Post Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Hi Boulder!
I’m Anna, Downtown Boulder’s VP of Events and Membership.
I have been producing downtown’s beloved events – like Bands on the Bricks and the Pearl Street Arts Fest – for over 10 years. I love it. As you can imagine, this year’s been a little weird for those of us whose jobs are about gathering large groups of people, but it’s impossible to have spent a decade working alongside all of the amazing businesses in downtown Boulder without developing a strong love of all of these locals who make downtown the special place that it is all year around.
The best part of my job is getting to provide my fellow area residents with cool ways to engage with and be a part of this wonderful downtown community. Probably my all-time favorite is Munchkin Masquerade, the day that, traditionally, thousands of mini-ghosts and superheroes of all kinds descend upon downtown on the hunt for candy. It was the very first event I had the opportunity to be a part of way back in 2009 when I started working on downtown events. That year the event was scheduled for a Friday and there was a huge snowstorm. The idea that it just would not happen was clearly an unacceptable option and we ended up holding it on that Sunday (which was November 1st).
It was quickly apparent to me that this was one of those special, only-in-Boulder sorts of traditions – because it has never just been about kids and candy. It is about the entire community coming together to see each other – and maybe to show off their entire family’s clever costumes (often themed to match) – enjoying it all in the heart of our City.
This year, as we all navigate life in a pandemic, the Downtown Boulder Partnership has adapted Munchkin Masquerade to include physically distanced games and activities that can be enjoyed downtown for two weeks leading up to and including Halloween (October 14 - November 1, 2020). With everything from Spooky Bingo and a Masked Photo Contest to custom printable coloring sheets and other ideas we have curated for you there are still lots of ways you can engage with us and one another – safely. Be sure to check out my personal favorite Halloween tradition, The Switch Witch. I first learned about it from a parent at Munchkin Masquerade in 2014 when I was pregnant with my first child – trust me, you will thank me for this one!
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to thank our sponsor, Sunflower Bank, who stuck with us despite this being a very different sort of year – and even stepped up to provide a Grand Prize Drawing – free to enter simply by participating in any of the activities we’ve provided (you can even just send us a picture of your completed coloring sheet for a chance to win).
Happy (Spatially Distanced!) Halloween!!
Anna
Mentioned in this Post: Sunflower Bank
Tagged: Halloween