visit: https://www.cityofhobart.org/513/Halloween-in-the-Park
To learn more about the Humane Society of Hobart you can visit:https://www.hshobart.org/
