One family tradition we have in the fall is to go visit Gardner Village during Witchfest or Witchapalooza or Witch Scavenger hunt. And we always visit this original water wheel at the Archibalds Restaurant and furniture store at Gardner Village shops. They put out all kinds of giant bigger-than-life witches in funny positions hanging from buildings, spiderwebs, and stirring pots of green goo. It's a great photo op for kids.
Check Witchfest out HERE.
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| See what I mean? Witchapalooza! My grandkids have loved it in years past. It is fun to go hang out and see what is new at the shops at Gardner Village too. My favorite place there is the 2 furniture stores and the Quilt Shop, and of course the candy and fudge shop. But caramel apples were like $6.95 now! WTHeck! Kinda pricey folks! |
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| They have these lovely covered bridges, a lake running through it with real ducks and geese you can feed breadcrumbs to, and witches, of course, sitting on rafts in firemen suits. (yeah, there is sometimes no logic to the witch surroundings). |
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| Sometimes you'll see a witch sitting on suitcases going through security at an airport, and another time she is wrapped up in a spider's web. It is very creative. I think this witch is in a gold mine. lol. Good luck with that, witch! They also have like 200 pumpkins all around the place. It is very festive. |
Then you have these real witches that tried out to play the witches of Witchapalooza. I tried out one year. But I never got a call. You have to put together over the top costumes like this one. And you have to have a very dramatic witchy voice and put on airs and stuff. This one was very weird and obnoxious. But she made me laugh. Dylan, my grandson, not so much. :D
She had this funny pumpkin rolling stroller she dragged around behind her everywhere she went. I felt like she was stalking us at one point. She was a little freaky-deeky! These people have to have lots of craziness and personality. They make it fun, though, I have to admit.
You go throughout the outdoor shopping village and look for witches to match each of about 20 clues. Then if you find them all you get a cookie in the sweet shop bakery. The girls loved that part.
This is my favorite witch scene. The witches are stirring a green brew in the steaming cauldron. Everybody loves this scene. They added a lot of new things this year like a giant trampoline, a corn maze and pony rides that go around the park, not just in a circle. The extra kiddie land was $6 bucks. Otherwise it's free.
It gets you in the mood for Halloween, and lots of kids dress up. We usually do. The parents sometimes dress like witches too. It is a fun community event. YOU have to try it.
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| I finished decorating the kitchen and living and dining rooms. My hubs was making fun of my "spooky kitchen!" because I plugged in a little string of skeletons and like 3 of them already won't work or their heads fell off. Stupid lights from China! sigh......I still think they are cute....headless skeletons and all..... |
