Hundreds of children turn out for annual Monster March
Published 9:39 pm Thursday, October 31, 2013
Monster March: Hundreds of area children took part in the annual Monster March Thursday in downtown Selma. The event began at the Selma-Dallas County Public Library before coming to an end at the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center, where children were treated to food, games and contests.
Witches, superheroes and zombies paraded through downtown Selma and momentarily stopped traffic on Thursday during the 2013 Monster March.
The parade started at the Selma-Dallas County library and snaked by downtown business. Local business owners handed out candy. Sparky — the fire department’s dog mascot — also joined in.
Organizer Shebra Kidd said the event offers an alternative way to trick or treat.
“It’s good because you can get out and trick or treat before it gets dark outside,” Kidd said. “After the march, they come into the convention center and we have some games, a costume contest and a dance contest. It’s like a little Fall festival.”
Some paraders opted for a scary look as zombies, skeletons or monsters. Several children decided to dress up as superman, iron man or a power ranger.
Three-year-old Darrell Walker decided to be iron man for Halloween. He said he chose iron man because it’s his favorite superhero. His grandmother Regina Walker said the event offers an opportunity for him to get out and play with others.
“It’s a good opportunity for him to mingle with other children,” Walker said.
Some chose to show a little school spirit. Eight-year-old Kelbi Woods dressed up as a cheerleader.
“I like being able to dress up and get free candy,” Woods said.
Others decided to be a little more creative. Nine-year-old Sean Wiggins dressed up as a bag of groceries.
But for a select few, it was their first Halloween ever.
Gabrielle Smith, who is less than one year old, participated in Monster March as a cat. Smith’s grandmother Elizabeth Brown said she wanted to do something fun with her granddaughter for Halloween.
“Her mom won’t get home from work until later and I thought this would be a good way to celebrate the first Halloween,” Brown said.
After making rounds by local businesses for candy, the march continued into the Carl C. Morgan Convention Center.
Once inside, participants played basketball, played putt-putt golf and walked through a haunted house. The event wrapped up with a costume contest for children 12-years-old and younger and a dance competition.
