Officially Halloween is still two weeks away, but the holiday came early to Pottstown during the annual “Haunts on High,” held along E. High Street Saturday afternoon.
Children could be seen walking downtown dressed as princesses, superheroes, witches and more while organizations handed out candy for a safe trick-or-treating activity. The event also included other Halloween-themed fun stations like a caramel apple fundraiser at Art Fusion 19464, a mask making crafts table at The Steel River Playhouse and face paintings at Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches restaurant.
“Haunts on High” was held in conjunction with the 3rd Annual Halloween Extravaganza Art Project. Downtown businesses support the art initiative by sponsoring an art piece that is hung in the business window. A group called Pottstown Arts organizes the downtown events and works to promote art in the area.
“There was a long standing tradition of painting the windows of the downtown businesses for Halloween,” said Audra Ross, one of the organizers for Pottstown Arts.
She said the people wanted the tradition to come back to the borough and so they did just that three years ago. Only now, the artwork is made on donated canvas that is hung in a window instead of painted. For more about Pottstown Arts and to find out how to get involved with future art initiatives, visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/PottstownArts.
In addition to supporting local art and trick-or-treating downtown on Saturday, families could stop by the 1st Annual Pottstown Badminton Rumble at Smashville. Smashville is a 24/7 badminton facility that relocated to a building on E. High Street last year. Smashville founder Eric Miller said the facility is still introducing the game of badminton to the community.
“We know Pottstown host a very successful Volleyball Rumble and so we thought why not host a badminton rumble to really introduce the sport,” he said.
The rumble had players of all skill levels and there were competitions for both individuals and teams. Free children clinics were also held at the badminton facility. Miller said children with a Pottstown address can play the sport for free year-round. Children can also show their badminton skills during a kids rumble at Smashville in December along with their Smashville Birthday Clinic for adults. To find out more information about the facility and upcoming events, visit the website smashville.us/go.
Many of the families from “Haunts on High” also made their way to Chestnut Street as well for the Mosaic community garden’s annual fall festival. The community gardens in the borough officially came to a close Saturday and the festival celebrated the end of the season with a bonfire, food and music. The gardens are always looking for members to join and plant at the community spaces for when the season begins again in spring. To find out more information, visit the website at mosaicclt.org.
